Paczki Day/Fat Tuesday

Religious, met? No, not really.  Traditional, yes.  Spiritual, yes.  Open to new experiences, especially when food is involved, yes!

A few years ago I joined the Morale Improvement Team at work.  Our mission was to of course improve morale with little to no budget and one thing we learned relatively quickly was food treats generally make people happy or at least most won't complain while they are busy chewing.  We would meet and decide which unusual or little celebrated holidays could be honored and if individual serving food could be included we welcomed new opportunities.

One man on the team, yes, he is Polish, taught many of us about paczek (singular) - a traditional jelly filled pastry eaten the day before Lent begins to use up all fats and sweets in the house in Polish homes.  Today, the paczki (plural) are available both cream and jelly filled and they are a HUGE hit at the office.

The sweet smell of the baked treat forms a scent cloud in our office area that I don't think anyone was able to resist.  

I select just the right chocolate covered, cream filled, confection and bring it to my desk for a brief but intense photo session.  Here is the one I felt worthy to share...

The cake is crisp, not soft and doughy.  It may sound strange to describe a baked good as having "snap" but it does work here.  The cream filling is not what it may appear.  It is light and not at all a heavy, overly sweet custard.  Instead the true taste of cream with a touch of natural sweetness whispers across the tongue.  

Hmm, Fat Tuesday in the office?  Not really in the Mardi Gras sense, but we often have sweet treats at work designed to keep us feeling Fed Well while experiencing a number of different customs.  Wonder what tomorrow will bring...