Paczki-palooza: KD Market in Crystal Lake joins in on Fat Tuesday tradition

The smell of sugary dough fills the air at KD Fresh Market in Crystal Lake as bakers create hundreds of paczkis from scratch each day.

A paczki is a traditional deep-fried Polish doughnut, usually with a jam or a cream filling and topped with powered sugar or a glaze. The sweet treat is a staple in celebrations before lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Bakeries and grocery stores in McHenry County create thousands of them - and sell out - for the holiday.

KD Fresh Market, at 29 Crystal Lake Plaza, opened in September, making this the first Fat Tuesday celebration for the grocery store. Paczkis made from scratch are available year-round at the Polish grocery store, KD Fresh Market Marketing Director Beata Bek.

The bakers follow an old, traditional Polish recipe that includes frying the treats in lard, rather than oil, to ensure a golden and crispy outside, Bek said. The traditional method and adding in the filling before frying are ways to tell a paczki is authentic, she said. The market sells traditional flavors such as plum butter, rose and raspberry marmalade, plus popular fillings including Nutella, vanilla custard, apricot and black currant.

In Poland, it is common to celebrate Fat Thursday instead of Tuesday, prolonging the paczki frenzy, Bek said.

Bek estimates the store will make more than 40,000 paczkis over the weekend. Nearly 600 were made Wednesday morning, all of which Bek expected to be gone by the afternoon.

“It’s a crazy time for us, but in a good way,” Bek said. “I think it’s the most iconic Polish holiday.”

Country Donuts, at 181 W. Virginia St., Crystal Lake, will be selling paczkis filled with a “house-made buttercream” with strawberry, black raspberry or custard flavors, owner Jake Clemment said.

Clemment said he hopes to sell about 50,000 this year. In previous years, the locally-owned bakery has sold more than 36,000.

“It’s been absolutely crazy,” he said. “We ordered about 25,000 pounds of material.”

Deli 4 You Market, at 1601 S. Randall Road, Algonquin, is exploring new flavors this year with caramel and pistachio offerings. Apricot, raspberry, rose, vanilla custard, black currant, plum and Nutella also will be available along with paczkis filled with heaving whipping cream and strawberries or blueberries.

“We’ve prepared for over two weeks,” bakery and pastry supervisor Barbara Roszkowski said. “There’s so many, so many, paczkis, but they are really good.”

The Deli 4 You team made about 4,000 paczkis Wednesday and plans to make about 8,000 for Fat Tuesday, Roszkowski said. The European grocery store sold more than 30,000 in previous years.

“Some people order like minimum 50 paczkis,” she said. “Other people order like 500 or something like that.”

Despite rising and record-breaking egg prices, the bakeries are staying competitive and keeping the same prices as last year for customers, Clemment and Bek said.

The KD Market and Deli 4 You bakeries will open early at 6 a.m. Tuesday and will be taking online preorders until Sunday.