They're back! Paczki (the plural, pronounced POONCH-key). Those awesome pastries filled with goodness we can indulge on before Lent. That's the story, anyway, which gives us a chance to have some tasty greatness on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday).

Generally speaking, Paczki are made with richer ingredients than regular jelly donuts - and are sometimes cooked in lard. They date back to the Middle Ages, but these days, tend to be most celebrated in the Midwest as that Lenten precursor, before Catholics observe the season of sacrifice up to Easter.

Any one paczek (the singular, pronounced POON-check) can be filled with any variety of fillings, though traditional paczki have prune filling.

A few years ago, our former colleague Robert Nelson and I went behind the scenes at Sweetwater's Donut Mill in Battle Creek to learn how Paczki are made. Have a look!

Hear The Richard Piet Show weekday mornings from 5:30-9 on 95.3 WBCK.

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