Chicago Punchki Day Before Ash Wednesday and Lent
While most people are aware of the Mardi Gras side of Fat Tuesday but in Chicago there are probably more people who celebrate Punchki Day (p?czek or Paczki day) than Mardi Gras. Punchki Day is a Catholic (eastern European) tradition where you eat decadent fruit filled or cream filled doughnut like cakes to splurge before Ash Wednesday and the fasting and depravity required by Lent. Most Polish or Ukrainian bakeries will have Punchki available a week before Punchki Day and you can splurge all week.
Yes, I ate some of these Punchki last year.
Punchki come in a variety of incarnations. There are the doughnut style Punchki which are really the same as Jelly filled Doughnuts. These are good, but unless they are different than the regular doughnuts you can buy, what’s the point/novelty?
There is also a more cake-like type where the round baked/fried dough cakes are sliced in 1/2 and filled with fresh fruit fillings and sauces. There are other fillings like Boston cream, whipped cream, chocolate and cheesecake. I personally think the fruit is always the best way to go. You may find punchki available in these fruit flavors: Strawberry, Cherry, Peach, Apricot, Blueberry, Pineapple, Cinnamon Apples, Raspberry and Plum. (maybe even more flavors, these are just what I have tried) Most of these doughnut like mini cakes have around 400+ calories though, so this isn’t healthy by any means.
They sell them by the dozen.
I have had Punchki from Busy Bee Bakery in Downers Grove and they are pretty good. But the best Punchki I have had were from the Central Continental Bakery up north in Mount Prospect, IL. My dad works near by and places an order for a few boxes (dozens) of Punchki a week or 2 before the big day. They have a huge sign out advertising the countdown to Punchki day, so you can save up your calories. Then the crowds emerge and pick up all the punchki to take home and everyone shares them with family and friends since they are so good.
The prices range from $2.00 – $4.00 per punchki because they are huge and some are very elaborate to make. Plus they are so filling, you can’t really eat more than one in a sitting anyway. You can find the Central Continental Bakery in Mount Prispect at 101 S Main Street and call them at 847-870-9500 for ordering your Punchki or to just have them set some aside for you before they’re all gone!