Travis (Doughboy_Food_Reviews)
Dulce de Leche Paczki: O&H Danish Bakery opened in 1949 and has been family owned for four generations. Although they’re known primarily for their Kringles, one of their unique seasonal offerings is paczki. A paczki is sometimes confused with a doughnut, but there are some key differences. Paczki are denser, richer, and chewier because they contain more eggs, butter, and enriching ingredients like high-gluten flour and grain alcohol. Like a bismark doughnut, they are deep-fried dough, filled with confiture (yuck) or other sweet filling, and are usually covered in powdered sugar, icing, or glaze. They originated in Poland as a way to use up leftover ingredients that are considered rich in flavor before the start of lent. Don't feel bad if you've never heard of paczki as they are a regional treat in the U.S. (primarily in the Midwest). Even though I've lived in the Midwest my entire life, I've avoided paczki as I find fruit filling to be gross (like traditional prune, really!?). O&H solved my problem with their new Dulce de Leche Paczki. It's absolutely stuffed with smooth caramel custard, topped with rich caramel icing, and teeming with crunchy toffee bits and a few chocolate chunks. My paczki was huge and hefty thanks to all that filling, and they did not skimp like some doughnut shops notoriously do. To be honest, I did not notice any difference with the texture compared to that of a doughnut (not a complaint, just observation). Another observation is it looked different from the stock photo and even some of the others on display. Specifically, it had significantly less chocolate chunks and way more toffee. I was disappointed initially, but it ended up being irrelevant because what surprised me the most was the crunchy toffee bits. The texture and flavor were fantastic, while on the other hand the chocolate was overly bitter. In the end, I chose wisely for my first ever paczki, Doughboy approved 😋
Doughboy_Food_Reviews
*I hope this is back next year and that they continue to experiment with non-fruit flavors, like Nutella and cookie butter. It would be nice if paczki were available for a week or so instead of one day, but there might be a logistical reason for that or they're just traditionalists. I also want to note that I chose O&H over several other local bakeries for my first paczki for a few key reasons:
1. Online ordering
2. Multiple locations (one was conveniently near me)
3. Flavor selection
4. Price
Accommodating Gluten-Free