Pączki Polish Doughnuts

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the warm milk and yeast. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast is activated and foamy.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, egg yolks, melted butter, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and salt.

3. Slowly pour in the yeast mixture and mix everything together until a smooth dough forms. The dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.

4. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.

5. Once the dough has risen, lightly flour a surface and roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness.

6. Using a round cookie cutter or a glass, cut out circles of dough and place them on a floured baking sheet. Re-roll any scraps of dough as needed.

7. Cover the doughnuts with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise for another 30 minutes.

8. In a deep pot, heat the oil to 350°F (180°C) for frying.

9. Carefully add a few doughnuts at a time to the hot oil, frying for about 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.

10. Remove the fried doughnuts with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined tray to remove excess oil.

11. Once the doughnuts have cooled slightly, make a small incision in each and fill them with your favorite jam or cream using a piping bag or a small spoon.

12. Dust the filled Pączki generously with powdered sugar before serving.