Never heard of it! Only have known the pancake tradition, but heck, I'll have a doughnut today instead. (any excuse... )

Here is a link that might be useful: Shrove Tuesday traditions

"Do you celebrate Fat Tuesday with a doughnut?"

I used to, before I retired. We had a secretary who made fasnachts for us. She was from somewhere in Eastern Pennsylvania, York I think.

Jim

This post was edited by jimster on Tue, Feb 12, 13 at 12:51

Yes, York would be in the middle of fasnacht country -- PA Dutch. I forgot about the pancake tradition, but it's all about doughnuts here.

I had a Paczki this morning. That is what they are called here in Michigan.

Nancy

Hand over the doughnut and no one gets hurt...

;) Eileen

In our county, they make them with holes but use a potato dough. Many local churches and volunteer fire companies make fastnachts as one of their annual fund raising activities. The fire company in the link below, which is located a few miles from my house, made 42,000 of them this year!

Here is a link that might be useful: Making fastnachts

Here in Chicago, home to more Poles than Warsaw, they are selling the Paczki. But the true Poles celebrated with the bismark like treats last Thursday. Light and airy and filled with fresh fruit or cremes, they are so much better than a heavy bismark filled with gelatinous goo. The bakeries have been jammed, complete with police directing traffic in and out of the lots.

Peppi, they are selling the paczki here too, but as far as I can see, they're just jelly donuts, sold at a higher price, of course. Walmart, Meijer, even the local Wesco gas station, all have boxes of puczkis. None of them are good, of course, LOL.

Heavy greasy squares of dough filled with jelly and coated with granulated sugar, not even powdered.

I think I ought to just make my own. And wouldn't you think the bakery would make them? Nope, we actually have a bakery in my tiny town and they don't make them!!

Annie

Pam, I never heard of calling someone the fastnacht.
Ruthanna, that's so interesting -- you're in the county next to mine but your fastnachts have holes! I thought they never did.
I made them once many years ago because I used to observe nearly every holiday food tradition.
There are always signs for them around here. I'm not a doughnut lover so I don't get them.
Fastnachts are never filled, are they?

We got some at work today. One of the kids who comes to the center for programs always brings us treats. She and her mom. She is an absolute doll and we loved the fastnachts. They were still warm when they arrived, doesn't get any better than that!

I'm going to mix traditions and make....beignets!!

Happy Mardi Gras Doughnut Day!!!

CC, growing up, fasnachts were square with about a one inch diagonal slit in the center. I never saw them with holes until I moved to the Lehigh Valley. I haven't seen any with filling but somewhere, someone probably makes them that way.

I have never made a doughnut of any type at home so am not that familiar with all their variations.

Well, I never got my fasnacht (we always spelled without the t in the middle). I was just heading out the door when my son arrived, so I sat around talking to him for so long I never made it to the market.

I've heard that they should be made of potato dough but I thought they never had a hole and are not filled. Traditions are different everywhere you go!

Guess I'm forced to eat a regular doughnut tomorrow. Too bad.

Here where the English settled, we celebrate Pancake Tuesday. Just got home from the pancake supper at the lovely 200 year old Episcopal church. Very good. Kids all dressed up, every one had a good time.

Ruthanna, I didn't realize you are not a Lehigh Valley native!

The big deal here in Kansas is the annual Shrove Tuesday trans-Atlantic pancake race between Liberal, Kansas and Olney, England. Olney won the race yesterday. Congratulations.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: International Pancake Day