The Best Donuts in Poland

In Poland they are called pączeki, and the very best ones are from A. Blilke in Warsaw--we were fortunate enough to have some on our trip there (thanks to a recommendation out of Rick Steve's guidebook--the bakery is on a main walking street in Warsaw, Nowy Swiat, but we might have walked right by). They are made of an egg-rich but not-too-buttery brioche dough; they are topped with a fondant glaze sprinkled with candied orange rind; and — what makes them extra special — they are filled with a pureed plum jam scented (listen to this) with rose water (sublime). Aroma on aroma, but still surprisingly subtle. Plus, they’re small and, hence, not at all difficult to eat.

The bakery was established in 1869. Charles de Gaulle was once a regular. The Vatican was known to ring up with special orders for Pope John Paul II. Ignacy Paderewski, Poland's first prime minister, played piano there as a young man. Arthur Rubinstein and Marcel Marceau stopped in whenever they came to town. A. Blikle has been the pastry shop and café of choice for the Polish elite, surviving Russian partition, German occupation and Communist rule, the centerpoint of Warsaw's elegant shopping street. The street was destroyed during the siege of Warsaw, but rebuilt in 1946 to it's 19th century charm. And the donuts continue to be fabulous.