Where Can You Buy Paczki in Dexter?

Fat Tuesday is once again upon us, and for many people the Lent season kicks off with consuming some of the highest fattening foods out there.

Enter the paczki.

Sugar, eggs and fat are traditionally combined to create paczki, traditional Polish doughnuts filled with fruit or cream and dusted with powdered sugar or glazed.

The popular treats sell out quick at local eateries, including the Dexter Bakery, where workers will begin churning out the fried dough beginning Monday in anticipation of large crowds.

"I expect that we'll be pretty busy," bakery owner Karen Dudek said. "It's something that people look forward to every year."

Dudek said the bakery typically makes and sells 600 dozen paczki, and will once again offer all the popular flavors, including: raspberry, strawberry, custard, blueberry, lemon, cream, prune, and apple.

In order to help control crowds, Dudek is encouraging customers with large orders to call ahead.

"We're taking pre-orders through the weekend," she said.

Paczki are $1 each before Monday, and $1.10 on Monday and Tuesday.

To place an order, call 734-426-3848.

Busch's in Dexter is selling paczki for 99 cents each, six-packs for $4.99, and 12-packs for $9.49. Flavors include Bavarian crème, raspberry, strawberry, apple, lemon, chocolate, blueberry and prune.

For residents in the Chelsea area, both the Manchester Bakery and Zou Zou's Cafe are each offering the fried treats.

Manchester Bakery owner Melanie Weidmier said the bakery has been selling paczki since Feb. 2. Flavors include apple, Bavarian crème, blueberry, cherry, chocolate cream, cream, lemon, prune, raspberry, and strawberry. Both glazed and powder variations are available for $1.25 each, or $12 per dozen. The bakery will be open beginning at 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

For an authentic Polish taste, Zou Zou's Cafe in Chelsea will sell paczki made from bakeries in Hamtramck.

"We pick up the orders at 3 a.m. on Tuesday and bring them back to Chelsea," bakery co-owner Maryanne Fody explained. "It's nice to see the customers who may have lived in the old Polish neighborhoods in Detroit come here to buy paczki."

Fody said she will take pre-orders through Monday. Flavors include apricot, apple, blueberry, chocolate custard, lemon, prune, raspberry, strawberry, and vanilla custard. Orders are available for $16.50 per dozen, or $9 per half dozen, and $1.75 for a single.

Customers who want to stray away from the paczki can stroll into Glee Cake & Pastry for a Fat Tuesday cheesecake special.

The bakery will offer chocolate cheesecake slices dipped in chocolate ganache and topped with fresh whipped cream and a strawberry for $2.50.

Glee Cake & Pastry is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

What's your favorite flavor paczki? Tell us by leaving a comment.