Sweet spotlight shines on paczkis on Fat Tuesday

CHICAGO — At Rudy’s bakery in Chicago, it’s go time for Fat Tuesday.

The longtime small business owner Heladio Guerrero is expecting another year of big business when it comes to the demand for those delicious paczkis.

The round pastry filled with fruit or cream, topped with powdered sugar, chocolate or glaze was born in Poland and brought here by immigrants. It is now shared among Americans of all backgrounds these days.

Guerrero who emigrated from Mexico in the early 70’s has owned this place on Roscoe for 34 years now. He says he expects the same demand this week as in year’s past and people will start lining up at 8 a.m.

But it’s not just the professional bakeries that embrace paczkis on Fat Tuesday. Mom and Pops have been doing this in their own kitchens here in America as part of their own Fat Tuesday tradition for years and years.

WGN’s Patrick Elwood’s in-laws Joanell and Frank Zawaski have lead their own home team and make more than a thousand of them beginning early Fat Tuesday morning. They give them away to friends and family at no-charge.