The Best Paczki of 2024 in Connecticut is Big Y’s Boston Creme

With all of the Super Bowl hype over the past couple of days, you may not know that Fat Tuesday is early this year - It's tomorrow, Tuesday, February 13, 2024. I didn't miss out of my favorite pre-Lenten treat though, my favorite Paczki of 2024 came from Big Y.

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My wife is 100% Polish, from the Springfield, Massachusetts area originally, so she truly grew up eating Paczek(Single) & Paczki(Plural). What the hell are they? Deep-fried, filled doughnuts. They originated in Poland around the Middle Ages, but they really have gained popularity in Connecticut over the past decade. Who do I blame for that? Springfield, Massachusetts' Big Y World Class Markets. Big Y rolls out a nice selection and variety of Paczki in the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, and the beginning of Lent.

This year, I noticed that most of Connecticut has caught onto the deliciousness of deep-fried and stuffed donuts. Every time that we thought of stopping at Big Y for some, there were only a few sad Prune-filled Paczki left. I scored at the Torrington Big Y on Saturday though, right as a new batch were being rolled out, I spotted a new variety for 2024 - Big Y's Boston Creme Paczki. Oh my God. They're delicious.

Big Y traditionally serves Raspberry, Apple, Prune, Lemon, and Blueberry Paczki, and they're all good, but the Boston Creme was a revelation. Big Y Markets are all over Connecticut, they're the most convenient for a fresh batch, but if you're up for a drive I'd suggest a trip to New Britain. Roly Poly Bakery at 587 Main Street in New Britain is the real deal for quality and selection.