Paczki for All

I'm a European mixed breed of everything but Polish. I'm not Catholic. I live nearly opposite side of the state from Hamtramck. But I've still got Paczki on the brain. The towering boxes stacked in the grocery store over the past few weeks haven't helped either.
Traditionally, Paczki are meant to use up all the eggs, sugar, butter & lard in the pantry before Lent. Since nearly none of those stipulations apply here, creating an egg-free and dairy-free Paczki was a fun & leisurely affair without the pressure of Ash Wednesday breathing down my neck. Filling with jam or pudding is up to you.  Consider yourself warned on this one, these are really, really good. You might end out having a Fat Sunday, Fat Monday, Fat Tuesday...

Paczki

1 1/3 cup coconut milk (about 1 can)
1/3 cup sugar
2 heaping teaspoons yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
A few shakes of nutmeg & cardamom (optional)
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1.) Mix all the ingredients except for the flour together in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2.) Add enough flour to get a sticky dough. Add a bit more if it's a gloppy mess. Don't add too much flour or these guys will be tough.
3.) Knead only enough to bring the dough together, you don't want gluten formation here.
4.) Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let raise until doubled, about 2 hours.
5.) Gently dump the dough on to a generously floured surface.  Roll out to 1/2 inch thick and cut into rounds.
6.) Place the donuts on a floured and parchment-lined cookie sheet. Cover the the plastic wrap again and let raise for another hour or so.
8.) Heat some vegetable oil up in your deep fryer or in a dutch oven to 350 degrees. I used soybean oil. Canola smells fishy, Crisco shortening is waxy. Never use lard. Ignore what Fanny Farmer and King Arthur Flour say about this matter. Lard will make your house reek of dead cow. Don't do it.
9.) Fry for 2-3 minutes per side and allow to cool and drain on paper towel before filling.
10.) Fill with jam or custard using a pastry bag and piping tip, roll around in powdered or granulated sugar. Enjoy!

Vanilla Custard Filling (embarrassingly easy)
3/4 cup soy milk or soy creamer
1 package instant Jello vanilla pudding mix

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