Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Won't You Have a Fastnacht?



Today is Fat Tuesday. It is also Fastnacht Day. A fastnacht ia a fluffy pastry similar in texture to a donut. It is usually a non-filled pastry and can be coated in sugar or powdered sugar and most of the time served warm.



Although a true Pennsylvania Dutch person will tell you they are served plain. The exact history of the fastnacht seems to be a great debate. But Fat Tuesday is one day before the beginning of the forty days of lent that will lead up to Easter in the Christian tradition. There are many ingredients,including flour, fat, eggs, and lots of butter. Most of these items are given up for the lent, and durning this period aren't consumed. The problem is what to do with all these contents in the meantime, before they spoil. So the people in Central and Eastern Pennsylvania, where this day seems to be the most popular for fastnacht day, make tons of fastnacht and pastries to gorge the family on. And every year I can't help but think of the Mistress's Grandmother, who was always so special to me. She is twevle years gone, but I can remember her in the kitchen, deep frying and making tons of fastnachts for the ladies church function that they would have that day. Plus, she also made enough for the whole neighborhood and the family. So even though she is gone I always keep the tradition alive. Today on my way in to work, I picked up my order of fastnachts at the market, where the lady makes them pretty close tasting to my Grandmother's. Although, I have to admit, I did get a little sugar on mine. This one's for you tootes! And how many times did I say my nuts, I mean, nacht's?

26 comments:

  1. I've never had one (or even heard of them before) but yowza, they look good!

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  2. Anonymous2/21/2012

    Fat Tuesday and Fastnacht Day are violating the first lady's My Plate food pyramid to fight obesity. Fastnachts should be banned in order to protect the health of our citizens.

    We need to support Michelle Obama's war on obesity and war on salt. She is trying to help a nation eating it's way into the giants mentioned in the Bible

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    1. Anonymous, welcome and thank you for stopping in. I'm taking I can't intrest you in a fastnacht????????? And many of my best friends are gaints!!!!!!

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  3. I ordered my Fastnachts & will get them tomorrow, on the way to my blood draw. I can hardly wait. I don't eat donuts often, but my yearly Fastnacht is a must-have! It signals the near start of Lent. I've laundered & ironed my satin sheets---I give up satin for Lent---and I'm deciding what else to give up/good deeds to do, for Lent

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    1. coco, have you been hittin the bottle again?

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  4. You don't need to tell me about it, look at my hips!

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  5. I've never heard of fast nuts, but that tradition makes perfect sense to me. Perhaps that why we drink so much in New Orleans on Mardi Gras.... it's our attempt to drain the city of alcohol before it all goes bad during lent! That's my new story, and I'm sticking to it!

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    1. yes stick to it! shall I send you some?

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  6. Another good reason to eat a donut...:)

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  7. Great day for a Fasnacht, now time to find me an old church that makes them properly!!!!

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  8. Happy Fastnacht Day!!! I also wonder...I'm betting it is a favorite day of our police officers!

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  9. You know, if you really were my favorite minx, you'd pick up an extra dozen, freeze 'em, and send 'em to Ann Arbor Just sayin'.

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    1. ....and while your at it send some to P-Town!

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  10. Anonymous2/21/2012

    Ohhhhh . . . why did I have to click on this link? Oh, right, the German name, and here I am thinking it's something kinky and aggressive and it's a delicacy. And this baby's off da carbs at least as much as she can hold off, measuring everything like Joan Crawford on white fabric, prowling like fuck for stains. Jesus. Let me get out of here before I give in and call the pizza place.

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    1. kinky!!!! Well, some do like food with there kink!Hmmmmm, they could be fun......

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  11. This is just too funny - had totally forgotten about this. Yes indeed the Pennsylvania Dutch know how it is done!

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  12. I grew up in PA Dutch country and fastnachts were always made with potatoes (mashed, I think). Then you'd put one in a paper bag full of powdered sugar and shake it around until it was covered with sugar. Delicious

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  13. I prefer a hole in it!

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    1. Cali boi, would you saty on subject please! I'm not telling you again.

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  14. Mmm...Fastnachts...

    You know, I could fill'em for you...

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    1. your so sweet, something homemade, from the heart!

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  15. I imagine you like a little sugar in your bowl.

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  16. We didn't have Fastnachts (which funny enough is the German word for Fat Tuesday), but we did have Paczki. They're the Polish equivalent of Fastnachts. When we were in German class, we had kreppel(jelly doughnuts), which are traditionally served in Germany for Fasching. There was always one that was filled with mustard, and that was a nightmare to get. I got mine my senior year. Before then I had always been very careful to check the filling.

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  17. never had one of those but oh my do they look good

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  18. This looks delicious! I've never tried one but I'd love to - funnily enough I think Hawaii has a similar thing..

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    1. Katherine, that is intresting to know! I know alot of the us doesn't know of this tradition, or they just don't par take of it. Welcome, and thank you for stopping by the Casa!

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Go ahead darling, tell me something fabulous!