Foodies are furiously scrambling to try what’s predicted to be the next trend in treats, an impossibly indulgent-sounding donut and croissant mashup called, simply enough, the cronut. SoHo pastry chef Dominique Ansel of New York City’s decadent Dominique Ansel Bakery is credited with the cronut’s creation about two months ago and the rich pastry is already trademarked. “After it’s launch on May 10, 2013,” the bakery’s Cronut 101 reads, “Cronut fans spanned the world from Berlin to Singapore, making it the most viral dessert item to date.”
Rumors of long lines, sold out selections, copycat competitors, and even a Black Market for the buttery breakfast treat are already rampant. Time Magazine has reported that sweet-toothed scalpers are snatching up the coveted cronuts and selling them for a whopping forty dollars to rabid foodies dying to try one.
Time Magazine has reported that sweet-toothed scalpers are snatching up the coveted cronuts and selling them for a whopping forty dollars to rabid foodies dying to try one.
“To put it simply, the people are obsessed with this creation,” The Huffington Post raved. The bakery itself advises that lines start outside up to two hours before they open at 8am (9am on Sun) and that “if you arrive prior to 7:15am on a week day, you have a great chance of getting a Cronut”. There is also a pre-order option, but don’t get your hopes up since Dominique Ansel Bakery regretfully posts that the list is, of course, full right now.
The general consensus is that cronuts are totally worth the ambitious quest. “For folks hoping to sample the pastry, they have to wait in line at the bakery. And they better get there early — cronuts sell out FAST. And apparently these pastries aren’t overhyped — reports from the food world are overwhelmingly positive.” It took two months and more than ten recipes for Chef Ansel perfected his masterpiece.
Made with a laminated dough similar to a croissant, the cronut is proofed, then fried in grapeseed oil, rolled in sugar, filled with cream, and topped with glaze. The bakery says that the process takes up to three days. There is only one flavor of cronut each month. The craze began with Rose Vanilla for May, and for June it is Lemon Maple.
D.C. has its own copycat, and The Washington Post has reported that the Capital’s twist on the pastry is called, what else but, the doissant. What will the Los Angeles copycat be? A flaky, pastel-colored, frosted confection in a paper wrapper, called a croisscake? Will the Pittsburgh version be stuffed with French Fries? (I lived in and love the ‘Burgh, so I can call them out for that.) I’ve you’ve been lucky enough to savor a sinful cronut, tell us about your experience in the comments! — Casandra Armour
