The Cronut Craze

Just when you thought the macaron craze was hot, here comes the cronut.This is one of those new pastry hybrids,part doughnut, part croissant. it is not only tasty , it's one of the hottest new treats out there.It;s taking the country and even the world by storm.

New York pastry chef, Domique Ansel, came up with this ingenious idea. He took croissant dough and shaped it like a doughnut.it is fried in grapeseed oil.The original ones are filled with a pastry cream, possibly Chantilly covered in sugar and then glazed.Chef Ansel gives his cronuts different flavors every month, August had coconut , while this month, September  features raspberry.The price is a very steep five dollars per pastry and there is even a pre order list. Other bakeries from Singapore to Berlin have copied Monsieur Ansel''s recipe adding different twists. There is a Little Italy bakery that stuffs them with cannoli filling and decorates them with candied orange and lemon twists/

One of my local bakeries, Janella's of Maywood NJ sells them and , of course,I had to try a couple. They are just as big as Chef Ansel's and have a type of Chantilly creme in the middle  as well as decorating the top. The dough was spongy , reminiscent of a St. Joseph's Day cream puff There was an ample amount of cream too but not that it would squish out all over the place.I liked it.It was tasty, and not as greasy as I thought it would be. I would love to try the one with the cannoli cream. Maybe Janella's will branch out possibly with this or maybe with a dark chocolate filled one.I'm sure Dunkin Donuts will come up with their version soon enough .

Cronuts are here to stay. They are a tasty and different addition to the pastry world. If you haven't then try them. Once eaten,  they will be a must have in your life