Have You Eaten A Cronut?

I was in Los Angeles in February, and my mom, her friend Buff and I, ate lunch at Café Rockenwagner. It was a great lunch, and as we were too full for dessert, I just admired the beautiful pastries. On the counter was a covered platter with what looked like two donuts in it. I asked what they were, and I was told they were cronuts, a cross between a donut and a croissant. I was intrigued, so I investigated the cronut when I got back to my computer.

A cronut is the unique pastry creation of Chef Dominique Ansel in his New York pastry shop. Many describe it as a croissant-doughnut hybrid. He created it in May, 2013, and it has become a world wide phenomenon. It has become the most virally talked about dessert item in history. Chef Ansel quickly trademarked his creation, so any other similar item is not the real thing. It took Chef Ansel months to perfect his recipe, and making it is extremely labor intensive. Thus, a $5.00 price tag per cronut doesn't seem so steep. The cronut is proofed and then fried in grapeseed oil, then flavored in a variety of ways, like rolling in sugar, filling with crème, or topping with a glaze. The process takes up to three days. They must be eaten immediately as they have a short shelf life.

After I discovered that this sweet treat was definitely something that I wanted to try, I checked around San Diego to see where they might be available. I found that V.G.'s, Paris Baguette (inside Zion Market and H Market) and Azucar, a delicious Cuban bakery in Ocean Beach, all make their own version of cronuts. Remember, the original recipe is trademarked, so these cronuts are not quite like the original. If you go to any of these bakeries looking for cronuts, be sure to call ahead and see if they are available. They only make a few each day, and apparently sell out quickly. (prices for the San Diego knock off cronuts run $2-$3). Chef Dominique Ansel's pastry shop in New York has a line that forms around 5:30AM, waiting for them to open. I have yet to have a cronut, but plan to find one soon and try it. I will report back to you then and let you know if it's worth the calories. My guess is, it is.