It is the Cronut!

Croissant + Donut= Cronut! 

Is the Cronut the new craze in the bakery scene??

If you are a foodie, you might have heard recently about the legend of the Cronut. The Cronut is a hybrid of a doughnut and a croissant, created by the pastry chef Dominique Ansel and sold at his New York bakery, Ansel's SoHo. Chef Ansel introduced the world to Cronuts on May 10, and since then, this new bakery item has been the latest trend among food lovers.

Cronuts after Cupcakes?

Cupcakes have been the latest trend in the food baking industry for the past 5 years in the world. The concept was first introduced after “Sex and the City” TV series with the first prominent Magnolia Bakery in New York City (Source: Business Insider, Jan 2011). Cupcake became a global ubiquitous phenomenon, spreading all over the world in cities and towns.

Now in the same city that introduced cupcakes, In New York, a Cronut might just be more valuable than gold. And the sky-high demand has allowed Ansel to place some stringent restrictions on the sale of his coveted treat. Lines form outside the bakery on 189 Spring St as early as 2 hours prior to opening (8 a.m. from Mon-Sat and 9 a.m. on Sun). Plus, to ensure that the first customers don't buy out all the Cronuts, Ansel has placed a limit of two Cronuts per person. The treats sell for a pretty penny — $5 a piece. Still, they're selling like wildfire

Ansel and His Cronut!

But with Cronuts hitting the bakeries all over the world....Will it be the next cupcake-like phenomenal addiction?

What is the Cronut? How is it made?

Ansel's Soho has made it very clear that the Cronut is not just a  half doughnut - half croissant.
Fortunately, the creater of this hybrid dessert offered us the process of baking it:

"The Cronut™ is first proofed and then fried in grapeseed oil at a specific temperature. Once cooked, each Cronut™ is flavored in three ways: 1. rolled in sugar; 2. filled with cream; and 3. topped with glaze. Cronuts™ are made fresh daily, and completely done in house. The entire process takes up to 3 days,"
according to the pastry chef.

The Cronut's most popular and demanded flavors are Rose Vanilla, Lemon Maple, and Blackberry!

On his website, Ansel recommends "  Please eat Cronuts™ immediately as they have a short shelf life. And if you do cut, please use a serrated knife, so as not to crush the layers. Never refrigerate these treats as the humidity from the refrigerator will cause them to go stale and soggy. Since Cronuts™ are filled with cream, we do not recommend serving them warm.."

Comic: How to make a Cronut from DesignTaxi.com

Can Ansel's Cronut be replicated?

" Reverse Engineering" of the Cronut have already started.

Copycats have been spotted in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., London, and Australia..

The Cronut craze is going global. It already hit baking stores in Asian countries   Japan, South Korea, Philipines & China...and with designated local flavors like green tea, peanut caramel and strawberry versions According to the Business Week !

Even Dunkin Donuts want to cash in and do their own " Cronuts" !
The Times features Dunkin’ Donuts in South Korea unveiling its take on the dessert, which it’s calling the “New York Pie Donut”.  It can be found in the capital city, Seoul, in neighborhoods like Gangnam, Jamsil and Myeongdong. Unfortunately, the treat will not be rolled out in the U.S. anytime soon, but a few weeks ago the chain released one in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

Always one step ahead of his imitators, Ansel is debuting a “Croconut” — a cronut embellished with “coconut milk cream, coconut glaze, cinnamon sugar, and just a light sprinkling of toasted coconut on top”!

Dunkin Donuts' Cronuts

Not everyone agrees that the hype will stay...

"Can the Cronut possibly live up to the hype? According to  Business Insider, talk is cheap. After a taste test that many New Yorker's might sell a limb to experience, the lucky testers declared "The Cronut is "pretty good.

The tasters claimed that things went downhill when they  tried to cut the cronut in half. Instead of spongy, flaky layers, the whole cronut got squished into a dense lump and the vanilla cream oozed out the sides.

According to the HuffingtonPost claims that the "National Cronut Craze is Horribly Overhyped, Poll Finds" . Whil some claimed that they havenot heard about it, others also claimed they wouldnt be interested in standing in line to grab this pastry.

The Baking Power!

The power of baking is that it is a form of self-expression and communal creativity.
It is said that we need to follow directions when baking, but the final masterpiece requires alot of creativity.
And the Cronut creator have made a hype from simple ingredients, and a fame from his own enthusiasm in baking!

Till the cronut hits middle eastern bakeries, I would def. want to be the first to try it.  Untill then,  I might jump into the kitchen and try some baking recipes for Cronut.

Have you tasted the Cronut anywhere? If so, share your experiences and pictures!!