FOOD: All I Want For Christmas Is A Cronut™!!

If you don’t know what a Cronut™ is then you must be living under a rock. The hybrid pastry created by Dominique Ansel has taken the foodie world by storm. But is it worth watching the sunrise in Soho? I mean, I’ve put my life on the line waiting in the wee hours for the Countdown Pack and other Air Jordan releases. But, we’re talking about a croissant doughnut mash-up. Initially, i was so against this idea until a friend raved about his experience with the fig mascarpone version in September.
SONY DSC

So like MC Ricky D, “I gave myself a stretch up, a morning yawning” and set up shop a few feet from the storefront on 198 Spring Street at 5:34 AM. All that stood in front of me and this delightful treat were two people and a 2-hour and-26-minute wait. I totally wasn’t prepared for the last minute trip to the Big Apple. While my insulated Sorel boots and socks sat inside my warm house in DC, I shivered outside in 30 degree weather donning a pair of Toms. Around 6:20 AM, my toes went from cold, burning, achy to just straight numb. I literally danced in line just to survive. Around 7:40, an employee of Dominique Ansel Bakery dished out some scrumptious madeleines to the appease the growing crowd that now wrapped around the corner.

SONY DSC

When the clock struck 8 o’clock, Chef Ansel appeared at the front door like the second coming of the Messiah and granted us entry into his heavenly abode. Five minutes later, I was leaving the studio where he creates his French-inspired masterpiece with two Valrhona Chocolate Champagne with fresh orange zest sugar. As much as I wanted to hate the Cronut™ just for the wait alone, my tastebuds reigned supreme. As I opened that yellow box, the buttery scent caused my mouth to salivate like I was one of Pavlov’s dogs. Visually, the pastry looked like a work of art. The exterior was perfectly crisp, dusted with an orange zest sugar and edible gold dust. The flaky interior achieved textural nirvana with a Valrhona Caraibe filling. Every since trekking through France, I’ve been a sucker for a proper pain au chocolat and the December flavor Cronut™ took me right back to that place. Believe the hype, the Cronut™ is that damn good! And I would do it all over again without hesitation. Certified.