Monday Munchies – Fig and Mascarpone Cronut

Cronuts are the latest New York pastry sensation to catch the national spotlight.  Personally, realized cronuts weren’t going away when Dominique Ansel popped up on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to detail the process of making them.

I like croissants and I like donuts, so the idea of something that merged them sounded appealing.  Of course the thought of waiting in a line for hours to get them didn’t seem all that appealing.

But then again, I do have a ton of free time.

In case you’re completely unaware, cronuts are shaped like a donut, but have the light airy nature of a croissant.  They take three days to make and the supplies are supremely limited.  Basically, they’re the hottest thing in Manhattan right now. 

I managed to get my hands on a couple of cronuts and I can honestly say that they were worth the wait. 

First off, the presentation is spectacular.  The box they come in is elegant and looks like something you’d want to show off.  It’s packaging that attracts attention, for all the right reasons. 

The actual cronuts are also visually interesting.  They’re taller than a donut and the flaky layers are apparent from the first glance.  But they’ve got the familiar “O” donut shape and there’s a dusting of sugar.  And for in September, for the first time, cronuts are actually topped with something; honey glaze and dried Turkish fig slivers. 

But once you take a bite, that’s where the magic happens. 

Honestly, it’s almost overwhelming.  There’s the texture and airiness of a croissant combined with sweetness of a donut.  But not the typical sickly sweetness of a donut, it’s a very light sweetness.; it’s not there to overwhelm, it’s there to flavor. 

The filling is truly delightful, with two flavors that are subtle enough to compliment, but strong enough to make an impression.  The mascarpone cream is rich and smooth while the fig jam stops short of being savory. 

With the cronut you have something truly exquisite; you have a food item that provides a unique experience visually, taste wise and even to the touch.  As unbelievable as it may be to hear, the cronut is not overhyped. 

I will say that because of it’s richness, I don’t think most people could eat more than one cronut per sitting.  I know that after my first one, I had to take a few hours off before I could even think about diving into the second one. 

If you happen to be in NYC and have a morning to spare, definitely take a friend and head to the line outside Dominique Ansel Bakery and eventually get yourself a cronut.  For the moment, it’s truly a one of a kind experience.