As told by Loren Brill & Sarah Kaplan (faithful Sweet Loren's intern and chocolate enthusiast)
It's the night before the scheduled adventure, and let me just say that I am excited. If you live in New York City and haven't yet heard of the Cronut™ , I'm here to open your eyes. A mix between a doughnut and croissant, the Cronut™ is a hybrid pastry that has taken the city by storm. Created and trademarked by Dominique Ansel, the original New York City Cronut™ can only be bought at Dominique Ansel Bakery.
So therein lies my journey - from my NYU dorm down into SoHo to purchase the famous Cronut™ . Did I mention I have to be there by 6:15 AM in the morning? Yep, that's right. And, the bakery doesn't open until 8 AM. Their website explains that if you are in line by 6:45 AM, you have a good chance of getting one, but even this is not a guarantee. So, it is my mission to sit outside the bakery for two hours before the sun rises in order to purchase a single baked good. Crazy stuff. This Cronut™ better be delicious.
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Spring Street, 6:15 AM - And now, finally, here I am, reporting live from the Cronut™ line. Getting here at 6:15 gave me a pretty decent spot, only about 30-40 people back, and the line is quickly growing behind me. "Cronut™ " is the buzzword that can be heard in almost every conversation taking place in the line. Did I mention that today is a Thursday? A weekday morning.
I'm going to be honest, I took a little break from reporting (woops!) and now it's 7 AM. The line has grown to over 100 people. For the love of pastries! A TV crew even set up at the corner about 15 minutes ago, filming this morning's turnout, and this darn creation is already three months old. My anticipations are high as I am standing in line awaiting the 8 AM opening of Dominique Ansel Bakery. Thankfully I am not alone - I am partnered with another SL intern, Arda who is from Turkey. His immediate reaction to this crazy scenario was: "These Americans!"
7:30 AM - A worker/chef from the bakery comes out with hot, freshly baked Madeleines to serve to the line. I just took a bite out of one, and it is fluffy and delicious. My anticipation for the Cronut™ is growing. Signing off until after the Cronut™ tasting, this is once again Sarah Kaplan reporting live.
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SL Headquarters, 10:30 AM - The Cronut™ tasting begins. After an extensive photo shoot with the Cronut™ , we dig in.
For the best definition of the cronut™ we left it to the creator and expert, Dominique Ansel. "Made with a laminated dough which has been likened to a croissant (but uses a proprietary recipe), 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."
The Cronut™ has a surprisingly light, airy texture that does not make you feel heavy after eating it. The icing added a sweet, savory flavor that complimented the fried dough and fruity blackberry jelly. The coolest part was seeing real lime zest in the lime sugar on the top of the pastry, which added to a sophisticated and flavorful icing. At Sweet Loren's we are attracted to real, natural ingredients so it was no surprise that the lime and fresh blackberries caught our tastebuds.
There is nothing to hate about the Cronut™ - there is nothing bad or dis-satisfactory about it. There were some mixed reviews, though none were negative. Arda, the initial skeptic, called the Cronut™ a "gift from God, a dessert made in heaven and brought down to Earth." I personally thought it was good, but it would not be my first choice in a pastry (I really am more of a brownie and cookie girl). Regardless of my preferences, though, it was fun to eat and an experience to procure.
If you haven't tried a Cronut™ , you should. They are unique, even if doughnuts are not something you regularly enjoy. They are not something I'd wait in line at 6 AM for two hours for on a regular basis, but I'm also not a morning person and I enjoy sleeping in. All in all, the Cronut™ experience was worth it, and we are thankful for Dominique Ansel for constantly innovating traditional baked goods. If anything, the Cronut™ craze proves that for a good dessert, some people will do almost anything.
