Have you read about the power of the Cronut™? People stand in line for HOURS to sink their teeth into one of the only 300 made each day in NYC at Dominique Ansel Bakery. It’s an obsession that combines the flakiness of a croissant with the joy of a donut: the cronut.
“What is the Cronut™ pastry?
The Cronut™ is the unique pastry creation by Chef Dominique Ansel that many have described to be a croissant-doughnut hybrid. After its launch on May 10, 2013, Cronut™ fans spanned the world from Berlin to Singapore, making it the most virally talked about dessert item in history. To this date, Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York is the only place that sells the Cronut™, a specific product that is not to be confused with just any other croissant-doughnut hybrid. The Cronut™ brand and product that is trademarked by Dominique Ansel Bakery both in the US and internationally. Please beware of imitation items claiming affiliation with the bakery.” -Dominique Ansel Bakery website.
One way to get an inkling as to how fabulous this trademarked and “most virally talked about dessert item in history” is would be to create a simplified version yourself. We’ll call it the “SB-cronut” with a lowercase “c.” (See, no trademark violation.) You can do this.
In case you are wondering, these are in no way good for you. These are the ultimate treat, to be indulged in only on the rarest of occasions. But, your friends and family may insist on them more frequently. These are some quotes from my family:
Son: “These are the best things you have ever made.”
Husband: “These are so wrong, yet so right.”
Oldest daughter: “When are you making these again?”
Middle daughter: “How many can I eat?”
Make everyone happy with this easy and quick breakfast sugar shock of goodness.
This SB version is very simple. I started with my favorite “ready to bake” croissant from Trader Joe’s. The only real prep time you need to account for is leaving the croissants on the counter overnight. Word of warning: when you take them out of the box, they are seriously teeny tiny. They will grow about 5x bigger overnight.
- 12 frozen croissants from Trader Joe's (one box)
- Canola oil
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tbs almond milk (or regular milk)
- ¼ tsp vanilla
- Leave frozen croissants out on counter overnight to thaw and rise
- Smash down each croissant with a glass, forming a circle
- Use the top to a bottle (vinegar, olive oil, etc) and carve out a circle in the middle
- Heat approx 1.5 inches of oil in a heavy pan to 350 degrees
- Drop croissant dough into pan and fry for approximately 45-75 seconds total, flipping after about 30 seconds (judge by color)
- Remove with tongs and place on paper towel to remove excess oil
- Make glaze by mixing in a bowl (using a fork to mix): sugar, milk, vanilla.
- Drizzle glaze all over each SB-cronut.
- For additional glaze yumminess, poke each SB-cronut with a toothpick 10-12 times before glazing to allow the glaze to penetrate inside.
Smash croissant dough with glass to create a disc
Carve center out with a bottle top
This is the dough shape before it is fried
I fry 4 at a time in a cast iron skillet
Do you hear angels singing?!
Trying to be artsy with the SB-cronuts
Up close. Salivating yet?!
Try a run-through before Christmas morning if this scares you. Otherwise, throw caution into the wind and do your first test on December 25th!
