NEW YORK, NY
The Cronut, a delicious cross between a croissant and a custard-filled donut, has been the buzz of the snack food world since Pastry Chef Dominique Ansel debuted his creation in his New York bakery. A year later, the Guardian is reporting that he has published the official recipe for this delectable dish.
As tempting as it might be to take off the rest of the day from work to go whip up a batch for yourself, I'll warn you that this dish isn't for the fair-weather chef. The full recipe, posted on ABC News from Ansel's new cookbook," Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes," spans well over 2,100 words and reads more like a treatise on the art of baking than a donut recipe. With a 3 day prep time, chefs wanting a Cronut of their own should prepare for a marathon, not a sprint.
On day one, Ansel instructs Cronut-lovers to prepare their dough square and ganache. On day two, the dough is rolled out and put back in the fridge. It is not until the dough has been left to sit for a full two days that Ansel actually launches into the frying, glazing, and pastry work that goes into creating the finished Cronut.
One surprising thing about the Cronut that chefs are talking about, other than the 3 day prep time of course, is that its secret recipe isn't that different from most other pastry recipes.
“The only thing that surprises me is that it isn’t a bit more different,” shared former Bake Off winner Edd Kimber with the Guardian. “Ansel has said in the past that it’s different to a croissant dough, but looking at the recipe, the technique is very similar. There’s the addition of a little egg white and cream, so it’s almost like a croissant dough with a bit of Danish recipe thrown in.”
Unique recipe or not, it certainly does look delicious. I don't know if I have what it takes to take on this behemoth of a recipe on my own, but the next time a three day weekend rolls around, I may just have to give it a try. Wish me luck.
