London - Surely the most heart attack-inducing delicacy since the deep-fried Mars bar, the Cronut - a cross between a croissant and a doughnut - has sparked two-hour long queues outside chef Dominique Ansel’s bakery in New York.
The “hybrid pastry” comes in a different flavour each month - “rose vanilla” in May, “lemon maple” for June - and is rolled in sugar, filled with cream and topped with glaze.
The waiting list for the sugary treat is up to a month long and fans from Berlin to Singapore have been flaunting their own imitations online.
If you want to get in on the Cronut craze, Jo Wheatley, winner of the second series of The Great British Bake Off, has posted her version on her website (josblueaga.com), complete with the recipe.
She makes her own croissant pastry (often called laminated pastry), but you could buy ready-made puff pastry sheets or Jus-Rol croissant dough from most supermarkets, which costs £1.50 (about R20) or less and makes six pastries.
Create your desired shape, pop into a deep fat fryer until golden brown, then toss in golden caster sugar.
Make three little holes in the top and pipe in whipped cream, Nutella, lemon and ginger syrup, or jam.
Edd Kimber, the first winner of the BBC’s cult baking show, has come up with his own recipe for “fauxnuts” and will be trying it out this week on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch.
He told the Mail: “Keep the dough cold so the butter doesn’t melt, leaving you with a flaky dough. They are also best served as close to frying as possible to keep them crisp.” - Daily Mail