The Cronut Lives on at Jack in the Box
Here I thought the cronut fad was dying down then I saw that Safeway still sold their renamed Croissant Donut. On top of that, Jack in the Box sells their Croissant Donuts which are supposedly good but messy.
cronut
Dou’ssants Are Now Croissant Donuts
Fluffy like a croissant.
Sweet like a donut.
That’s all you gotta know as Safeway’s version of the cronut has changed names yet again. When the cronut apex was upon us, Safeway advertised Donut Croissants. Then came the more sophisticated French name of the Dou’ssant. Darn delicious I say. Now Safeway has dropped the pretense and has simply gone with the Croissant Donut. Still same price, different packaging, but still there.
Get Cronuts in the Mail
Forget finding cronuts in Hawaii, you can sit at home and get them mailed to you. Okay, so not the cronut, but a Croissonut from Williams-Sonoma.
A box of 18 for $40, shipped frozen. Make sure you have a Dutch oven and either soy or sunflower oil, and follow all the directions:
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, pour in either soy or sunflower oil to a depth of 3 inches and heat to 360° to 370°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Gently place croissonuts in oil and fry for 30 to 45 seconds on each side until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon or wire skimmer, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
I Got a Buttnut
It took awhile, but I finally tried a BUTTerNUT croissant donut from Regal Bakery in Chinatown. I went with the orange-hued POG buttnut, and it was sweet. Too sweet for my tastes, and it was getting tough, sitting out for too long/
I also got a creme brulee donut which looks equally as sweet. The Safeway Dou’ssants are still my favorite cronut knockoff though I don’t even know if Safeway makes them anymore.
A Voodoo Doughnut Surprise
What a surprise! I saw this box and knew something special was in store because you know that good things come in pink boxes.
This a box of goodies from Voodoo Doughnuts homed in Portland, Oregon and recently handcarried and flown to Hawaii. I had heard about this place and its crazy creations, but this was my first encounter. Although not bakery-fresh and dried out from the flight, the colors and variety was all there (sorry no pics). I went with the Voodoo Doll doughnut, but didn’t know I was supposed to use the pretzel “stake” to pierce the doughnut body and make the jelly ooze out. Yes, the doughnut looked freaky, but it was nevertheless yummy.
After recently overdosing on cronut-like hybrids, it was a relief to get back to the (sorta) basics. Gotta add Voodoo Doughnuts to my list of places to visit when going to the northwest. And just remember, “the magic is in the hole.”
Dou’ssants Are Pretty Darn Delicious
Let’s start with some basic admissions.
- I’ll probably never try an authentic cronut from Chef Dominique Ansel.
- There’s an unspoken hierarchy of bakeries and the sophistication level of their pastries.
- Safeway (and Vons) is not in the upper tier of this bakery hierarchy.
With that out of the way, what would you expect when you see that neighborhood grocery, Safeway, now sells donut croissants, branded as Dou’ssants. I didn’t expect a whole lot. Funny thing though. With these low expectations, I bought a four set and was darn impressed with this fluffy goodness. That’s to say the Dou’ssants were delicious.
From the outside, the Dou’ssants look like husky donuts. The outer layer has a little more texture, and they’re densely heavy. On the inside, you can see some layering, but like the Croissant Donut from Saint-Germain Bakery, the construction of the Dou’ssant is like two halves melded into one. The taste reminds me of malasadas, buttery, glazed malasadas. After eating one, that glaze around your lips is hard to wash off.
So here’s my personal take. Of all the cronut variations in Hawaii, the Dou’ssants are your best overall pick. What? Why? Like I said, I’ve never sampled the original cronut so I don’t have a basis for comparison. But the Dou’ssants are very yummy. The price is right at four for $6. Availability is good if every Safeway sells them. I don’t have to go to a Waikiki hotel, I don’t have to go to specific locations downtown or in Ala Moana, and I don’t have to search out a mobile location. Inexpensive, yummy, and widely available – that’s a recipe for success.
Found the Dou’ssants
A serendipitous visit to the Safeway in Manoa yielded the last box of donut croissants in the store. But not only are these donut croissants, you call them dou’ssants and make sure you really play up your French accent when talking about this fluffy goodness.
I couldn’t find them in Kailua, and I’m not sure if there are other varieties, but the dou’ssants come in a box (or container) of four for $6.99.
Look for them in the stands with the other fresh baked goods. Sadly, I’m too stuffed to try one. Come back tomorrow for a review of a dou’ssant.
CroDough Hawaii Coming Soon
Or actually now. In a food truck. In the Kakaako area. Yes, another cronut source as arisen in the Aloha State. CroDough Hawaii just had their first offering as captured in their Twitter stream @crodoughhawaii shortly after their story in the Pacific Business News.
These CroDoughs look legit and handcrafted with love. That and I like the gangsta, square look of them. Check out more CroDough pics on Instagram. Some Yelp reviews are already posted.
Donut Croissants at Safeway
Truly reaching the mainstream, cronut-inspired donut croissants are advertised at Safeway bakeries. I went looking for these mass made donut croissants but couldn’t yet find them at my neighborhood Safeway.
Cronuts in South Carolina Are Gangsta
I admit that I’m ignorant about Charleston, South Carolina, but now I know that the cronut craze has traveled south from New York. You can visit Kaminsky’s for their cronut interpretation.
The Kaminsky version is spelled “Kronutz” with a “z” like a good rapper name, and the squared-off cut of the Kronutz give them an edgy look. Gangsta. I’m hoping they offer smaller versions of the Kronutz called the Lil ‘Nutz.
I Have Eaten a Croissant Donut
And probably so have you, especially if you’re a long time fan of Saint-Germain Bakery.
A Brief Intro
Long time Hawaii bakery, Saint-Germain, has followed the course of the cronut, introducing their aptly named Croissant Donut. But here’s the catch. Only 100 of these are prepared daily, and you can only get them at the new Makai location on the ground level of Ala Moana. You got that? Only 100 available at the Makai Saint-Germain (next to See’s Candies). So in order to indulge in the Croissant Donut, you have to get there early (opens at 7am on the weekdays), wend your way through the messed up Ala Moana parking, and battle the influx of senior citizens.
Got Lucky
On a Friday morning while in the Ala Moana area, I took a chance and stopped by the Makai location. I got lucky. There was still a tray of both the plain and cream croissant donuts at 9am.
I grabbed a few upon which the perusing seniors started the dialog.
“You tried those yet?”
“They supposed to be good.”
“They’re a big thing from New York.”
“How they taste?”
“My son went to New York, and I told him to bring me back one.”
Anyways, you get the idea of how it went as I stood in line waiting to make my first ever purchase of Croissant Donuts.
My Verdict
I’ve had these before – that’s the singular thought in my head after my first taste. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thought but just somewhat anti-climatic. True, I don’t know what an authentic cronut tastes like, but I do know the pastries of Saint-Germain, and the Croissant Donut fit their flavor profile.
Over the years, have you ever tried the regular donuts from Saint-Germain? How about their long skinny donuts that are lined with apple, custard, or chocolate? Yeah, those. Now imagine taking that long donut and encircling it. Then take two of these circles and stack them. There’s your Croissant Donut. Want a cream variant? Use cream to bond the two donuts together. Again, the Croissant Donuts are not bad since the Saint-Germain donuts are good and flakey anyways, but this variation isn’t distinctively unique either.
So as always, I encourage you to form your own opinion based on your own tastes and preferences. Head on over to Saint-Germain Bakery, and try a Croissant Donut and let me know what you think.
Where Is Gregg Hammer?
Another foodie fad from the East Coast like the cronut, the ramen burger “traveled” to Hawaii much faster than the donut hybrid. So far, Tanaka’s is the first location I know of that serves this Asian American combination.
Thanks for the tip, Hammer! And we’re still missing you on Hawaii radio waves.