The Cronut Guide

Ever since the Willy Wonka of pastries and dessert, Dominique Ansel, designed the cronut, it’s been rising in popularity. In terms of name, recognition, novelty, and sheer viral hysteria, the cronut is one of the world’s most powerful pastries. But what exactly is it and why all the excitement?

The history of the cronut

 In 2013, a customer of the Dominique Ansel Bakery in the SoHo neighbourhood of New York questioned why there was no donuts on the menu. The query got Ansel thinking – was there a way to combine his croissant-making French roots with America’s love for a small fried cake?
 
The invention process began, and while it was more or less successful from the beginning, it took three months before his new “cronut” made it to his menu. By chance, a reporter from New York’s Grub Food picked one up, and soon there were hundreds lining the streets to try the bakery hybrid.
 
Four years later and the Dominique Ansel Bakery still welcomes a line of hundreds when it opens its doors each morning. Website traffic has increased by 300 percent, and so popular are the cronuts that in order to purchase more than two, you must order one month ahead of time.
 
Is it worth it you ask? Well with flavours like Peanut Butter Rum Caramel, Lemon Maple and Brown Sugar Rhubarb, you tell us.

Cronut copy cats

 Today, cronuts are available in select bakeries and cafes all around the world. They might not be seeing the same numbers that Dominique Ansel Bakery sees each morning, but they still have a loyal following. Delicate sheets of dough fried in hot oil and then glazed, rolled in sugar and injected with yummy goodness – what’s not to love?
 
The process for making cronuts is by no means simple, and any copy cat cronut makers have had to master the art of frying something so delicate. Each batch takes time and patience to ferment and rest, and then it must be cut, fried, and finished. It’s a lot of work, but those who undertake the challenge are passionate about hybrid baking. So much so that you’ll often find cafes and bakeries who serve the dessert serving it alongside other hybrids like wonuts (waffle/donut), crookies (croissant/cookie) and cruffins (croissant/muffin).
 
At Griffith St Larder, the focus remains on the cronut, and we’re happy to tell you that Kylie and Dennis Bastos have mastered it. Not to take away from Ansell’s idea (he’s acquired an international trademark on the dessert), it’s just too good a pastry not to create your own version.

What to expect

Kylie and Dennis have made their way to the Southern Gold Coast from the foodie-favourite city of Melbourne. With them they’ve brought their passion for making their customers smile, and what puts a bigger smile on your face than a salted caramel cronut?
 
Simply put, their salted caramel and popcorn cronut is part croissant, part doughnut that’s made of buttery flaky wonder and then injected with oozing salted caramel (another big pastry trend to take the world by storm). Each bite reminds you that there is culinary skill required to make such a masterpiece, and that recognition only serves to make the sweet taste better. It’s a humble donut, elevated to something spectacular, and at Griffith St Larder, you don’t have to stop at two, line up for hours, or pre-order months in advance.
 
So what are you waiting for? Slip down to Griffith St Larder (ground level at The Strand Coolangatta) and take a seat in the urban cafe with a distinct beachside feel. Say hi to Kylie and Dennis and order some lunch from a menu made up of gourmet burgers, tasty sandwiches and amazing healthy salads.
 
And finally, when you think your experience can’t get much more yummy, enter delirium by squeezing oozy gooey salted caramel into your very own cronut via a syringe. Layers of croissant pastry, cooked like a donut, sprinkled in sugar, injected with salted caramel, sprinkled with popcorn, more sugar, and more caramel. OMG! We guarantee you’ll be back for more and you’ll understand perfectly what all the fuss is about.