IT is dawn in Manhattan and a queue of desperate addicts snakes around the
block as locals pass by and tut.
Some wait to snap up the goods and sell them on to others at almost 20 times
the price — but the biggest high they are likely to get from this hit is a
sugar rush.
The need for a “cronut” sees up to 400 New Yorkers queue for up to four hours
at the Dominique Ansel bakery in SoHo.
The creation is a crossbreed of a croissant and a doughnut, deep fried, rolled
in sugar, and filled with a lemony cream and jam.
Since being unleashed in May, cronuts have become a sensation, with so-called
“scalpers” buying the £3.50 treats and selling them on for as much as £65.
Josh Goodman, 27, arrived at 6.30am. He said: “At first it just seemed a silly
fad, but now it has become a genuine cultural trend so I wanted to come down
and check it out for myself. I can’t wait to one day tell my grandkids I ate
a cronut.”
Twins Adriane and Lauren Marchese, 28, heard about the craze 500 miles away in
their home town of Detroit.
Adriane said: “We had to check out the cronut. One review said walking through
the doors felt like entering Disneyland.”
Some have been known to queue at 4.30am. When I got there at 6am the queue was
already 150 people long and by 8am when the bakery opened, it was 29°C.
I was lucky to get hold of one of the day’s limited supplies. And after eating
the 400-calorie pastry before 8.30am — a fifth of my 2,000 recommended daily
intake — I can tell you what all the fuss is about.
It is surprisingly delicate, soft, yet chewy. The sugar coating is incredibly
sweet, yet the lemon provides a pleasant contrast. And despite the copious
amounts of butter used to bake it, it doesn’t feel overly greasy.
Chef Dominique keeps his recipe secret, but he said: “I have been very
surprised by the popularity of the cronut. One woman cried when she couldn’t
get one.”
You cannot deny cronuts are tasty, and I feel part of the cool crowd having
got one — until I realise I have dedicated 2½ hours of my life in one of the
most exciting cities on earth to eating a fried croissant.