You may have heard of a little something called the Cronut. The croissant-doughnut love child was launched three months ago at Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City, where people are still waiting in two-hour lines in the hopes of getting a taste of the flaky, buttery, cream-injected treat (only 200 are made each day). On Craigslist, one man even offered to exchange the cult pastries for sexual favors. Ewwwwwww.
The wonder dessert has also spawned countless knockoffs, a.k.a. faux-nuts. I found three local bakeries that offer a version of the Cronut and took on the very arduous task of sampling each one.
FUSION TEA BAR
The Doughssant ($4.50) is light and flaky with a cream filling that's subtly sweet. While perfectly crispy on the outside with a snowtop of sugar, it's a tad too buttery on the inside. The first couple of bites were heavenly—after that, I started to feel my arteries quiver. Try to get it while it's fresh. When I went, they had a few batches sitting out. 13771 Newport Ave., Ste. 12, Tustin, (714) 838-8887; www.fusionteabar.com.
THE DONUTTERY
The Cronuttery ($5) is more like a strawberry tart—strawberries and cream sandwiched between two glazed, Cronut-esque doughnuts. The sugary glaze and other add-ons overpower the layers of dough, which is what the Cronut should be all about. 17420 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach, (714) 847-7000.
PANDOR ARTISAN BOULANGERIE & CAFE
Obscenely good. There are four varieties of the Dornut available (each for $3.95): custard, cinnamon sugar, chocolate and, on occasion, strawberry jam; I tried the custard and cinnamon sugar. Each layer is soft, dense and chewy—like a beignet done right. The guy at the counter told me that while Cronuts are more expensive than a typical doughnut, we'd be amazed by how much dough goes into each one. The custard was rich; the cinnamon sugar tasted like a churro. I'm in love. 1126 Irvine Ave., Newport Beach, (949) 209-5099; www.pandorbakery.com.
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