Just in case you have been on planet Zog for the last little while and haven’t heard of the cronut furore, I will tell you that a cronut is a croissant-doughnut fusion. French pastry chef Dominique Ansel invented and perfected the hybrid breakfast pastry at his eponymous New York bakery.The cronut is also the latest food craze and that craze is spreading around the globe faster than the Starship Enterprise gobbles up light years.
Now, when I first heard tell of cronuts I thought yeah, yeah, yeah – yet another food fad and when I heard that they had arrived in Ireland and were (are) available at Dublin’s The Marker hotel I shrugged my shoulders and thought I could live happily for evermore without tasting a cronut. However this article by Vanessa Friedman (fashion editor of the Financial Times) intrigued me and so began my intrepid quest to sample a cronut so I could see for myself what all the fuss is about.
It would be an exaggeration to say my cronut hunt was akin to trying to track down a pair of golden unicorns but it wasn’t straightforward either. The first time I pitched up at The Marker there wasn’t a single cronut left. Sold out – it wasn’t even 10am! If I had read this article in the Huffington Post before I set off I wouldn’t have been so surprised. Yes, in New York cronut-seeking punters actually start queueing before six am and there is a secondary market with some enterprising folk arriving early and buying cronuts from the bakery just so they can resell them at a fabled mark-up within the hour to disappointed people in the queue who don’t reach the top of the line before that day’s stock of cronuts sells out.Thankfully things are not so dramatic in Dublin and at nine o’clock last Sunday there were plenty of cronuts available at The Marker.
The Marker hotel is in Dublin’s Grand Canal Square next to the dynamic architectural set-piece that is the Daniel Liebskind designed theatre. The hotel has a chequerboard-like exterior and the interior is urban-cool, a particularly nice touch is the geometric ceiling which echos the shape of the next door theatre. And the cronuts. Well they were delicious. Every week Gareth Mullins the hotel’s executive chef tweets about the flavours that are on offer (they change from week to week). On offer last Sunday were classic (cinnamon sugar and raspberry jam) and lemon curd.
The cronuts are sold in boxes of four for €10 and you can take them away or opt to eat them on the premises, which is what I did. No not all four, but I confess I managed to scoff two in a fit of utter pigginess. Sadly the accompanying coffee didn’t match the cronuts’ deliciousness, it was just so-so.
If you are going on the cronut trail in Dublin it’s best to start early to guarantee sampling one, according to The Marker hotel’s website they are on sale from 8am.
Just Add Attitude 
I have never heard of cronuts before! What food-deprived planet have I been on?! They sound delicious, and might also inspiration for a future weekend endeavor in the kitchen. Thanks for sharing 🙂
They are delicious but I cannot believe the hype surrounding them especially as they only launched (I think) earlier this year.
Good luck with the cronut making. : )
I have to be the only person on the planet who hasn’t had a cronut and I live in NYC, shame on me. I really want to try them but they haven’t made their way to Brooklyn yet and I refuse to get up at 6AM to catch the train into Manhattan only on the hope that there will be one left for me. That said, they look delicious and I hope to try one soon.
They ones I tasted were delicious and I tried hard not to think of the zillions of calories in them as I scarfed them down.
I hope the cronut comes to Brooklyn soon so you get to sample one I don’t think I would have gone in search of them if I had to stand in a queue at 6am.
Had not heard of cronuts until now. Now I have a mission – to locate and sample ASAP. Just need to find a supplier locally….. thanks for the nod 🙂
Good luck with the search for cronuts.
They are delish with layers and layers of flakiness and oozing fillings …
I would say you showed restraint in only eating two! They look delicious… 🙂
Thanks Meg – I smiled when I got your comment. Yes considerable restraint – they were very tempting! ; )
I heard about these for the first time this morning. I will have to look for them.
It’s amazing how word spread so fast about cronuts – altho maybe not quite so amazing given all the new media we now have: twitter, instagram etc
I smiled such a big smile when I saw your blog title this morning because I had just finished reading my newspaper which had an article on Cronuts and their availability in Christchurch. So, from not being aware of cronuts before today, I have now read 4 articles on them in less than 12 hours!!!!
I am so pleased you smiled when you saw my cronut blog post title. And there was an article in your newspaper about cronuts – maybe it’s a sign from the universe saying it’s time to seek out a crounut. ; )
I think so 🙂
Dear, dear B.! How could I have missed the cronuts? I pride myself of always knowing what’s going on in the City and I have never heard of cronuts. 😉 They must taste heaven. The only problem is … 6am? Seriously? I don’t think so!!! The last time I woke up at 6am was years ago and I had a very good reason for doing that: I was breastfeeding.
So, unless I’m having another child, I don’t think I’m going to taste cronuts anytime soon. 😉
Dear Francesa
Heavenly and all as my cronuts were I do think it’s slightly insane to join a queue for a ‘limited edition’ breakfast pastry at 6am.
Maybe more cronut bakeries will open and some of the hype will die down and getting to sample the fabled breakfast pastry will become easier. ; )
Sending good wishes towards Italy.
Bx
This is one food trend that I have heard of but only in the last few weeks. They sound incredibly good and what a lovely place to enjoy one…the hotel has such interesting architecture.
Ha! Great post, B! I had read about cronuts and all the insanity that they are generating all over the world! I have been curious to taste them and your post only reinforces my curiosity. However, since I am not too much into sweets to begin with and I hate standing in endless lines unless there is a really compelling reason for me to do so, I doubt I will sample them any time soon, at least in Gotham! 😉 Maybe when they come up with the fishtake (the world’s first mix between a fish and a steak) and all the cronut people will dutifully line up in front of the restaurant that invented the fishtake chanting “cronuts are so yesterday!” then and only then will I leisurely walk into Ansel’s empty store and buy my out of fashion cronut! 😉 😉 😉
Have a wonderful weekend, dear B! 🙂
Thanks Stefano and I am sorry for the delayed reply.
I smiled when I though about a long line of people outside a restaurant queueing to sample fishtake chanting ‘cronus are so yesterday’. It’s a wonderful image.
Hopefully fishtake dosen’t become a reality. Although who knows, I was fairly nonplussed to read today about petri dish beef. What next!
I hope you get to taste a cronut someday.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
With good wishes from B
Hi, Great post on cronuts. I only heard of them about a month ago. One bakery is making them here in Singapore. After reading your post, I am tempted to run out and try them now! — Mrs. J
Thanks Mrs J … it’s amazing how word about the cronuts has spread like wildfire and that they are now available in so many spots around the globe. I hope you get to sample one soon. Enjoy!
Hi, Just tried Cronut-inspired creations here in Singapore! I posted the pics on my blog…check it out! Cheers, Mrs. J
I am glad you got to taste cronut inspired creations, I am heading over now to check out your blog post on them.
I haven’t tried these either (also put off by the long lines) but thanks for the enticing photos! I’ll have to reconsider…
I hope you get to sample a cronut one day, the ones I had were delicious …
I guess Im like the rest of the post I have never had a Cronut but I’ve now heard of Fonuts since the reality show! I now want to try BOTH! 🙂
http://www.prettybitchescancooktoo.com
Gosh, you learn something new every day, or at least I do. I had never heard of fonuts, so thanks for today’s dose of new information (for anyone reading this comment who like me hadn’t heard of fonuts, I have just checked the web and apparently they are doughnuts they are steamed or baked – never fried. faux-doughnuts = fonuts).
This is amazing, I never imagined you could find these in Ireland. I will have to go check this out!
Hope you like them, I thought they were delicious.
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