Croissant Donuts at Dunkin' Donuts...It's No Ansel's

 

Croissant Donut at Dunkin' Donuts-AEC

I took it as a matter of social responsibility to make it to my local Dunkin' Donuts location today and try the new Croissant Donut.  This is no doubt DD's attempt to ride on the success of Dominique Ansel's Cronut™ sensation that one must wait hours to hopefully purchase for $5 in NYC.  I made that journey myself last year.

A description of the cronut...deep fried butter! So rich. I'm glad we got to experience it on our donut tour. Ayla and I preferred the DKA. It's rich but not as crazy as the cronut. The DKA reminds more of a high quality French pastry. Plus, you don't have to wait 90 minutes to get it!

Facebook Post by Ashley E. Cummings, November 2013

No need to wait hours for the Croissant Donut.  I shelled out $2.49 plus tax to get mine in the 8 o'clock hour this morning.  I might have waited 90 seconds for service.  They even put it in a little fancy box. 

The appearance looked promising.  It had more of a golden color than the traditional original glazed donuts.   The shape wasn't all the way round.  It reminded me more of a stop sign. That color lent itself to a crisp outside much like the exterior on a croissant!  How about that! 

Overall, I wasn't overwhelmed by the taste.  The donut was somewhat yeasty.  Bad batch?  Too much yeast?  That was a turn off, because you don't find yeast in traditional croissants. Crazy, usually DD gets the yeast levels right.  I didn't get much of any butter taste although it is listed in the ingredient list.  It was lacking the buttery layers that you expect from a croissant.  In Ansel's version, the butter slaps you in the face.  Perhaps, they could have traded in that box for some artificial butter flavoring.

 Side View of the Cronut™-AEC

Overall, I'm not a fan of DD's new Croissant Donut.  If consumers want to have a good croissant donut experience, I would check out a local shop.  If you go to NYC and happen to be by Dominique Ansel's Bakery, laugh at all the jerks waiting in line and walk inside.  Pick up a DKA.  You'll get an experience similar to that of the Cronut™ without the aggravation of waiting in line. 

Hold on, DD.  You might be able to turn this around.  Ansel changes the flavor of his Cronut™ every month.  Play around with some other varieties.  That could keep the Croissant Donut convo going for you...I'm not sure how long your "limited time" is intended to be.  And hey, don't be too hurt by this write-up.   You still rock out the Sour Cream and Traditional Cake donuts.

AEC

National Sandwich Day

I know you don't think I forgot National Sandwich Day!

Last second meal idea...

Pastrami on 7-grain bread with sun-dried tomato and spicy mayo griddled in olive oil and butter...

...in your face Subway!...ha!

AEC

@aec_culinary #sandwich

"Honey, I'm Hangry."

A few days ago, I splurged a little and decided to get my hair styled professionally.  Of course, I had to rush out the door to get to the appointment on time, so I skipped my typical soy sausage patty and egg sandwich for an orange.  Needless to say, about 3 hours later, I was famished!  I guess I needed the world to feel my pain, because my style of conversation became very short.  I heard people speaking to me, but I wasn't really listening. It reached a point where my good friend just decided to take the hint and stop talking to me, too.  Now, in that moment, I knew I was wrong, but when you love food as much as I do, being deprived of it for seemingly forever takes its toll.  Later, after a couple of meals and reflection, I approached my friend with an apology.  Her response, "It's okay.  I knew you were hangry."  NEW WORD!  Like any lifelong student, whenever I'm introduced to a new word, I have to Google it.  Urban Dictionary¹ describes hangry as "when you are so hungry that your lack of food causes you to become angry, frustrated, or both".  I started to ponder.  How many angry people have I encountered in life who just really needed a sandwich?  Here are a few tips to help avoid those awkward hangry moments in the future:

Eat breakfast:  With an estimated 31 million Americans skipping breakfast², can you image all the hangry people walking around in the 11 o'clock hour.  Take time to prepare a high protein, high fiber breakfast.  Avoid high sugar foods like pastries or donuts (Did I say that?), because they don't offer much lasting energy.  You'll end up reaching for more food in a short period of time.  Eggs are a quick protein option.  Whole grain oatmeal is a good source of fiber.  Protein and fiber both aid in achieving a feeling of satiety to help you get to that next meal without turning evil gremlin on anyone within 10 feet.  Just keep any added sugar or fat to a minimum. 

The first step in your recovery..."Honey, I'm hangry.": It may be difficult to accept that simply postponing a meal can have such an impact on your attitude, but it can.  People around us often feel our wrath and may take your mood change personally.  Simply communicate that you feel your mood changing and apologize in advance if you at any point seem disconnected from the conversation.  Chances are that person has been in the same boat.  Hey, they may be game for a quick meal break.

Snack healthy:  Research shows that low blood sugar may correspond to more negative reactions in frustrating situations.  While playing a difficult computer game in one study³, participants who were given a sugary drink were less visibly frustrated.  While it is not recommended to drink the bulk of your calories, giving yourself access to some quick calories in moderation might be just what you need to keep you focused.  If it is not unusual for you to have a busy day where meals are not always planned appropriately, keep healthy snacks-nuts, fruit, or naturally sweetened options- around to get you through the hump.

So, the next time you have the urge to tell some angry person to "Kick rocks." sub in "Get a snack." That's probably all they need.

AEC

¹http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hangry

²https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/pr_111011b/

³http://sitemaker.umich.edu/brad.bushman/files/sweet_blood_and_aggression.pdf

Good Times-City Cafe (Baltimore)

We had another good experience at City Café today.  Good food, good dessert,..GOOD DRINKS!!!  We've been to City Café on a number of occasions.  For some strange reason, I would always end up with something that featured crab.  I've come to realize that I'm not a big crab fan...don't tell the Baltimoreans.  I opted for the burger while my boo order a beef tenderloin salad.  On both, we didn't quite get the temps that we requested.  I was looking for a medium burger, but Ayla ordered her tenderloin medium.  It came out a little more bloody than anticipated.  However, since we only pretend to be food snobs, we just rolled with it.   

My burger was so flavorful.  The beef patty stole the show unlike a lot of places that feature burgers where the burger needs so many toppings to get good flavor.  I was pleasantly surprised by the macadamia nuts in Ayla's salad.  Macadamia nuts are so pricey. It makes sense that they are not featured everywhere.  But when they make it to the dish, they should be a statement addition.  By leaving them whole, the chef did just that.  Tonight was the first time that Ayla had bread pudding...what have I been doing?!!  City Café's version with blueberry compote and Baltimore's favorite, Taharka Brothers Honey Graham ice cream was a great introduction.  Everything complemented each other so well.  It was a deliciously sweet but not obnoxiously so.  I'm motivated to make some bread pudding with all these leftover doughnuts (yes, I'm back to the original spelling)...sweet...

My cocktail was superb.  It's a martini that came straight from their cocktail menu.  I can't remember the name for the life of me.  Plus, I'm too lazy to call.  Anyway, it was so good, I made my next one a double...that's probably why the details are escaping me.

City Café is an awesome choice in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore.  I will be sure to frequent it more in the future.  I suggest you do the same.  Checkout the cocktails.

My Crash Course in Propane Grilling

Crash Course in Propane Grilling...My 1st Infographic.  AEC 2014

We're going to start our weekly cookouts at my job.  It was supposed to start a couple of weeks ago, but the grill we had was toast.  Somebody didn't understand the value of a leak-free cover! It was rusted out like crazy.  I got word today that a new propane grill was on the way this Thursday, just in time for me to fire it up this Friday...great :-/

Don't get me wrong.  I like grilling, but I'm more accustomed to charcoal grills.  This whole tank thing is a little intimidating.  Above all, as the acting foodservice director, I'm supposed to be the expert.  I've been boning up on my propane tank knowledge in an attempt to not blow up the building.  You can find everything on YouTube.  First, open lid...turn gas on...crank a burner...hit the ignite button (watch out for flames)...crank all the burners...close the lid for 10 minutes to get everything heated up.  Sounds easy enough.  I will hopefully get the chance to play around with it on Thursday.  Wish my eyebrows good luck.  I'll keep you posted.

AEC

Donut Day Recap...All in a Day's Work!

I finished my rounds for National Donut Day around 2pm. 

Donut Tour. AEC 2014

My first stop was Fractured Prune.  They were offering a free donut with purchase.  So, I bought a donut.  I went with the French Toast which I tried before...it's awesome.  I tried the Banana Nut Bread variety for the first time.  (Excuse the bite in the pic.  All of their donuts are made to order, so it's not like I could accurately evaluate it an hour later...yep, that's my story.)  The Banana Nut Bread with the cake donut base and cinnamon topping tasted a lot like the French Toast with the addition of some nuts and faint banana flavor.   Tasty but didn't quite meet my expectations.

My next stop was Dunkin' Donuts.  They ran out of the new Blueberry Cobbler at the location in my neighborhood, so I just stopped at another that had plenty.  It was alright which was a shocker to me.  I was so disappointed with their Brownie Batter and Cake Batter offerings, I really wasn't expecting much.  The blueberry filling was predictable.  It was basically the stuff one might get in a can of blueberry pie filling minus actual blueberries.  The icing wasn't too sweet or heavily coated which was a plus for me.  Yes, you can have too much icing on a donut!  The base was their typical yeast donut.  There were some clumps of cinnamon on top.  The ad had a lot more crumble than mine.  I think more of the crumb topping would have added to the experience.  Overall, I got the concept, so I wouldn't say it was a complete let down.  Just not my thing.

I headed out to Towson to La Cakerie.  They made a bunch of cake donuts with a glaze and sprinkles.  They offered them as freebies.  They seemed to be a little smaller than their normal selection, but how nice is that?  Do something easy, low-cost, and acknowledge the day!  They were tasty, too.  That kind of marketing obviously works for me, because I bought a donut anyway.  They had a few interesting looking types.  Whenever I don't know what to pick, I go to the staff and have them pick for me.  Over the 2 with slices of bacon, one guy recommended the Creme Brulee variety.  It wasn't what I expected.  It was a yeast donut with pastry cream and sugar topping...no torch?  I don't know about you, but when I hear 'brulee', something better get burnt!  With that observation, I hesitated to get it, and because there was no fire, it fell short big time.  However, I must say that the quality of the base was better than Dunkin'.  It was more soft and seemed to be fresher with less yeast taste.  I'm going to back for another.  They have another location closer to my place.  Next time, I'm thinking bacon!

Entenmann's teamed up with the Salvation Army for a fundraising initiative. Thinking of the history of National Donut Day, I thought that it was only right that I track down their new Red Velvet donut.  Now, I vowed to myself to stop purchasing Red Velvet varieties of packaged foods, but hey, it's a holiday!  I have to say, I think they nailed it.  The dyed cake donut didn't have a chemical taste from too much dye.  The donut was sweet but not too sweet with a hint of cocoa that is characteristic of traditional Red Velvet Cake.  What I appreciated most?  They stuck with what they know.  To my knowledge, Entenmann's does not offer a donut with white frosting.  So many companies throw on an overly sweet random white topping with no cream cheese taste onto something red and call it Red Velvet.  Thanks for keeping it real, Entenmann's.  I have to give it to them, they were my favorite donut find of the day.  Plus, my local Giant had a buy one get one free deal.  I saved $5.39 ya'll!..winning!

I'm off for a jog.  Happy National Donut Day! 

AEC

National Donut Day-Baltimore

Whole Foods Chocolate Nutella-Filled Donut. AEC 2014.

People that know me know that I love donuts...and doughnuts! ;-) So, when that first Friday of June rolls around, I get a little too excited about National Donut Day. Since I have recently moved to Baltimore, I'm taking this as an opportunity to explore some local spots that claim to have the best of one of my favorite culinary confections...donuts.

What's the story behind National Donut Day? The Salvation Army put on the first celebration in 1938 to raise funds during the Great Depression and recognize the contribution of the brave female volunteers who worked to bring soldiers the comforts of home right on the frontlines during World War I. Scarce resources cut out a lot of dessert options, but they had just what they needed to make donuts. Many credit the "donut lassies" for propelling donuts to the level of popularity that we see today.

Now, how am I going to commemorate this historic occasion? Don't think too hard about it. I will be partaking in as many donut deals as many possible! National chains, Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts, have some of the most popular promotions. At participating Krispy Kreme locations, you can get any donut for free, while they last. I suggest the new Brownie Batter or Cake Batter varieties. Their versions smashed their competitors. It had to be said. Dunkin' Donuts is offering a free donut with the purchase of a beverage. I wish you could do something akin to a buy one get one free donut deal. I'm not a fan of their novelty beverages.

So, I'm living in Baltimore, now. DC is so close, yet so far away! Dunkin' Donuts is all over, but I'd have to trek all the way to DC to get a free Krispy Kreme. Yeah, I've done it! Royal Farms has a pretty righteous Krispy Kreme selection at all their locations, but I doubt you could score a free one. Don't worry Baltimoreans, I made some calls. Fractured Prune will be offering a free made-to-order donut with purchase. A representative of Diablo Doughnuts said they and their other spot, La Cakerie, would be offering free glazed treats. Word of caution: I seemed to have caught her off guard. It was almost as if I reminded her of National Donut Day. With that, anticipate a deal, but it may not be entirely free.

I was a little disappointed that other good Baltimore spots for donuts didn't have any plans in the works. Dorsey Cakes & Donuts, Fenwick Bakery, and Hoehn's (who has a tasty marshmallow creme-filled donuts) all said they had no plans for National Donut Day.

I hope this gives some folks deeper insight regarding my obsession with donuts. I will be starting my rounds early tomorrow morning. In the meantime, check out Entenmann’s Facebook page. They're donating a buck to the Salvation Army for every person that likes the page, up to $30,000. Shout-out to the donut lassies!

AEC