miss b loves ..........crodoughs and other hybrid cakes

Regular readers of this blog will already know that I have a sweet tooth! Cupcakes, macarons, pastries........I just can't resist sweet treats. Lately I have been reading about the 'cronut' (a cross between a croissant and a doughnut!) 

The 'cronut' was created in May 2013 by Dominique Ansel, the New York pastry chef who successfully trademarked the name in January this year. His recipe has inspired variations and last week, during our two day trip to London, I was determined to try one (or two!)......

Rinkoff's Crodough
Toffee Apple Crumble 

I was so curious and wondered what all the fuss was about and whether this was just another gimmick.....In the pouring rain we went in search of Rinkoff Bakery, a family business established in 1911 in Whitechapel. I'd heard that their interpretation, the Crodough was the one to try in London....
Jennifer Rinkoff tried the original cronut in New York and she was determined to create Rinkoff's own version....... 

Rinkoff's Crodough- Chocolate Fudge
 (Raspberry in the background)

It was so difficult to choose the best flavour so .....we bought all four! (No we didn't eat them all at once!)

Toffee Apple Crumble, Chocolate Fudge,
Raspberry, Custard

We managed to take some home .....two hours on the train but they travelled quite well.....a little squashed but does that really matter?

The Custard Crodough
filled with fresh custard and a layer on top!

All wonderful but if I had to choose a favourite it would be ......the toffee apple crumble.....filled with fresh apple and cinnamon, topped with crunchy crumble and drizzled with toffee! 

I can now tell you that I understand what all the fuss is about...lighter than a classic doughnut, they are absolutely delicious!!

The poster in the window claims
they're amazing and they are!

Bea's of Bloomsbury, a small independent bakery and café apparently started making the 'duffin' (yes it's a cross between a doughnut and muffin!) about two years ago. It was the customers who nicknamed it the duffin and Bea was surprised to discover that Starbucks had put duffins on their menu and ....their suppliers had trademarked it!

In a statement to the BBC Starbuck's said that since launching the duffin they had discovered that there were others in the UK and they weren't suggesting that Bea's should stop selling them!! Watch Bea in the video clip here 

via

On our second day in London, I decided to head over to Bea's (near St Paul's Cathedral)in search of the original duffin.... Sadly when I arrived at lunchtime they had sold out .... but it wasn't a wasted journey .... I tried their 'townie' a sweet melt-in-the mouth pastry case filled with brownie ...perfect with a cappuccino!

There seems to be a trend for hybrid cakes..... the 'brookie'(brownie and cookie (seen here on Martha Stewart's website )... dosant, crookie, muffle, macanut, .... whatever next? 

This may all sound very modern but using a portmanteau word to describe food is of course not new ...'brunch' appeared in Punch magazine way back in 1896!  

I suppose it doesn't really matter what a cake is called as long as it's tasty!

PS You can read about my very first visit to Bea's of Bloomsbury where I had a very modern afternoon tea, served on a rather quirky stand here

By the way, next time I'm in London I shall be at Bea's at the crack of dawn ... I'm not going to miss those duffins !