So what happened when French man Dominique Ansel created a croissant and doughnut hybrid last May? New Yorkers went crazy and the whole world wanted to eat cronuts. People queue 2 hours each morning before the opening of Dominique Ansel Bakery and can't buy more than 2 cronuts per person there, crazy, n'est-ce pas?
People of Dublin, we're doubly lucky this year: we're experiencing a heat wave AND we have cronuts! When I heard they were being sold at the Marker Hotel I had to go and see what this was all about. I have to say, I'm not a fan of oily deep-fried food and I've eaten maybe 5 doughnuts in my entire life but I like croissants bien sur so that was my excuse to try them.
Every morning from 9 am, you can purchase cronuts at the bar, at the price of €10 for a box of 4. Each Monday, Gareth Mullins, Executive chef at the Marker Hotel tweets the 2 cronut flavours of the week and he makes sure to add a mouth-watering picture (that's how I got tempted). The hotel sells a limited amount of boxes each day and apparently each week three boxes include a 'golden ticket' which entitles the winner to a nice prize such as a spa treatment, drinks on the roof top, etc...
I walked through the heat to the Marker Hotel a few days ago and arrived nice and early. I saw the cronuts laid on a table the second I entered the lobby and I probably scared the bar waitress with my excitement and enthusiasm.
I took my precious cronuts away to my garden to enjoy them 'al fresco' although it was more al scorchio.
The box was sleek and classy with the branding of The Marker Hotel. When I took off the wrapping paper from the top of the cronuts I was slightly disappointed to notice the icing stuck to it. I wanted my cronuts to look perfect for the picture but don't worry that's just because I'm a blogger.
What did I think of the cronuts from the Marker? Well, it basically tastes more or less like a donught but with the flaky texture of a croissant.
Those bad boys are very sweet, rich and calorific but I must say I thought they were tasty, especially the chocolate and raspberry glazing. It's the kind of things you have to taste at least once.
I wouldn't make it my everyday breakfast but it could certainly comfort you on a cold winter morning when it's still dark and you're heading to work, giving you enough of a sugar rush to get you through your day. Do you want to be popular at work? Bring your colleagues some cronuts and that will probably do the job.
The Marker Hotel
Grand Canal Square
Dublin Docklands
Dublin 2
http://www.themarkerhoteldublin.com/
