UR DIY: Cronut Recipe crafted by Lush to Blush

Written by Megan of Lush to Blush

This post is is part of our latest series: UR FEATURED FRIDAYS. This article was originally published by the lovely Megan of the Lush to Blush blog. Be sure to check out her blog and follow her on Twitter. The photographs were shot by Johnny Cheng Photography.

Yes, you read that right. A cronut is a combination of the two most amazingly delicious pastries in the world: the croissant and the donut. This craze came about in NYC and took the city by storm overnight. The newest breakfast/dessert fusion food was first introduced by Dominique Ansel Bakery in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood a couple weeks ago. He made 50 and they sold out quicker than a 1997 Spice Girls concert. The next morning there was a line outside and the cronut craze was born. Unfortunately, I don’t have the extra cash + time to fly to NYC and wait in line for 2+hours for my chance at scoring a cronut. (Btdubz, people are selling these things on Craigslist for like $50 and higher. For realz.) So I decided to try my hand at making my own. And after much trial and error (but is there really ever “error” when cronuts are involved?), I must say, it ended up being delish. Here’s how I did it.

Photographed by Johnny Teng. — Photographed by Johnny Cheng Photography

You’ll need:

A deep fryer or deep pot
A baking sheet
A kitchen thermometer that measures up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
Canola Oil
Frozen Puff Pastry (precut or sheets, both work fine)
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
One Egg
Confectioner’s Sugar
Vanilla Almond Milk (you could also use regular milk and a dash of vanilla extract instead)

Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (optional).

Step 2: Defrost the puff pastry and unroll it or take out the precut shapes. If you are using sheets, you’ll need to cut it into two pieces.

Step 3: Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk it. Now spread a little bit of egg on half of your puff pastry. Place the other half on top of the egg-washed half and roll it with the rolling pin (roll a lot if using sheets and a little if using precut pieces). If you’re using sheets, repeat this process about five times by cutting the sheet in two (or folding), egg washing it, and rolling it to a larger, flatter shape. This is creating the layers of the cronut.

Step 4: Cut the dough into donut shapes. I used a cup and the cap of the canola oil to cut my donuts and holes, respectively. Place the donut shaped dough into the fridge.

Photographed by Johnny Teng Photography — Photographed by Johnny Cheng Photography

Step 5: To make the glaze, place the confectioner’s sugar in a bowl and mix it with the milk. Use 4-5 tablespoons of milk for every four cups of sugar. Place the brown sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl and mix together.

Step 6: Pour the canola oil into the deep fryer or pot and turn to medium heat. It takes a while to heat up.

Step 7: Place the donuts on the baking sheet (holes do not need to be baked) and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 20-minutes or until a warm golden color. If you want a doughier center (kind of like a beignet) you can skip the baking process, but the results aren’t really a cronut, even if it is incredibly delicious.

Step 8: Deep fry the donuts and their holes (two donuts and holes at a time, max). As soon as they begin to float in the oil, turn them over. Fry for about two minutes or until a golden brown color.

Step 9: Place the warm donuts on a napkin lined plate to soak up excess oil. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze on top of the cronut. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon. If you want to make it extra decadent, use a pastry bag with a pointed tip to insert your choice of cream filling before adding the glaze.

And that’s it! You now have your very own cronut. I recommend eating these yummy treats within a few hours, but if you want to make them ahead of time, bake them first and then fry + glaze them right before serving.

Photos by Johnny Cheng Photography