Three months after having my first cronut I felt like the food memory was fading so of course I went for another. This time I did a pre-order which maxed out my phone bill for the month (oops!) from excessive dialing but it was worth it not to wait in line again. This time around I got to try September’s fig and mascarpone cream.
I took my precious cronuts (haha they really are coveted obsessively like the One Ring aren’t they? Nerdy tangent!) and went to the back of Dominique Ansel Bakery to enjoy them on the outdoor patio. I didn’t even know that area existed till this visit which is pretty unobservant of me considering it was my fifth time to the bakery. With the place to myself I did a little photo shoot and video before digging in.
Now for the taste. The mascarpone cream was light and had just a hint of tang. There was also a fig compote in the middle that can’t be seen in the photo but it paired really well with the cream. I wish there was a tad more of it though because the only other fig component was the dried garnish on the top. The June lemon flavor I had was much more tart and in-your-face. I do like the more subtle combination of this September flavor. I have to say that after eating a cronut for the second time, I’m even more determined to perfect my homemade cronuts which I thought were pretty close going off the memory from my first taste.
My cronut pick up was actually on the last day of my trip. I basically book-ended my NY visit with Dominique Ansel. Upon arrival, after a red-eye and a one hour power nap, I raced over to the bakery in hopes of getting the new Magic Souffle that was announced the week prior. Thank you to Chef Ansel for so perfectly timing your new creations with my visits.
I got a chance to chat with Dominique Ansel that day when he personally handed me my souffle and gave me instructions on how to eat it – right away when it’s still warm and you want to break it in half. I did not listen partially because the second creation I ordered, the Frozen S’more was at risk of melting, which I will get to in a moment.
I was also slightly distracted watching Chef Ansel do an interview with singer, Eve. I was sitting in the inner courtyard while they were filming outside on the patio where I had my cronut. I couldn’t hear anything but I was mainly watching to see what she ate and how she reacted. Lots of nodding in approval while eating madeleines and the souffle.
The Magic Souffle broken in half. It truly is a chocolate souffle inside a brioche. The souffle luckily was still warm and it was fluffy. I really wanted it to be sweeter though. I don’t think that was the intention for this pastry but for my personal taste I’d like it to be. The orange blossom brioche was a nice pairing and just the right amount surrounding the souffle to get the texture of it without being too bread-y. Chef Ansel said it was his favorite pastry at the moment, even more than the DKA (Dominique Kougn Amann) when I reminded him of it, because it’s new and different. That’s the thing I really admire about him as a pastry chef, his desire to constantly create new things and push boundaries.
A duo of frozen s’mores, the second new-ish item that launched earlier in the summer.
A M A Z I N G. The exterior was nicely toasted and slightly bitter with the fluffy sweet marshmallow surrounding a chilly vanilla ice cream core. Coating the ice cream was a crunchy chocolate feuilletine. This seemingly simple campfire treat was anything but that. I loved the trio of textures – fluffy, crunchy and creamy and the contrast of temperatures – hot and cold. It was exciting to eat!
One happy baking family making customers happy with pastries. Thank you Team Dominique Ansel!