Move over, Cronut: Here comes the Kouign Amann

This is our bestseller, and it’s something I adore. —Dominique Ansel, creator of the Cronut

Two months and 10 recipes was all it would take to bring about a new trend that has been sweeping through New York, generating a food frenzy that no one ever imagined would have such a global impact on the pastry industry.

Just last May, in a bakery in the heart of the SoHo district in New York, a seasoned pastry chef successfully created a pastry so incredibly unique and popular that its name has been trademarked. The bakery makes 300 fresh pieces a day and its sale is restricted to two pieces per customer, with patrons lining up as early as 5 a.m. with a queue that would fill up the street and beyond. In terms of commercial success this is as good as it gets.

By now you know I am describing the New York phenomenon known as the Cronut, a hybrid pastry in which the classic croissant meets the modern donut. It is laminated dough sprinkled with sugar, with a flaky texture. This decadent pastry eluded me on my recent trip to New York, so as curiosity got the better of me I asked my daughter Carmela, accompanied by my good friend Jimbo, to battle the long line to buy two orders, which they promptly described and devoured for my reviewing pleasure.

After a few days concocting the perfect recipe for my version of the Cronut, we were glad to introduce a class about this food craze. It was initially a test, to feel the water, so to speak, as to the popularity of Cronuts in the Philippines. With our Cronut classes booked all the way to October since we advertised, I can say that the Cronut has landed in the Philippines.

But there was more to my experience with Dominique Ansel’s Bakery than the Cronut. On a bustling New York morning at around 10:30 a.m. I was fascinated to see no lines in front of the bakery, thinking this was my chance to taste the Cronut. I rushed in, thankful for the wonderful timing, or so I thought. I was disappointed, to say the least, when the staff informed me that they were all sold out by 6:30 a.m. I could understand because I discovered that locally made Cronuts should be consumed within six hours or else the humidity and temperature here would not make them last very long.

The staff suggested I try their all time bestseller, Ansel’s interpretation of a French classic, the Kouign Amann, or “buttery cake” in Celtic, traditionally made in Britain and in a bigger size. But â€œDKA” or Dominique’s Kouign Amann — pronounced “queen aman” â€” is a pastry with a caramelized shell with a flaky consistency inside, made of layers of butter, dough, and sugar.

Once I sank my teeth into this delectable pastry I was smitten; in fact it was even better than the coveted Cronut. This particular pastry had the artistry of a classic dessert that would be served to royalty. Even Anthony Bourdain taste-tested it in front of a live TV audience and was surprised to see their overwhelming response in favor of the DKA over the ever-popular Cronut. “Generally speaking, the DKA is exactly what I like in a pastry,” Bourdain said. “Early in the evening, this is what I would be eating.

“Late? After a couple of cocktails? Standing there in a dirty shirt and my underpants in front of the fridge, about to watch a Simpsons episode that I’ve seen around 42 times? Cronuts, baby.” 

Ansel has succeeded in making his mark in the pastry industry with the creation of the Cronut, but his love and passion can only be appreciated with a genuine product that he adores enough to allow it to carry his own name: the DKA, or Dominique’s Kouign Amann. This is, after all, the best that his bakery has to offer, surprisingly making the infamous Cronut nothing more than the next best thing.

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