Photo credit: Janet Donovan
It’s not everyday you get dessert before the main course, but such was the case at the luncheon at The Jefferson Hotel in honor of Dominique Ansel celebrating his new book: The Secret Recipes: Unforgettable Desserts from the World’s Most Celebrated Bakery hosted by Connie Milstein and Rachel Pearson.
Co-host Rachel Pearson
A Cronut is a croissant-doughnut pastry invented by Chef Dominique Ansel and trademarked by Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City. “There was no magic formula or marketing strategy behind this croissant-doughnut hybrid. It was simply another creation. Glazed on the top, the pastry was filled with cream and sugared like a doughnut, but it had a laminated dough that was similar to-but not the same as-croissant dough. Crispy on the outside, with two layers within, it was a playful treat. Two months and ten recipes later, the Cronut pastry was born.” Dominique Ansel
Author Dominique Ansel
Cronuts & Pastry photos courtesy of Dominique Ansel
Fortunately for our waistlines, the five course culinary extravaganza included Butternut Squash Soup, Chesapeake Flounder Steak on the Bone, Beef Filet and Mini Madeleines, courtesy of The Jefferson’s magical chef Ralf Schlegel.
Dominique regaled the crowd with his tales of unexpected success: “One May morning in 2013, just after we launched the Cronut pastry, more than a hundred people were waiting outside the door. The line started three hours before our 8:00 A.M opening time, and we were just four people inside: two baristas in front and two cooks in the kitchen. Within the cocoon of the bakery walls, we had only heard murmurs of how our humble dessert had ‘gone viral’ and ‘was trending’ Each story was wilder than the next.”
Hollywood on the Potomac sat down with Chef Ansel for a ‘New York Minute’
