All hail the doughnut.
This sometimes yeasty, sometimes cakey confection while a family favorite on a Saturday morning, has had some revamping and renewed popularity. Okay, so perhaps it's not so new in places like Portland, Oregon where Voodoo doughnuts has been frying up specialty versions of these tasty treats for years. Or even in New York, where they have moved past unique flavors to crossbreeding these bakery delights. While you can always pop in the Donut Plant in Chelsea or Dough in Brooklyn for a modern spin on doughnut recipes, New York's Cronut (a croissant and donut hybrid) has achieved international popularity. This includes an attempt to recreate and mass produce them in Tokyo, Japan.
Here in Kentucky, I sat and wistfully salivated about these new kids on the block in far off places. I absolutely quelled my growing appetite with an occasional trip to Nord's, but I couldn't help but think we might be missing out of something here in the Ohio Valley. When Lexington got on the doughnut train first with the opening of North Lime Coffee and Donuts, I started to become a little antsy. Here in Louisville, aside from the popular Wiltshire Bakery mock up of the cronut and an occasional delightful doughnut special at Harvest, I hadn't observed much growth in our doughnut culture. Such anguish. When would it come?!?
Maybe I'm wrong about the lack of doughnut diversity here in the Ville but for a doughnut enthusiast, is there ever enough? My reprieve arrived at last when I learned that The Flea Off Market in August would be hosting a doughnut booth, I made a special trip to the gym so I could indulge. Once I got to the Flea Off, I headed straight to Hi Five Doughnuts. The neat thing about Hi -Five is while they do make their own doughnuts, they frost to order. They had their recommended combinations which the staff helpfully shared, but you also had the freedom to create your own. We ordered a chocolate bacon doughnut and a caramel, bourbon pecan doughnut. We found the flavors of caramel and bourbon to be pretty muted but the chocolate bacon donut knocked our socks off. I'm not sure what defines Hi Five's chocolate bacon concoction over other versions I've had but it was the first time I was more sold on the trendy marriage of bacon and chocolate. The doughnut itself was not the airy Krispy Kreme type. It was closer to the heavier, chewier versions I've had at New York's Donut Plant. Overall, not bad and I'm definitely excited and ready to try more variations.
You can keep an eye on future opportunities for indulgence via their facebook page.
In solidarity with all doughnut lovers, you know who you are.
