One Man's Cronut Is Another Woman's Dosant

By now, pretty much everyone knows what a cronut is. Its creation in early May by pastry chef Dominique Ansel has set off a spark of hunger for the croissant-donut hybrid in New York City, and now the rest of the country is talking about this genius pastry creation.

If you live in Worcester, Mass., though, and are a loyal patron to chef Alina Eisenhauer's Sweet Kitchen & Bar, you may have been enjoying this creation since 2008. Eisenhauer, a past competitor on Food Network competitions like Chopped and Cupcake Wars, has had her own version of the cronut — the dosant — on her menu for years, and she's not too worried about the recent competition from the south.

Click here to see Chef Alina Eisenhauer's Dosant Recipe

Eisenhauer created her version of the pastry just like how many other chefs come up with crazy and often famous dishes: by trying not to waste food. Left with scraps of croissant dough from her bakery, she decided to start rolling it into little balls and deep-frying it to serve alongside a dipping sauce. The dish is a popular order at her restaurant, with loyal fans calling it the French Donut, and they're constantly switching up the way they serve it, featuring the classic, chocolate-filled dosants with a caramel dipping sauce, and peanut butter-filled ones with a Concord grape dipping sauce.

When asked what she thought about all of the hype surrounding the New York City version, her response was hardly one of jealousy or anger.

"Of course they're getting the press — they're in New York," Eisenhauer told The Daily Meal, and then further elaborated that it doesn't bother her that her New England restaurant isn't as exposed to the media as say, an establishment like the Dominique Ansel Bakery is.

What matters to Eisenhauer is that her food tastes good, and that goes for the dosant, as well. Seeing as we recently made our own version of the cronut at home, we asked her if she had any tips for the home cook who most likely didn't have extra croissant dough lying around.

"Don't mess with puff pastry, because it absorbs too much fat. [If you're short on time or don't want to make your own], try buying premade croissant dough, which is definitely sold at Whole Foods," she told us, "and always serve them warm."