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History is proof of how innovative dishes have been created by accident or through imagination. While some may have had a short lifespan, others have continued to live in different forms and shapes on the plate today. While the doughnut was brought into picture by the Dutch with their oil cakes, it later developed variations like the cronut i.e. croissant and muffin. Similarly, another baked delight is the cruffin. Sounds interesting, right? It might not be such a hard guess to name the two desserts that bring together a cruffin. A cross between a croissant and a muffin, the cruffin is a delightful creation that is relatively new.
It is said that the cruffin was invented out of a need for creating something new and unique. Believed to have been created by Kate Reid in the year 2013, the man made the first-ever cruffin at Lune Croissanterie in Melbourne, Australia. This was quickly picked up in the US and within a few months, cruffins were one of the best sellers at Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in San Francisco. This hybrid between a croissant and a muffin was made using lamented croissant dough that would be layered with several fillings.
From pastry cream to strawberries, chocolate and peanut butter, there are a plethora of ingredients that can be dunked into a cruffin. Inspired by the French brioche pastry, the cruffin reached its present-day form and shape through a series of experiments. The bakers at the Tenderloin bakery were quite determined to achieve the perfect croissant dough like the French. Through repeated practices and trials and errors, the perfected dough finally became the precursor for creating something called a cruffin.
The crispiness and lightness of a croissant with the moist and soft texture of a muffin best describes their love child. The owners of the bakery expressed that social media played a major role in popularising the cruffin across the world. While the idea was unique in itself, they weren’t sure if it would live up to the cronut craze. However, it was the tempting pictures of buttery, glazed and cream-filled baked treats on Instagram that boosted their followers and made way for cruffin’s claim to fame, as per an interview with The Culture Trip.
There are ample varieties of cruffins available at this bakery today, being sold in huge numbers every day. From a peach and cream to a Dutch apple flavour, the coffee aficionados will also find a decadent coffee cruffin on their menu. It is quite fascinating to note how a combination of two different baked goods can come together to make a completely new dish. In the past too, the cronut has been an example of such a hybrid. The croissant and doughnut combination was also invented in 2013 by a French pastry chef called Dominique Ansel.
The cronut turned the doughnut into a flaky treat made with croissant dough and filled with pastry cream. This proved to be a sensational dessert after which the cruffin took over fame.
