KRISPY KREME : KRUFFINS VS. PULL APARTS!

Come to daddy..

                I'm not big on desserts. I'm more of a main course kind of guy. Despite that, I don't know how many would disagree with me, but I think it's safe to say that Krispy Kreme makes the best donuts out there today. Yes I've tried Cello's and their dips. Good, but not as good. Go Nuts? their cupcakes are actually better than their donuts. Dunkin' and Mister? Please. Anway, I grab one of the regular glazed ones, (The other highfalutin ones don't interest me so much) and have it heated up to 10 seconds (The box says no more than 8, but I like to.. you know.. "live on the edge". Damn right.) and the darn thing practically melts in your mouth. Ever since they barged into the country, Krispy Kreme stores have been spreading like wildfire, and consistently packed. Not one to stay complacent, Krispy Kreme always seems to have a new product line out ever month. A couple of weeks back they launched the series that had Kit Kat bars sticking out of its ass, and I distinctly remember a year or so ago they had a Hershey's chocolate line that boasted of Cookies and Cream & a particular one that had Reeses Pieces bits on it. (I missed out on that. I'm still hurting over that till this very day)  

                 One day as I was driving to work, I passed by a billboard of Krispy Kreme, that said "Sweet or Savory?" It got my attention, because it didn't really say the name of the product. The first thing that popped into my head was that Krispy Kreme was gonna start serving the Legendary "Luther" Burger (A bacon cheese burger encased between a split and grilled Krispy Kreme Glazed donut, made popular by the singer (genius), Luther Vandross. In a totally unrelated turn of events, he died July 1, 2005 of a heart attack)  but as I drove closer, it as obvious that that wasn't it.

                I was staring at the Billboard trying to figure out what kind of donut it was, then suddenly I saw something that made things as clear as day to me: I still had no clue what it was, but I had to try it.

              I may not have known exactly what was on that poster yet, but one thing was for sure..

It had Bacon on it.

---

                 One Saturday afternoon after a shoot for Toinked.com (coming soon.. shameless plug, I know..), I was dropped off by my buddy Mark over at High Street, where Rina was to pick me up. While I was waiting, I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to go and find out what the delicious bacon laced treat actually was. In my mind, I was expecting a "Bacon Donut", and I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about it. Kinda weird, right? So I went back to the Pickiest Eater Handbook, and it clearly stated in section 3 paragraph 19, that "When dealing with food that has bacon on it, (no matter how inappropriate it may seem), simply remember one thing: It has Bacon on it. Bacon is awesome. Therefore IT is awesome." I was actually expecting Krispy Kreme's classic glazed donut laced with bacon. As I stepped through the doors of the famed donut specialist, I quickly discovered it wasn't it. 

              From what I could make out, the new products were divided into two categories, with each category having several variants. The Sweet variety are called "Kruffins", (which i'm guessing is short for "Krispy Kreme Muffins".) while the Savory lineup are called "Pull Aparts". I lined up and ordered my Bacon Pull Apart, only to find out that they were out of stock. (At 4 in the afternoon. Of a Sunday. And they weren't going to re-stock anymore for that day.. WTF?) "Dang", I thought to myself.. "This really must be good." Again, the words of the Handbook came whispering in my ears. "It has Bacon on it... Therefore it is awesome." Unfortunately, I was so disappointed with their lack of stock, I just walked out, thinking I'd just try it again another day. (But Rina still got her Glazed donut of course)

               The weekend after that, Rina and I went back to High Street for a Picky Eating adventure (Tune in on Friday). After our sumptuous lunch, even though we were both stuffed, I asked to pass by Krispy Kreme, so we can get the Kruffins and Pull Aparts for Take out. Thankfully, this time, they were all available. 

             So the hot light was ON.

PULL APARTS

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.. 1. Honey cured... 2. Maple Glazed.. 3. Oven Baked..

(you get the picture)

                   Let's begin with the Bacon Pull Apart (P70). First off, I like the paper they use to hold the baked goods together. It's not your usual cupcake like flimsy material (or whatever its called). It's sort of like a thicker, laminated sheet that has a simple but classy design to it, so it helps with the presentation. Eating it was a bit tricky. I had to stab a knife in between the bun and the paper, and draw a circle around it, just to separate them both. And though i may have done a decent job of separating the sides, a chunk of the bottom part was left still stuck to the piece of paper. I realize that since it's called a "Pull Apart", maybe I was supposed to do exactly that? But I honestly found it a stupid way to eat it. Come on, Ripping it into bits and pieces? What am I, an animal? It's a bacon bun, for crying out loud! (Everyone knows you're supposed to jam it down your mouth, whole!)

                           The dough, (when separated from the paper) was a bit chewy, without being too hard. (meaning it was alright. nothing spectacular) I feel they scrimped a little on the cheese, and a handful of grated mozzarella or even a type of lesser quality would've helped this reach its full potential. The bacon though, was a bit undercooked (The fat part was still a bit white), which was a shame because it had a tasty smoked flavor to it that made the Pull Apart worth it's asking price.

There's a cheesy sausage in the center of that hole.

(There are so many jokes I wanna say but I really shouldn't)

                 At first, I found the Sausage Pull Apart (P70) to be rather plain. Though the sausage used was meaty, it was for some reason cheesier than it's Bacon counterpart. (maybe there was cheese in the sausage?) But the next time I went to Krispy Kreme (Ayala Ave Branch this time), I saw a another one of them, and it had some sort of mayo on it this time! Apparently, the first time I ordered, the didn't put the mayo on it! (I should sue!) 

            The Mayo actually made a world of difference, but it did taste more like a Sausage Sandwich than it did a "Pull Apart". In fact, I'm going out on a limb here and saying that I enjoyed it more than I did the..(Oh god please forgive me..) Bacon.

KRUFFINS

Apple Streusel - For me, it was the best of the lot

                                

                     I instantly fell in love with the Apple Streusel (P65). I'm weird because I don't eat apples as a fruit, but I do love Apple by-products. (Apple flavored C2 is probably my favorite drink ever.. I love the Fuji Apple Mentos.. you get the drift.) So when I took this baby out of its bag, and let it out for air, and as soon as I smelled the apple flavor, I was a goner. First thing - it was a whole lot easier to separate from the paper, so instantly plus points for that. Of course, it was a more cake based dish, as opposed to the "bun" type base of the Pull Aparts. Anyway, I'm not sure what was sprinkled on top, (I think it could've been brown sugar and cinnamon?), but it gave the Kruffin a crunchy texture and helped bring out the apple flavor. The kicker here in the Kruffin though, is the cream inside, which helps even out the sweetness of the apple. 

             

Krispy Kreme's Lethal Weapons

* Post Script:

             Since my first visit, I've tried the Blueberry Kruffin (P65) which was just a notch below the Apple Streusel, but still delicious, nonetheless. I also tried the Cinnamon Pull Apart (P65), but it was a bit too much of a sugar bomb, even for me. 

        Sorry to both the Bacon and Sausage, but on the strength of the Apple Streusel alone, The Kruffins kicks the Pull Apart's ass.