Celebrate National Doughnut Week with the Ultimate Doughnuts (Krispy Kreme)

Member Name: KLockwood75

Product:	Krispy Kreme
Date:	11/05/09 (79 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Perfection in doughnut form

Disadvantages: Dangerously addictive!

This week is National Doughnut Week and to commemorate that occasion, I have decided to review what I believe are the ultimate doughnuts, Krispy Kreme.

** Historical Background **
Krispy Kreme is an American brand which was launched in North Carolina in 1937. By the 1950s, this had developed into a chain of stores across the South-Eastern US states, all using the original glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut recipe. It was not until the 1990s that Krispy Kreme began to expand into the household name that it is today. They opened their first store in New York City in 1996 and their first entry into the UK market came in 2003, when they opened a concession in Harrods. These days, you can buy Krispy Kreme doughnuts in locations across the world, from the USA and Canada to Japan and Australia.

** UK Sites **
Since the opening of that first UK concession in Harrods in 2003, Krispy Kreme have opened a number of standalone stores in the UK, as well as concessions in department stores such as Selfridges and cabinets in Tesco stores. The availability of Krispy Kreme doughnuts is higher in the South-East of England, although there also stores in Manchester and Birmingham. The stores range from kiosks at mainline train stations tp coffee bars but all of them, including the Tesco's cabinets, feature the full range of Krispy Kreme varieties.

** The Doughnuts **
Now, on to the important part. You can't have a review about Krispy Kremes without devoting the main part of it to the doughnuts themselves. I had my first taste of Krispy Kreme on holiday in Florida in 2004 and was immediately hooked. I had to wait until going to New York in 2005 for my next hit though, but soon after that, it seemed like Krispy Kremes were suddenly available all other London and that has continued to feed our household's addiction to them.

The signature Krispy Kreme doughnut is their Original Glazed. These are made from the original 1930s recipe and are a simple, baked round doughnut with a hole in the centre, covered in an iced glaze. They are especially delicious if you can get hold of one while they are still warm, but provide the classic Krispy Kreme taste experience. The soft texture of the warm dough combined with the sweet, slightly crunchy glaze is simply irresistible to me.

Alongside the Original Glazed, there are now many varieties of Krispy Kreme doughnut. Some of these are permanent features of the range, others are special limited editions which are only available for a short time. We succumbed to the temptation of a box of 12 this week so I have had a chance to assess which are my current favourites. This is the list;

'Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles' - I think this appeals to my inner child, being dipped in colourful hundreds and thousands - this is essentially an Original Glazed doughnut with chocolate icing and is also available without the sprinkles

'Chocolate Dreamcake'- This one definitely appeals to my chocoholic side, being a round doughnut filled with a rich, gooey chocolate fudge sauce, topped with chocolate icing and decorated with white and dark chocolate curls.

'Glazed Lemon Filled' - This is my summer-time choice. It is a glazed doughnut filled with a deliciously tangy lemon filling and is lovely.

'Black Forest' - For those retro-70s moments, this is another filled doughnut, this time with a luscious cherry filling and a sweet maraschino cherry nestling amount the dark chocolate shavings on top of it's chocolate icing.

** Price **
Krispy Kreme doughnuts are relatively expensive - the Original Glazed is £1.10 and the more elaborate varieties are about £1.30. They also sell them in boxes of 12 - the Krispy Kreme dozens. You can either buy 12 Original Glazed, the 'Favourites Assortment' which consists of 12 of their best-selling doughnuts or customise your own box. You can usually get a good deal on the boxes of 12 - my husband assures me that the box he bought on Saturday actually worked out cheaper than buying individual doughnuts for us and our friends - I'm not entirely convinced that wasn't just a ploy to distract me from the fact he bought home 12 doughnuts though!

Overall, I love Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I'm a real sucker when it comes to sweet treats of any kind, but I think that these are sheer perfection in doughnut terms. They are delicious treats and, although they are obviously fairly high in calories, sometimes you just need a little treat... if you haven't tried one yet, go on and celebrate National Doughnut Week (May 9th - 16th 2009) by giving them a try!

Summary: These are as good as it gets - simply delicious!