Today I dropped into Starbucks and sampled the 130 cal, mini-doughnuts. They never looked that appealing to me, but thought it my duty to at least try them and report back. Verdict is: they taste just like they look.. dry and uneventful. That said, the glaze on top is still nice and sweet if you want a quick, low-cal fix, and eat just the top off like I ended up doing.
xo
You might recall from this previous post that my friend B-side Ben found the buttermilk donut from Tasty Donuts to be, quite possibly, the "best donut in Los Angeles." Wow, that was a bold statement and required a joint venture follow-up.
Ben came over with donuts in hand, yet panic on his face. Apparently, Tasty Donuts was out of the original Buttermilk donut, but they did have the same version, rolled in cinnamon sugar crumbs. No problemo Ben, your Dessert Darling can still detect if these donuts are winners or not, crumbs and all!
Mmmmm, I completely see where Ben was coming from! The FLAVOR, the buttermilk FLAVOR is the secret ingredient to success here. The slightly sour and creamy ingredient helps balance the intense sweetness that's intrinsic in a donut. It's such a soothing, sweet, and buttery taste, that you can't help but continue monching on the thing, no matter how large or dense it is!
Which leads me to, Yes, these are large and dense donuts, but the glaze seeps through, keeping them joyfully moist and delightful for every bite. Your best plan is to share with a friend!
For more info on Tasty Donuts, click here.
If you live in Los Angeles, you've probably driven by Yum Yum Donuts about a thousand times heading up Highland or La Cienega by the 10. You see a happy face licking his lips and wonder...just how Yum Yum are Yum Yum Donuts really? Probably pretty gross..
Actually, surprisingly Yummy! This weekend friends delighted us by bringing over a large box of beautiful doughnuts and, as is my job, I had one of each. Over all, the doughnuts are fresh and fluffy, with the exception of the old-fashion glazed, which was appropriately saturated, sweet, and dense. I would have enjoyed custard filling in the maple glazed bar (which is an all-time fave from childhood) and I felt a bit ill after eating them, which made me want to dock points. Alas, I decided that would be unfair since it's not the doughnuts' fault that I ate so many.
So congrats to the Yum Yum Donut chain! You earned yourself a solid 4-Cherry rating :-9
Ben from B-side Blog is hilarious. I normally drop in on his site to check out his laugh-out-loud reviews on intellectually stimulating shows like, you know, The Real Housewives series on BRAVO (Ha). Today though, I was pleasantly surprised to find a dessert review!
I have driven past Tasty Donuts on Santa Monica Blvd. myself, Lord knows how many times, and always wondered if it was worth making the stop. It looks like the kinda joint that would use recycled oil and thus have mediocre donuts. But according to Ben, they might possibly have the best donut in LA! Well who knew?! Guess I'll have to make a stop there after all and give you the scoop myself someday! In the meantime, check out Ben's thoughts on these donuts here!
The other night I had a delicious dinner at Dominick's, with even better company, and 3 lovely desserts to end things sweetly.
Our favorite offering was the Ricotta Fritters with a side of Blackberry Compote and Creme Fresh whipped. Mmmm, these heavenly fried ricotta balls were warm and generously rolled in sugar. The berry compote and whipped cream gave us delightful options to play with as we relished each delicious bite. 5 Cherries for the Fritters!
To see my thoughts on the Chocolate Panna Cotta and Banana Cream Pie, tune in tomorrow!
For more info Dominick's restaurant in west Hollywood, click here.
Wow, these were pretty excellent poofs of fried dough that boasted soft warm centers and a slight dusting of cinnamon-sugar. The "churros" at Cobras and Matadors were not your traditional Spanish doughnut sticks that you'd find at a fair, all firm and crispy and sometimes cold and stale. While this difference let down one of my girlfriends, I found the fresh warmth and bubbling softness of dough inside to be a total delight.
What befuddled me was the dark chocolate pairing. While the chocolate itself was delicious, it's strength completely drowned out the cinnamon-sugared flavor of the doughnut (which the churro could have used more of to begin with). A much better dipping sauce would have been caramel, butterscotch or even an icing-glaze to harmonize with the subtle flavors of the fried deliciousness before us.
For more info on Cobras and Matadors, click here.
I feel sorry for some of these "healthy" dessert items since they simply can't compete, sometimes, with the really great decadent stuff. Nutrilicious's dairy and egg-free Spelt Flour Cinnamon Donut Holes are definitely fighting with one hand behind their back, and quite frankly, they lost the battle.
These dense little balls are dry in the center and leave a weird cinnamon aftertaste. The best part of these donuts are the glazed outsides that I eat while discarding the cardboard centers. For people with dietary restrictions, these might be a nice treat.. otherwise, pass.
