Doughnut Time

Doughnut Time
http://doughnuttime.com.au/

I'm a self-proclaimed Instagram addict and most of the accounts I follow are food related. It's good to be able to keep up with the latest venue openings and food trends but also bad in the way that food eye candy photos can catch my attention at work and create urgent cravings I have no way of satisfying. This happened recently when it seemed like every second person on my Instagram feed was photographing the products from newly opened Doughnut Time.

I was never a big doughnut fan. I mean, I loved Krispy Kreme's original glazed, because I'm a normal healthy human, but doughnuts in general weren't exciting to me. That is, until they got the gourmet foodie makeover by Doughnut Time and transformed into fun, trendy and inviting creations with imaginative toppings and fillings galore. Every photo I saw of Doughnut Time doughnuts were colourful, glossy and plump. They were begging to be eaten.

A disadvantage for me is the fact that Doughnut Time is located in Fortitude Valley. It's created by the same brains behind Alfred and Constance, Kwan Brothers, Chester Street Bakery et al and is located amongst family venues on Alfred Street. I thought it was a big, 'proper' bakery/cafe but when I got there, I nearly missed it. It is literally just a small shop window tucked within Alfredo's Pizzeria. There's some bench seating to eat your doughnuts on site but most people, including myself, just got takeaway. I don't like going to the Valley because parking is such a pain. On this occasion, I was on my way to a hot pilates class of all things and fate would have it that a parking spot opened up right in front of me, right near Doughnut Time. If that's not a sign that I should be replenishing burnt pilates calories with sugary doughnut goodness, I don't know what is.

Doughnut Time has topped doughuts and filled doughnuts. Everything was $6, which seems steep for a doughnut (Marc thought it was outright scandalous). I told him I bought $36 worth of doughnuts and he was picturing me lugging home multiple carton's worth. Now that I've eaten them, I think they're worth it. After all, they should be considered a rare treat, not something to devour 4 of in one go.

My hoard

I selected 6 different varieties. We had some the next morning for breakfast and some others throughout the rest of the week. They kept quite well in the fridge. I liked to microwave them for 20 seconds to soften the doughnut and melt the topping/fillings.

Pistachio and burnt butter close-up

Marc and I both liked the pistachio and burnt butter doughnut the best. I also quite liked the creme brulee one because its filling was so creamy and generous.

Creme brulee doughnut close-up

The bacon and maple doughnut was interesting. I wanted to like the popcorn version more but it wasn't popcorny enough for me.

From what I can see, doughnuts are the current trend item of dessert foods (after cupcakes, then macarons). I hope they don't disappear once the fad is over because they are delicious. It's hard to imagine anything less healthy than a deep fried, sugary, doughy item drizzled in more sugar and filled with fat, but they are in my mind the very definition of food porn. They're luscious to look at, so very bad for our waistlines but exciting and rewarding. I felt like a kid at Christmas carrying my Doughnut Time box home and that nostalgic feeling was the best and most precious part of the whole experience.