DISH OF THE WEEK: Frozen S’mores at DOMINIQUE ANSEL BAKERY

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year, you’ve probably heard about the phenomenon known as cronuts. Crazy people line up for hours to get a taste of the hybrid doughnut-croissant pastry. It’s more of a bragging right than an actual culinary experience. I’ve tasted them (without waiting in the line, thank you very much) and they’re good but not worth all the hype (I prefer the version at Chikalicious).

Dominique Ansel Bakery, the original creator of that trademarked cronut, has been a worthy bakery destination for years – long before the French pastry chef came up with the treat that rocked the world. And since his fame, he has continued to create press-worthy new creations like the Magic Soufflé (a chocolate soufflé inside an orange brioche) and Chocolate Chip Cookie Milk Shots (the shot glass is made out of a chocolate chip cookie).

My parents were in town and since I inherited my sweet tooth from them, I thought I’d bring them down here to get a taste of something.  We didn’t get to try either of the aforementioned intriguing concoctions when I stopped by the bakery at an off (but still crowded) mid-day hour.

What we did end up with was another one of his Willy Wonka-esque creations. It was the Frozen S’mores and it was pretty amazing. The play of hot and cold was awesome – a bruleéd marshmallow hid a layer of chocolate wafers and then a block of chewy vanilla ice cream. My only complaint was the high price tag ($7) and I wish the chocolate-looking stick was edible. Other than that, this science experiment worked on every level, especially on my sweet tastebuds.

If I could give those cronut-craving groupies one piece of advice, it’s skip the line, come later in the day, and taste one of Ansel’s less-hyped but just as mind-blowing desserts. You’ll save yourself some time and have as much street cred as those who’ve tasted the famous treat rhyming with the word shmonut.