A couple of weeks ago, I had the unique opportunity to travel to Krispy Kreme’s global headquarters in Winston-Salem, NC. This was without a doubt one of the best experiences ever! Krispy Kreme’s most famous doughnut is their original glazed, and I grew up eating these as a special treat on weekend mornings…but they are especially amazing when they are still hot! If you ever have the opportunity to eat a hot, Krispy Kreme doughnut…do it. Trust me on this one. (If you are lucky enough to live near within 150 miles of a Krispy Kreme store, then check out this cool app which tells you when the doughnuts at your store are hot!)
I’m pretty sure I sampled about 8 different kinds of doughnuts in a 24-hour period…I have a really hard job. One of my personal favorites is the blueberry cake doughnut, and I used them to create an amazing Lemon Tartlet (recipe below). The hardest part for me was sacrificing the doughnuts needed to make this recipe! (I live in upstate New York, and the only Krispy Kreme doughnuts I had were the ones that came back on the plane with me. On a side note, if you are ever bored, try carrying 4 dozen doughnuts through airport security…)
Ingredients
- 4 Krispy Kreme Blueberry Cake doughnuts
- 3/4 stick unsalted butter (divided into 1/2 stick and 1/4 stick)
- all-purpose flour (approximately 1/4-1/2 cup)
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar (divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup)
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp salt
- zest of 2 lemons
- juice of 3 lemons
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse the 4 doughnuts into crumbs.
- Melt 1/2 stick of butter and mix with doughnut crumbs until well combined.
- Add flour into a workable dough is created. (It should hold together easily but also not be too wet.)
- Press dough into bottom and sides of a 9" tart pan.
- Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, salt, and zest until well combined.
- Meanwhile, combine 3/4 cup sugar and water in medium saucepan and stir until dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil.
- Slowly pour the water/sugar mixture into the egg yolk mixture, stirring yolks constantly while pouring.
- Return entire mixture to heat and bring to a boil again. (You will need to stir frequently in this stage to keep mixture from burning!)
- Once mixture boils, remove from heat and add remaining 1/4 stick of butter and lemon juice. Stir until butter melts and mixture is well combined.
- Pour into baked tart crust and cool.
- Once cool, place in refrigerator until sets.
These tarts not only taste amazing, but they are really quite simple to make.
If you ever find yourself traveling in North Carolina, make sure to include a stop in Winston-Salem. Grab a hot doughnut. Spend a couple of hours wandering around Old Salem. Grab dinner at the Spring House. Spend the night at the Graylyn. Trust me when I say that it will be a day well spent!
Krispy Kreme sponsored the Blogger Summit but all opinions are my own because I am obsessed with their doughnuts!
Now this is the business right here … yum!!! I must try this. Ehm plus there is nothing wrong with sampling donuts for “work” right 🙂
You are absolutely correct, Tasha…who knew you could eat doughnuts and still call it work?!? 🙂
OMG, I’m so envious, getting to tour Krispy Kreme, all those fresh donuts !!!! How did you end up with only 4 dozen to bring home. I’m surprised someone didn’t confiscate them going through security saying they were a security risk, possibility of a fight on plane while people tried to steal your donuts 🙂
I never would have thought of pulsing donuts for a crust for tart, I would have to have at least 1 or 2 extra to sample while pulsing. This looks and sounds amazing !
We do have a KK about 30 minutes from us, sadly they closed the one in Bristol, though probably a good thing, drove past it too often and we always seemed to have a box of glazed donuts on the counter.
Have added this to my recipe board on pinterest – thanks for sharing !!!
Happy Weekend
Mar
Oh man, you reached way, way, way back here, Mar! That trip to Krispy Kreme was so much fun. I grew up loving KK, and it’s sad that we don’t have one around here. (Or maybe that’s a good thing? Haha!) I hear there used to be one in Latham, but it closed before we ever moved up. It was hard to part with those donuts in order to make this recipe, but I have to say that it totally worked. Yum! 🙂
I don’t recall the one in Latham, but back when I still lived in NY we still had local bakeries, then a Dunkin Donuts came in later
There is a KK in Scranton PA, only 6-1/2 hours round trip – nice day trip 🙂
There’a a KK in Scranton? Perfect! We drive through Scranton tomorrow on the way home. Haha! Except the traffic there is always so bad that I just want to zoom zoom right on through that part of the drive. 🙂
I agree on Scranton, I always made sure Donny was driving that section when we went home !!!
Here’s addy if you want to pop in your phone or GPS in case you decide you have to have some donuts.
Me, I’d probably have to make the stop LOL
Just think how excited Robbie would be to go to KK – donuts for the trip home 🙂
Krispy Kreme
511 Moosic St, Scranton, PA 18505
(570) 343-4608
Safe travels !!!
Hah! The traffic was especially bad in Scranton yesterday, so we just zoomed on through. How is it that the same area always (always!) has terrible traffic?! But we made it home safe and sound…but Monday morning arrived way too soon. Thanks, Mar!
Sorry you didn’t get to stop at KK, but totally understand that one. Scranton traffic is just the pitts, we never seem to hit it at a good time.
Glad your trip home was safe, try to ease in to the week
M
Thanks, Mar! I’ve decided there is no good time to hit the Scranton traffic…unless it’s 3am. Hah!