Cap'n Crunch donut holes. Donuts shaped like baby zoo animals. Donuts stuffed with Nutella and used as a garnish atop a monstrous, nearly-quart-sized milkshake. At this point, it's safe to say that anything goes when it comes to reimagining the breakfast pastry, though one bakery's recipe has nothing to do with creating over-the-top stunt food—though its not-so-secret ingredient is every bit as eye-popping.
At The Holy Donut in Portland, ME, every batch of dough includes a hearty helping of mashed potatoes, but that doesn't mean the treat tastes like something you'd serve with turkey at Thanksgiving. It makes for a light and fluffy cake donut that's every bit as moist as its denser counterparts. The fried donuts cook for a minute on each side, employees told the Phantom Gourmet, creating a crisp crust that gives way to a pillowy, sweet donut that practically melts when it hits your tongue.
Naturally, we had to try a few. On weekend mornings, there's almost always a line inside The Holy Donut's two shops, but the company keeps things moving with a set of five rules (the fifth being "come back again soon!"). Everyone in line recommended three donuts in particular: pomegranate, for its all-natural-yet-shockingly-bright-magenta-glaze, chocolate glazed with sea salt, and the bakery's savory option, Bacon Cheddar.
A moment, please, for the Bacon Cheddar. The donut tastes like a potato roll stuffed with smokey, salty bacon and sharp white cheddar cheese. At $3.27 per donut, it's pricier than the other items on the menu (the average pastry is $2.77 apiece, or $15 per half-dozen), but it's roughly the size of a breakfast sandwich—and every bit as filling.
The chocolate glazed tastes a lot like the classic you've grown up with, only it doesn't sit like a saccharine-and-grease softball in your stomach afterward. The flaked sea salt tames the sweetness, too, tricking you into thinking you've had a proper breakfast ... not what is essentially a Bundt cake the size of your face. (Hey, no judgment here.)
The shop also sells sweet potato donuts, which are made with—you guessed it—roasted sweet potatoes and come covered in ginger-sugar or a ginger glaze, as well as coffee, ceramic mugs and even jewelry and t-shirts. Little flourishes of personality are tucked everywhere, from the hand-chalked signs to the blissed-out Homer Simpson who watches over the Exchange Street store, donut in one hand and karma beads in the other.
Both locations are typically open until 3 or 4 p.m., but the menu on the bakery's Facebook page warns that it could close early on any given day if the stock runs out. Guess that means you better get moving.
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