The Cronut Craze Might Be Over

Last year, I arrived at 6 a.m. and was about 40th in line. This year, I arrived at 6:30 and was third. Last year, when I ordered my Cronut, it was on a sheet tray, freshly iced. The exterior was crispy and flaky. The filling didn't spill out of the croissant folds and wasn't too sweet or rich. And the icing on the top tasted similar to doughnut glaze. This year, the Cronuts were already packaged and tasted, straight-up, like a stale, day-old doughnut. Perhaps the steam from the box contributed to the Cronut's sogginess. Or maybe the bakery fries up the Cronuts extremely early in the morning to let them cool completely before filling. But that was just the start of the problem . . .