Food Porn (an ongoing series): Blurring the Line Between Dessert and Breakfast

Brioche donut. Passionfruit cream filling. Toasted coconut topping.

On my way up to St. Helena for my wine-tasting class at the CIA, I stopped at the Bouchon Bakery in Yountville for breakfast and coffee. Navigating my way between the normal cadre of old men that you'll find at any coffee shop in the morning and wealthy tourists staying in the town's swanky hotels, I saw one pastry beckoning me from the case. I'm sure that even the normal blueberry muffin or coffee cake is taken to new heights at Thomas Keller's bakery, but passionfruit cream filling? How could one resist?

Cradling the light pastry in its bag, I couldn't fill my coffee cup quickly enough, or get the woman in front of me to hurry the hell up with her cream and sugar.

Finally, I made it outside, found a table, and carefully unwrapped my purchase. It's a good thing I was sitting down when I bit into that donut, because it made me weak in the knees.

The cream filling was fruity, but not at all sweet. The pastry dough was light and moist, which was a perfect complement to the oozing richness of the filling. There was just enough coconut to balance the sweet acidity of the fruit. Yum.