PETALING JAYA, Sept 9 — When it comes to doughnuts, there are many types to choose from. The spectrum for these sweet treats range from the simple sugar crusted ones at your favourite gerai to super soft glazed doughnuts from famous American brands.
Artisanal doughnuts have also popped up with different flavours and versions, like Halo Doughnut's sourdough ones.
I came across Halo Doughnut by chance. When I wrote an article on the cloud kitchen Cookhouse, they were listed as one of the start-ups that worked there.
A quick chat with a friend told me more about their sourdough doughnuts as she had attended the same baking class where they picked up their skills.
The difference in their doughnuts, she explained, is the base is an enriched sourdough. The natural leavening gives it a much richer and tender texture compared to the usual doughnuts. That piqued my interest so I ordered their doughnuts to give it a try.
Catch their orders every week by following Halo Doughnut's social media. At the beginning of the week, they will post the list of doughnut flavours you can pick from.
Delivery or self pick-up from Cookhouse is Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each week, you get a choice of four flavours.
For this week, they are offering Brown Baby (house sugar glaze and Valrhona cocoa powder), Lucifer (spiced chili and Valrhona cocoa powder), Burnt & Salty (brown butter sugar glaze with Maldon black sea salt flakes), Créme Brûlée (filled with vanilla créme pâtissérie) and baby-sized Cinnamon Affair (cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg infused sugar) doughnuts.
There will also be a selection of four vegan flavours only available on certain days. For this week, the vegan doughnuts are available on Wednesday.
The flavours are Miso Caramel with a miso-infused caramel glaze sprinkled with black sesame seeds and Maldon sea salt, Sugar Baby that has their version of the classic sugar glaze, and Cinnamon Affair. The vegan doughnuts are priced from RM6.50 to RM8.
For the week I ordered, I tried their Lemon Pop with a lemon glaze sprinkled with blue poppy seeds and topped with a candied lemon slice, Almond White that was glazed with white chocolate and roasted almonds and sprinkled with Maldon sea salt, and Brown Baby.
The filled doughnut was Créme Brûlée with a brûlée topping and vanilla créme pâtissérie. Prices for each doughnut ranges from RM6.50 to RM8.50.
I was incredibly impressed with the doughnuts that boasted a nice softness with a rounded flavour (there's no obvious sourish tang). For those who seek not overly sweet desserts which still make you reach out for another one, you will find that they achieve it here.
If I had to pick a favourite, I'll order the Brown Baby in a heartbeat. It has a deeper flavour that I enjoyed with the simple glaze given a nice depth with the cocoa powder.
As I always veer towards anything lemon, I also liked the Lemon Pop. The glaze wasn't too sweet and I could taste the slight lemon tang.
For something more decadent, the Almond White hits the spot with that white chocolate glaze.
The Créme Brûlée will satisfy those who love filled doughnuts as you get a silky smooth vanilla créme pâtissérie. The brûlée topping is quite unusual and I appreciated it for not being too thick as it would have tipped the sweetness level a bit higher than I prefer.
Aside from their weekly orders, they also release special flavours like a hojicha doughnut filled with matcha créme pâtissérie for their pop-ups. Look out for the next pop-up by stalking their social media.
Halo Doughnut, Cookhouse, 3A, Jalan PJS3/1, Petaling Jaya. For orders, message them on their social media platforms. You can self pick-up or arrange for delivery with a third party where charges are borne by you. Instagram: @halodoughnut Facebook: @halodoughnut
