As we're well into the second week of December, it’s safe to say that the holiday season is officially here! This means that you are now in the clear to sing “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and dance around in your favorite ugly holiday sweaters without judgement. Obviously, what makes the holiday season so magical are the infamous songs and dances that are associated with it. However, it is also the special foods that make it such an iconic season to celebrate with your closest friends and family.
This holiday season, there is one food item in particular you should keep your eyes on: donuts. Not just any donuts, but the delicious creations of PVDonuts, a quaint store that is a staple of the Providence dessert scene. This December, they have released a whole new seasonal menu that combines various iconic wintry flavors to create one delectable donut that screams “the holidays!!!” in every bite.
Wanting to try them out, I brought a friend to PVDonuts one Saturday morning and tried out 5 of these festive creations. Below are our rankings of this year’s best winter season PVDonut flavors (read all the way through to discover which one we loved the best!).
5. Brown Butter Dulce
Both brown butter and dulce are incredibly rich and sweet flavors. Thus, we expected that their combination into one donut would make every bite an extravagant experience for our taste buds.
While the donut itself had a light and fluffy croissant-like texture, it lacked the flavor needed to distinguish it from just a simple vanilla donut. The frosting also tasted like generic vanilla frosting, and didn’t have that specific brown butter or dulce taste. On top of this, the donut’s garnish was a coat of dried-up oranges, which was a confusing addition seeing as this fruit did not complement the donut’s flavors. Overall, however, while the donut lacked a super unique flavor, it was well-baked and left you feeling satisfied but not too heavy.
4. Pizelle
To me, Pizelle cookies are the most aesthetic sugar cookies there are. With a melt-in-your-mouth texture, the powdered sugar on top of the intricate pattern makes them even more scrumptious. Combining this crowd favorite into a donut was an exciting idea and one that PVDonuts pulled off quite well. This donut was plain vanilla with a powdered sugar-based icing on top. The lightness of the icing combined with the airy, pastry-like donut texture and made for a well-balanced donut. For a garnish, they placed a Pizelle cookie right on top, which was adorable! While not the most flavor-heavy of donuts, I think that PVDonuts did a good job of transforming the beloved cookie into a filling and delicious dessert.
3. Chocolate Crinkle Cookie
Similar to Pizelles, chocolate crinkle cookies are a fan favorite, eaten throughout the year but especially during the holiday season. Unlike the previous two donuts, the texture of this donut was extremely dense and cakey. The icing was a thick, rich chocolate ganache, and, in order to remind people of what it was based off of, it’s garnished with a chocolate crinkle cookie (pictured above). The combination of a rich base and creamy icing makes this donut a great pick for a hearty dessert.
2. Mexican Hot Chocolate
What screams “winter” more than hot chocolate? This donut was an interesting spin on the popular Mexican Hot Chocolate beverage. When we cut this donut in half, the malty, hot chocolate-flavored filling oozed out of all sides. The filling was flavorful while not being too thick, and the overall experience was an exciting one. And, as if all of this was not already a sugar overload, the donut is topped with a delicious churro.
1. Gingerbread Trifle
This was without a doubt our favorite! Starting with the first bite, eating this donut made us feel like we were eating the very essence of the holiday season. The base of this donut was a gingerbread cake that had the perfect amount of filling, and was topped off by a nice gingerbread cookie crumble which complemented the cake and filling’s textures very well. All in all, eating this donut instantly put me in the holiday spirit, so make sure you check it out!
There is less than a month left of PVDonuts’ holiday menu so make sure you grab your friends and head out early in the morning to try out these delicious treats before they sell out! Every donut will leave you in high spirits and make you very excited for the holidays.