Union Square Donuts

I am no stranger to donuts.  Nor am I a stranger to Boston.  The former I eat pretty much weekly (yay for an office with great donut culture!), and the later I visit at least twice a year (en route to my family in NH).  So of course it makes sense that I kinda have my eye on the Boston donut scene (and no, Dunkin' Donuts does NOT count, even though I've reviewed them too of course). 

I loved the donuts from Ohlin's Bakery years ago, but sadly, it burnt down, and was located out in the suburbs anyway.  Some of the well known bakeries, like Flour, do donuts as special things on weekends (which I've had, and they are fantastic!).

But for relatively mainstream donuts in Boston proper these days, I think most people tend to rave about one of three places: Kane Donuts (which has been on my list ~forever but I still haven't tried), Blackbird Donuts (which I've had in my office before), and Union Square Donuts.  

"Union Square Donuts is an award-winning donut company with locations in Boston, Brookline and Somerville, MA. Our donuts are made fresh, by hand, every single day. We pride ourselves on our commitment to producing the best donuts possible, using high-quality ingredients, an extraordinary attention to detail, and all with a passion that shines through to everything we make. " 

Union Square has several locations in the area, I'm not sure which one ours came from.  

"Originating from a brioche dough, our donuts have a light and airy, almost pastry-like texture. All glazes, sugars, jams, and creams are created in-house using real, wholesome ingredients. We love making donuts and that care, passion, and happiness is in every donut we create. We strive to be modern, pushing the creative boundaries of flavor combinations while remaining firmly rooted in traditional pastry techniques. Our bakery team works constantly to develop new products that incorporate regional, national & global flavor trends while staying true to the classic flavors that make donuts timeless."

The donut lineup has a couple basic classics, e.g. glazed or sugar coated, but is mostly far more unique offerings (think: raspberry cheesecake, pecan pie), and changes frequently.  They have many seasonal specials.  Most of the donuts are raised donuts, but they are loftier and lighter than standard raised donuts, due to the brioche base.  They are also larger than most regular donuts.  They make a couple vegan donuts as well, but no gluten-free.

One day when I was working in the Cambridge office, a coveted email came out: "Extra Union Square Donuts! Lots of them, come and get them!".  I'd heard of Union Square Donuts, but hadn't yet had them myself, so I obviously went running (uh, yes, literally).  I was able to try several kinds, and was blown away.  Definitely some of the best donuts I've had in a few years.  I'd gladly try more, and preferably, not just someone's discards.

Donut Carnage (clockwise from top left)
Holiday Sprinkles, Raspberry Cheesecake, Pecan Pie
 Double Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Caramel Pecan
Sugar Raised, Sea Salt Whiskey Caramel,
Vietnamese Coffee, Maple Bacon

I certainly could have tried all of them, given that they were already cut into hunks, but I restrained myself, and just choose 5.  I have some regrets I didn't try more, as they were execllent.

Double Chocolate Cake Donut. $4.00
"Chocolate on chocolate? Say no more! Our rich moist chocolate cake donut is topped with milk chocolate glaze and sprinkled with chocolate curls. Chocolate lovers, rejoice!"

I'm not normally a cake donut person, and definitely not chocolate cake donut, but I wanted to at least try a cake donut from Union Square Donuts (which I later learned is the only one they make), so I tried a tiny sliver of the double chocolate.  It was a fairly chocolately dense cake donut, with a nice chocolate glaze.  But I still just don't see the appeal of such a thing - if I wanted chocolate cake, I'd have chocolate cake ... which would be more moist, and have more frosting.  Anyway, it was a fine chocolate cake donut, but, chocolate cake donut it was.  ***.

Holiday Sprinkles. $4.00.

"Our fluffy brioche donut is dipped in a rich Belgian Dark Chocolate Glaze and covered in festive sprinkles. Make everyday feel like a holiday!"

Next I tried their classic raised brioche donut that was decked out for the holidays.  I expected it to be a bit ho-hum, but it was the first bite of this one that made me decide to try several others.  The donut was light and airy, and not fried tasting.  The brioche base really makes such a difference.  It had a sweet glaze, and plenty of sprinkles.  It was the perfect texture, perfect sweetness.  Just a really good donut.  ****+.  My favorite of the donuts I tried.

I realized later that I think this may have actually been the *vegan* holiday sprinkles donut, as that one comes with a vanilla glaze, and the regular one has a chocolate glaze, and this sure seemed like a vanilla glaze.  If it was indeed vegan, that is a very impressive vegan donut!

Sea Salt Whiskey Caramel. $4.00

"With each bite of this brioche donut, enjoy the rich caramel glaze with a subtle hit of whisky. We sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt to finish off this flavorful classic. Cheers to donuts and whisky."

Next I went for the one that looked a bit like a creme brulee.  It turned out to be caramel with whiskey, which I can't say I tasted the booze, but, it was slightly crisp on top, was another perfectly light and airy brioche base, and the sweetness was just right, not cloying.  Another just lovely donut, and a bit different from your standard glazed.  ****.  My second favorite.

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Donut. $4.75.

"We fill our classic brioche donut dough with a rich Dulce de Leche pastry cream then dip it in our milk chocolate glaze and finish off with a caramel drizzle and candied pecans."

I moved on to the more decadent creations.  This one was oozing dulce de leche cream everywhere, how could I not go for it?  Since it was pastry cream, not pure dulce de leche, it was creamier and less sweet than dulce de leche alone would be.  The toppings were extensive as well, with chocolate glaze and caramel and candied nuts.  While it wasn't cloying sweet, it was definitely the sweetest of the bunch, and much more for a dessert than a mid-morning or afternoon treat.  The elements were all good, but, I actually preferred the more simple donuts.  ***+.

Pecan Pie Donut. $4.75.

"Enjoy our classic yeasted donut loaded with a gooey brown sugar and toasted pecan filling, sweet molasses glaze and topped with crumbles of buttery pie crust. Help yourself to a slice or a dozen delicious Pecan Pie Donuts."

And lastly, the pecan pie. I adore pecan pie, and I loved everything about the sound of this one.  It seems my co-workers did as well, as there was just a tiny chunk of it left.  I snatched all that was left.

It really was pecan pie in donut form.  The donut base was again a light and airy brioche donut, not too fried tasting.  Inside was, well, pecan pie filling.  The nuts were chopped more than they would be in a regular pie, which makes sense, but otherwise, it was exactly what you'd expect from pecan pie insides, although slightly more sophisticated since it used brown sugar.  It was sweet, but not over the top, and didn't scream out "corn syrup" - which, I'll admit, does have its place in pecan pie.  I didn't really taste the molasses in the glaze, nor the butteriness of the pie crust crumble, but they did add a touch of balance and further texture to it.  There was also some spicing that I didn't love however - I think either cinnamon or nutmeg? 

Overall though, this was very good, and I wish I'd been able to try a bigger piece.  I suspect it would be incredible lightly warmed up and served with vanilla ice cream or gelato.  ****, but my third pick due to the spicing.