I tried a classic and decadent treat from Fife's best loved bakery
It’s taken me a while to try this iconic bake
I have a weakness for Fife bakery Fisher & Donaldson’s fudge doughnuts.
I’m definitely not the only one. Apparently, they sell around 500 a week, and they even offer giant birthday-cake-sized versions.
However, my preference has been to the detriment of trying the other old school wares from this historic Fife family business, which has four outlets across St Andrews, Cupar and Dundee, and was founded in 1919.
For example, there’s the legendary coffee tower, which is another hugely popular creation that they’ve been knocking out for decades.
Apparently, it was originally inspired by the Belgian religieuse pastry - so-called, as they resemble a nun in their habit.
Thus, I headed to the bigger Church Street St Andrews branch, with its pretty retro pink livery, to sample this classic treat. I try not to be distracted by their current window display, which features a large tray of the smoothly iced fudge doughnuts, plus yum-yums and eclairs. There’s also some cheery merchandise, as part of their fun collaboration with Scottish illustrator and printmaker Lauren Morsley, including a tote, enamel mug and print.
Once inside, there is - a rare occurence - no queue, and I’m relieved to find a full tray of the critters. Mine costs £2.79, which seems very reasonable for something so ginormous.
It’s hefted back to the car, to take home for my 3pm tea time. The first conundrum that afternoon is what to drink alongside it. Tea or coffee?
Usually, a cake would call for an accompanying mug of builder’s brew, but perhaps a properly authentic experience requires a coffee instead.
In the end, I make a flat white and drag the pastry from its skintight Fisher & Donaldson paper bag. This item is roughly the size of a Jack Russell’s head. I will need a dinner plate. At first, I attempt to cut it up, but the pastry is too bouncy, so it’s easier to lift the whole caboodle up with both hands, unhinge my jaw like a snake eating a pygmy hippo, and take a bite.
This is going to be messy. It is absolutely filthy and gorgeous, as anticipated. There’s a robust, craggy and cavernous choux pastry that’s filled with a moussey and squelchy coffee-flavoured cream, and the topping consists of a thick varnish of coffee icing, with another large swirl of that cream and a large chocolate button, like the wax seal on a sugary envelope.
The element that makes it so appealing is the contrasting textures of icing AND cream. Also, it’s so very tooth-shrivellingly sweet, which is absolutely fine with me.
I was planning to just eat half, but it quickly vanishes. I’m like a St Andrews seagull, except with an icing moustache above my beak.
I’m torn but I think I might love this classic just as much as the fudge doughnut, maybe even more.
That was something of a religieuse experience.
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