Johan’s Sour Cream Old Fashioned

Tastemaker

By Eric Cox | May 11, 2019

Johan’s Pastry Shop in Petoskey should be mildly ashamed of itself for its obnoxiously fresh offering of mouth-wateringly delicious donuts, cakes, breads, and other delights. But of particular offense to the vigilant waist-watcher is Johan’s incredible sour cream old fashioned donut ($2). Now, don’t go mistaking this donut for some bland bit of batter that tastes like ancestory.com. No. While it truly is an anachronistic treat (dating back to 1829!), the Johan’s version offers an uber-rich sweetness punctuated by a crunchy, carbuncular exterior that affords great texture. Deep-frying this donut variety at lower temperatures produces the jagged surface eruptions, resulting in satisfyingly crispy edges — a bit of an anomaly in the donut world, since most are soft. These brittle edges, however, drizzled as they are with a super-sweet vanilla glaze, contrast nicely with the donut’s soft, yellow, cakey interior, the batter for which is enriched with sour cream, and sometimes buttermilk. While some may startle at its $2 price tag, fear not. This is no feathery trifle of a pastry. Nay. A rich, hefty round cake is what your $2 earns. But, don’t take my word for it. Go taste how wrong — and right — it is for yourself. Johan’s Pastry Shop, 565 W. Mitchell, Petoskey. (231) 347-3815