For centuries people have been enjoying layered, buttery, flakey, crescent-shaped pastries in various forms. The croissant we know and love today derives its roots from Austria in the 17th century, when the country celebrated the defeat of the Ottomans with crescent-shaped yeast bread known as the kipferl. Later adopted and adapted by the French, the croissant has become the country’s artisan standard as a mainstay on breakfast tables and bakery menus in Europe. The cronut arrived on the scene around a decade ago, touting itself as a cross between a croissant and a donut. Now, the latest evolution of the pastry has arrived in the form of a Crubik — a cube-shaped croissant. Its creator, Chef Matteo Baronetto, says he named his culinary invention with a nod to the inventor of the Rubik’s Cube, Erno Rubik. Baronetto produces between 120 and 150 Crubiks a day at his bistro, Farmacia del Cambio, in Turin and is amazed that people are willing to stand in long lines to get their hands on one. Crubiks can be filled with either vanilla or chocolate custard and are considered the perfect complement to a cappuccino.
