On the first day of Hanukkah, the Eugene Weekly officially kicked the season off when Voodoo Doughnut gave us a box full of their holiday-oriented doughnuts.
Right after picking up the box of doughnuts, it was clear that Voodoo’s holiday spirit is second only to Clark Griswold of Christmas Vacation, so we were excited to see how the doughnut company would represent sacred days like Hanukkah and Christmas. One staffer did wonder where the Festivus doughnut was (he and Seinfeld’s Frank Costanza will include Voodoo during the practice of airing the grievances).
We also had the luck to have Coffee Plant Roaster drop off their Infusion Series Gift Pack, and decided to pair the Mesquite Smoke + Honduras Lengupa with the doughnuts. While the mesquite scent was strong in the beans and grounds, the coffee itself was just tinged with the smoke, and gave you the feel of drinking coffee by a campfire (or fireplace). The coffee paired beautifully with the sugary treats, and we’re looking forward to tasting (and reviewing) the other beans in the pack.
The sugar hit the EW newsroom hard, but now that our blood sugar has settled, here’s what we thought about the four holiday doughnuts.
Star of David
The symbol of Judaism was the first doughnut we tried — and definitely the most festive. The glazed yeast doughnut filled with raspberry jelly is the perfect way to celebrate the Jewish faith, one staffer says. The blue-frosted Star of David is also perfect for jelly enthusiasts who also enjoy a simple glazed doughnut on the outside. If you’re wondering why Voodoo has a jelly-filled Star of David, eating a deep-fried dough filled with custard or jam called sufganiyot is a Hanukkah tradition.
The doughnut is available from Dec. 10-18 and is $2.50
Holiday Joy
If there was a doughnut that resembled the liberal view of an inclusive holiday season, this is it (or, if a conservative who is still upset about Starbucks removing Christmas from their coffee cups is reading this post, here’s the “war on Christmas” doughnut). The neutrally named “Holiday Joy” is a yeast doughnut dipped in chocolate frosting, mint cocoa powder and quarter dip in green sprinkles and crushed peppermint. Sure, it sounds like a lot of notes, but imagine it this way: It’s a doughnut version of dipping a candy cane in your hot chocolate. One staffer says she likes the chocolate frosting and the sprinkles bring in the Christmas vibes.
Holiday Joy is available Dec. 18-28 and is $3.50.
Gingerbread Doll
Gingerbread cookies are cool because it’s one of the few times it’s OK to eat something that’s human shaped (and the other anatomically-shaped doughnut at Voodoo is the famous “Cock and Balls”). The Gingerbread Doll is dipped in caramel ginger pumpkin spice frosting. Or in the words of an EW staffer, “It’s overwhelmingly Christmas” and is for people who get joy from pumpkin spice lattes. The ginger gives an unexpected kick, but it’s an otherwise fun doughnut to eat.
The Gingerbread Doll is available from Dec. 18-28 and is $3.50.
Christmas Holiday Sprinkle Cake
One thing that Voodoo always does consistently well with are cake doughnuts. The cake portion is always moist and juicy and the sprinkles bring a delightful crunch. A plain cake doughnut with vanilla frosting and festive holiday sprinkles, the Christmas Holiday Sprinkle Cake is no different. The doughnut is a sort of classic that’s nearly impossible to be offended over — almost like A Charlie Brown Christmas.
The Christmas Holiday Sprinkle Cake is available from Dec. 18-28 and is $1.25.
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