James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Dominique Ansel—famous for his creation, the Cronut—recently opened the doors to his own bake shop at Caesars Palace. Dominique Ansel Las Vegas is filled with signature pastries and only-in-Vegas treats. Ansel recently spoke with Las Vegas Magazine to talk about his sweet creations and his new shop.
The Cronut—why blend the two types of pastries? And were you surprised how well it worked out?
We wanted to create something special for Mother’s Day back in 2013, and my wife had suggested a donut, but I didn’t have any recipes for a donut—I’m French! We decided to create something that resembled the shape of a donut but using a laminated dough that’s similar to a croissant with those flaky layers and textures. It took more than two months of testing and 10 different recipes to finalize, and now, almost nine years later, we still create a new flavor every month, in each location, never repeating.
Briefly explain your other inventions, the Cookie Shot and Frozen S’More.
Once the Cronut launched, I told myself it was important to continue creating, to keep pushing ourselves. I learned here in America, people eat cookies with milk, something I had never heard of growing up. So, I wanted to create a fun way to serve cookies with milk, and we started the Cookie Shot soon after, a warm chocolate chip cookie shaped like a shot glass, served warm and filled to order with house-made, vanilla-infused milk. With the Frozen S’more, we were getting ready for summer and my team told me that kids make s’mores at summer camp or in their backyards. We turned the idea of a childhood s’more into a portable ice cream version that you could walk around Soho with, with a center of Madagascan vanilla ice cream covered with chocolate feuilletine, wrapped in honey marshmallow that’s torched to order on a smoked willow wood branch.
When you get a sweet tooth yourself, what do you like to eat best from all your creations?
The DKA (Dominique’s Kouign Amann) is always my favorite, and something that’s been on our menu since day one in New York City. It’s our version of the classic kouign-amann from Brittany, made lighter and less dense, similar to a caramelized croissant with tender layers inside with a slightly gooey center, and a golden caramelized crunchy crust outside. I try one each morning as a quality check, and it’s still my go-to breakfast each day.
Why should Vegas visitors come check out your new bakery? And how does it feel to have your own bakery on the Las Vegas Strip?
What I’m most excited about for each shop is that we dedicate a large portion of the menu for new items made exclusively for the city. Here in Las Vegas, our Lucky 7 pastry collection is inspired by lucky symbols from different cultures around the world, and we hope they’ll bring good fortune and well wishes to everyone. I’ve been so grateful to have the chance to open here in Las Vegas and am very thankful to have a home at Caesars Palace. We’ve welcomed guests from all over the world, including many of our regulars in New York City—so I’m excited for what’s to come.
Caesars Palace, 702.731.7266
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