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'Mysterious' Rainbow Bagel Creator Proudly Presents: The Mufgel
By
Emily Siegel
Published Jul 28, 2016
Modified Jul 28, 2016
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Emily Siegel/Gothamist
By
Emily Siegel
Published Jul 28, 2016
Modified Jul 28, 2016
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While it doesn't quite roll off the tongue the way "cronut" does, and isn't as photogenic as the rainbow bagel, the mufgel is the new hybrid pastry on the block. The mufgel is part bagel, part muffin and is the Franken-carb du jour at Williamsburg's The Bagel Store, the world's most viral bagel purveyor.
It was released on July 23rd, and while some genius is crafted over many years, owner Scot Rossillo was inspired by a Quick Draw radio commercial which made fun of food crazes in New York City. He quickly came up with the recipe and started with two flavors: carrot cake and chocolate chip crumb.
Currently the bakery makes 42 mufgels each day and sells out by close, says manager Scarlen Espinal. "The rainbow bagel started just like that as well," she said. "They were selling very few a day and now all of a sudden we bake thousands of rainbow bagels a day."
Espinal says some order it with cream cheese and some without and the best way to eat it is with a knife and fork, because it is quite large.
This reporter sampled the chocolate chip crumb with apple pie cream cheese and it was quite the experience. The first bite was incredibly sweet, especially paired with the cream cheese (which was really more akin to icing). This is much more of a dessert than a breakfast, and bagel seems to be the recessive gene in this particular creation. The top is more muffin, and is crunchy like a cookie. The bottom is where you finally spot the bagel, with a thin crust and soft and chewy interior, but still incredibly sweet. It might be impossible to eat the whole thing, as half left me pretty full and mildly nauseous.
The verdict is that this is a rich, dense, and (have I mentioned sweet?) dessert that is only enjoyable during the first few bites. Espinal says that Rossillo is planning on rolling out more flavors (perhaps something of the savory variety will soften this sugar bomb) but he hasn't said what they are yet.
"Scott's a very mysterious person. He keeps his creations to himself."
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