New York bakery combines ‘best’ of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah by inventing the turkey and cranberry doughnut

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When the “cronut” came to Britain, it cooked up a fierce storm over who could claim the credit for inventing such a ground-breaking hybrid treat.

The same is unlikely to be true for the “Thanksgivukkah” turkey-stuffed doughnut.

Variously described on Twitter as “horrifying”, “gross” and “questionable”, the innovation comes from a small boutique bakery in the heart of East Village, New York.

“Taste what happens when worlds collide,” wrote Zucker Bakery on its Facebook page.

“We'll be celebrating “Thanksgivukkah” with 4 flavors of Thanksgiving themed sufganiyah, a traditional Hanukkah donut.”

Alongside the already alarming turkey, pumpkin and cranberry offering, visitors will be able to savour doughnuts including a sweet potato with toasted marshmallow filling, spiced pumpkin with turkey and gravy filling, and spiced pumpkin with cranberry filling.

In answer to the bakery’s call to arms for people to “pick up at the store, starting this Saturday (11/9) #turkeydonuts”, eight fans replied – with responses ranging from “Yum!” to “Hmm”.

Writing for Time, David Winograd said: “While the idea sort of makes us want to vomit, the picture makes them appear quite tasty, or, at the very least, edible.”

His readers were not so convinced. Self-confessed foodie Masha Gaidouk ‏(@mashasocial) wrote: “Don't think I'll be trying this food craze…”

The “writer and comedian” Dom Romeo (‏@comedy_nerd) said: “Turkey donuts, US? Misgivings, rather than Thanksgiving, to be honest...”

And Melissa Carter (‏@MelissaCarter) simply tweeted: “This looks gross.”

The turkey doughnut has nonetheless gathered some pre-emptive fans, with a number of Facebook users saying they would “definitely go out of their way” to at least try the new treat.

On the Zucker Bakery website, owner and chef Zohar Zohar says: “I try to keep the homey feeling of my grandmother’s house and hope to touch some people’s nostalgic memories through the cookies’ taste and the design of the shop, while keeping my fine details and quality.”

If that’s true, it can at least be said that Ms Zohar’s grandmother was ahead of her time in putting out inventive – and opinion-dividing – food hybrids.

Expect it to be it over here in time for Christmas.