Rocket Doughnuts

Rocket Doughnuts is a purveyor of fresh handmade doughnuts in Bellingham, Washington. The baking begins at around 11 pm each night, and the first doughnuts are put in the case at around 5:30 AM each day. They probably make around 500 doughnuts a day, some of which are sold via a drive-through kiosk. I've gotten a little bit addicted, frankly, to fresh home-made doughnuts. There are times when nothing else will do, especially when I have a busy writing schedule. I've yet to have a bad doughnut, and the fact that they are made fresh daily makes a huge difference.

I'm particularly partial to a really good buttermilk bar, and theirs are enormous; more than enough to share with a friend, assuming you're willing to sacrifice. Rocket Doughnuts' buttermilk bars are really really good, by the way, and I have to try serving them with home made chili. Just in case you don't know, I'm here to tell you that really good chili is fabulous served with a really good glazed buttermilk doughnut on the side, instead of tortillas or cornbread.

I've also tried the Rocket Doughnuts' bismarks (known to some as a jelly doughnut). The raspberry bismark is quite tasty; it's a risen doughnut filled with a very flavorful raspberry jam, with genuine raspberries and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. The lemon bismark is similar, but the filling is less than ideal. It's cornstarch based, rather than a lemon curd, for instance, and it's a bit too sweet and not quite lemony enough. The Bavarian bismark is glazed with chocolate and filled with a fabulous Bavarian creme. It's about the best I've ever had. I should note these are good sized as well, not that I'd be willing to share.

I'm a long term doughnut consumer, an ardent admirer, in fact, but I confess to never having tried a maple bar before; I should have, based the ones at Rocket. They're substantial, the glaze is very definitely maple flavored without being overly sweet, and the pastry is light with out being soggy. I'll definitely be back for more.

There's a doughnut listed on their Web site that's called "Death by Chocolate." It's an old-fashioned (a rich chocolate cake doughnut with a slightly crispy fried crust; heaven with a hole in the center) drizzled with melted Guitard chocolate. It's pretty fabulous, frankly, especially when it's so very fresh it's still slightly warm. I'm not sure whether I'd rather have this or the Bavarian bismark with a cup of Rocket's espresso. I notice that they also have enormous apple fritters, and pretty interesting looking cinnamon rolls with walnuts (but no raisins, for you raisin phobic people).

There are two locations for Rocket Doughnuts; a drive through kiosk on 218 North Samish Way and the main store. The main store features organic, fair-trade espresso coffee—an exclusive blend roasted by Moka Joe's coffee made using a high-end espresso machine, and, even better, free wi-fi, and SF pulp movie art, including a life-size statue of Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still.