If you’ve never heard of chimney cakes, they are a beloved street food in Hungary. But you only have to go as far as Nutley to try them. The perfect antidote to the winter doldrums, these whimsical, tasty treats — crispy on the outside, soft on the inside — are an experience to watch as they are created. The dough, in the form of a long rope, get twisted around a cylinder, and then baked and topped with caramelized sugar.
Nicole Shaw-Provillon is the founder of Kurly Kürtősh in Nutley. Shaw-Provillon lived in Hungary for four years where she fell in love with chimney cakes. She then trained under an award-winning chimney baker in Hungary and now bakes for the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, DC. She describes the taste of these delicious confections as a cross between pastry and a French beignet.
Visit her boutique bakery and you will be charmed, not only by the chimney cakes, but by the inviting space and Shaw-Provillon herself, who takes time to walk you through your dessert options and shares how these hand-rolled desserts are prepared. You can linger with a chimney cake and coffee at one of the tables inside, or choose to have your cake as a Kurly Kone, topped with a scoop of ice cream (we want to return for the new Dulce de Leche Kone)
Kurly Kürtősh, 74 East Passaic Ave., Nutley