If Halloween had an official food, it would be candy (that is, if you count candy as such). But stop into Glazed & Confuzed next week, and you’ll spy a macabre holiday treat that will give any “fun size” Snickers a run for its money: a raised doughnut decorated to look just like a red, bloodshot eyeball. Cut this beauty open, and vibrant green slime (dyed vanilla pastry cream) oozes forth. Creepy? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely. Like all of the other wacky flavors in the case (Thai curry glaze with apple chips; watermelon with mint-lime drizzle and pickled watermelon rind) this doughnut is the work of co-owner and chef Josh Schwab. Since Glazed & Confuzed opened its brick-and-mortar location on Leetsdale Drive in June of 2014, Schwab has been supplying Denver with his crazy unique, hand-made creations—including a growing list of savory options. Here, the pastry pro discusses his shift to the savory side of doughnut flavors.

(Read more stories from our Ask a Chef series)

5280: Savory doughnuts seem to be a trend, both nationally and locally. You’ve already dabbled a bit with your “kolache” (a baked doughnut stuffed with cheddar cheese, jalapeño, and a beer brat). Do you plan on doing more in this realm?

JS: I’ve got a lot of good recipes from my background in culinary—I was never a dessert chef. As a chef, I just knew how to build sauces from the ground up—it’s all about sautéing and caramelizing to really bring the flavors out. So I think that’s kind of what differentiates me from everyone else. I put a lot of time into the glazes rather than just ordering them. I think mixing the two—that sweet and savory kind of thing—is big right now.

We’ve introduced a couple savory things here and there and really gotten a good response. It was always an idea from the beginning, but we really haven’t pushed it yet, so that’s just what we need to do. It’s coming to fruition now that we’ve been open a little bit longer and have more grip on the morning thing. We’re actually starting a savory line. At least three things are going to be on there—including the kolache. We’re going to do a deep-fried pizza that will be ready in five minutes, it’s amazing. And then we’re doing baked sandwiches, so we’ll take our dough and bake off the bread instead of frying it. Look for that in November. We may extend our hours for more of a lunch crowd as well.

Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin is a writer living in Westminster, and has been covering food and sustainability in the Centennial State for more than five years.