After a day at the beach, Leonard's Bakery is a must-visit stop on Kapahulu Avenue for sweet malasadas.
Malasadas are Portuguese donuts, fried crisp and golden on the outside, but light and fluffy inside, and dusted off with a sprinkling of granulated, white sugar. They're kind of like beignets, but shaped round instead of square, and coated with regular sugar, not powdered.
You have to eat the malasadas piping hot from the oil — not an hour later, and certainly not the next day. These are best fresh out of the bag or box.
Buy a single malasada, a half-dozen or a dozen (if you just went swimming, then that will cancel out the calories). There are also Malasada Puffs, which come filled with chocolate, custard and haupia (coconut), but try the originals first.
Now while there are malasadas to be found in Portugal (based on what I read, they are from the island of Sao Miguel), it has taken on kind of a life of its own in Hawaii. Malasadas are a common part of local fairs and festivals here, including Punahou School's annual carnival (president Barack Obama's alma mater). Many Portuguese families that immigrated to Hawaii have their own recipes.
But it was Frank Leonard Rego who founded Leonard's in 1952 on Kapahulu Avenue, naming the bakery after his middle name.
More than five decades later, Leonard's Bakery is as much of a mainstay as Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa. It's a family-run business passed down, from Leonard Sr. to Leonard Jr. While Leonard's is famous for its malasadas, you can find other pastries here, including Pao Doce (Portuguese sweet bread), hot cross buns and pies. You can also order weddings cakes, buy Leonard's T-shirts and malasadas beanie babies.
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Leonard's Bakery is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday though Thursday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Leonard's Bakery
933 Kapahulu Ave.
(808) 377-5591
www.leonardshawaii.com
Leonard Jr.'s
Waimalu Shopping Center
(808) 484-1545
Leonard's Wagon (or malasadamobile) also makes its rounds around the island. Check out the schedule to see if it's coming to your neighborhood.
Note: The Portuguese spelling is actually "malassadas," but Leonard's refers to its malasadas with only one 's.'
Malasadas Recipe Courtsey Chef Leonard Rego on the Food Network
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