The popularity of designer doughnuts is exploding like jelly
bursting from a sugary bun. But how did these simple rings of
fattening joy become so, well, cool? Stephanie Rosenbaum, San
Francisco blogger and author of "World of Doughnuts" (, offers
this explanation:  "Whether you live in a big city or a small
town, the corner doughnut shop is always a happy place. It
smells like fried food, sugar and coffee and the doughnuts are
usually pretty cheap, which makes it a great equalizer --
anyone, for the price of a doughnut and a cup of coffee, can
hang out there.  "You can bring a box of doughnuts to work to
get everyone through yet another boring meeting, or you can hit
an all-night doughnut place for a maple-bar sugar high at 3 a.m.
after a night of clubbing or partying with your friends.  "I can
remember the very first night I moved to San Francisco, right
after college. I'd just moved into a shared apartment at 18th
and Castro. I went out to the Happy Donuts shop that used to be
right around there, and I got