Kringle, otherwise known as Dansk Smørkringle in Denmark, is a delicious, crumbly pastry, ideal for the Christmas season. If you’re looking for something sweet, warm and indulgent to finish off your festive lunch, this could be the ideal pastry for you.
Ingredients
- 2/1 teaspoons of active dry yeast
- 60ml of warm water
- 60ml of evaporated milk
- 1 tsp of ground cardamon
- 3 egg yolks
- 60g of granulated sugar
- 1 cup of whipping cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of chilled butter
- 1 cup of almond paste
- ½ cup of chopped walnuts
- ½ cup of chopped pecans
- ½ cup of powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 egg white
- Egg wash
Directions
- Make your dough by dissolving the yeast in some warm water in a mixing bowl. Leave the mixture to stand for five minutes, then add the cardamon, milk, ¼ cup of sugar, cream and egg yolks, stir everything well together.
- Using a bowl and food processor, combine your flour and salt, placing the cubed butter on top of the flour and pulsing until you have a good mix. Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl and add your yeast mixture, combining until the ingredients are just moist.
- Use your hands to knead any of the flour that didn’t blend, and cover everything with plastic wrap. Leave to chill overnight (8 hours)
- Break your almond paste into pieces and add the other nuts, salt, ground cinnamon, and egg white. Mix everything thoroughly until it becomes pliable.
- Remove your dough from the fridge and place it on a floured surface. Roll the dough into a long strip around 36-inchess in length, ¼ thick.
- Place your filling in the center of the dough, and brush along the edges of the dough with egg wash. Fold each edge towards the center.
- Move the dough onto a baking sheet, and cover with egg wash and coarse sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough proof for 45 minutes in a warm place.
- Cook the pastry for 30 minutes or until golden at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Add any sugar or topping you might want
Tip: For topping your Kringle you might also want some confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and some leftover walnuts and pecans.
Old Danish Christmas Kringle origins
Kringle is a popular Christmas pastry in Denmark, and one that’s been enjoyed for centuries in the region. The butter-layered pastry can also be pretzel shaped and feature coffee fillings at other times of the year.
Scandification: Discovering Scandinavia.
