Cooking Lesson #974: Original Danish Kringle

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? No one has never doubted my taste for all things sweet—and Original Danish Kringles are high on my list.
 
What’s a Kringle? A Kringle is a hand-rolled Danish-style pastry dough that’s been rested overnight before shaping, filling and baking. After filling with fruit, nuts or other flavor combinations, the pastry is baked and topped with a sweet almond scented white glaze.
 
Joan’s native Wisconsin state has historically been a center of Danish-American culture and Kringle-making. A typical Racine-made Kringle is a large, flat oval measuring approximately 14 inches by 10 inches and weighing about a pound and a half. The Kringle became the official state pastry of Wisconsin in 2013.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Refrigerate time:  overnight
Bake time:  20 to 25 minutes
Yield:  2-Kringles / 8 to 10 Servings
 
Ingredients 
For dough
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine kosher salt
1 package instant yeast
2 large beaten eggs
1 cup whole milk
 
For the filling
1/2 cup granulated  sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, divided
1 cup finely chopped almonds, divided
 
For glaze
2-2/3 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon whole milk
1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
 
Directions
To make the dough

1. Put the flour, butter, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, two knives, or your hands, blend together until the mixture is crumbly.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the dry yeast, beaten eggs and milk.
3. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients.  Mix well with a fork until all ingredients are blended. The  mixture will pull away from the sides and form a ball.
4. Divide the dough into two pieces and flatten into discs.
5. Wrap the discs in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day / assemble the Kringles

1. Preheat the oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Mix together the two sugars and the cinnamon in a small bowl.
3. Melt the butter and set aside.
4. Roll out each piece of dough to 1/8 inch thickness about the length of your cookie sheet and as wide as 1/8 inch will allow.
5. Brush each piece of dough with half of the melted butter; sprinkle each piece with half of the sugar mixture and top with half of the almonds.
6. Rolling from the short ends, roll each side in toward the center.  Pinch the center together and roll the ends under. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
7. Place each Kringle on an ungreased cookie sheet. Gently shape each Kringle into an oval.
8. Allow the Kringles to proof for 30 minutes.
9. Split the top of the dough with a sharp knife.
10. Bake 20-25 minutes rotate the pans halfway through the baking time.
11. Remove Kringles from cookie sheets to a cooling rack and let cool for about 10 minutes before glazing.

To glaze the Kringles

1. Mix glaze ingredients together and whisk until smooth.
2. Drizzle and spread the glaze over the top of the Kringles.

ChefSecret:  Baker's guilds in Europe have used the Kringle or pretzel as a symbol for centuries. It is told that when Vienna was besieged by the Turkish Ottoman armies in 1529, local bakers working in the night gave the city defense an early warning of the attacking enemy. For this, they were later rewarded by the Pope, with permission to use a crown as part of their Kringle Guild Symbol.

Quip of the Day:  Have you heard about the dippy Dane; he spent the whole day staring at a can of frozen orange juice because the label said concentrate!
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Do you have a question or comment?  Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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#Baking #DanishKringle #WisconsinKringle #Breakfast #Brunch #HolidayRecipes #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
                                                                                                        PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

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