I have a friend who has relatives that lived in Wisconsin. Every time he would go up there, he would have to bring a carload of pastries called Kringle back to Memphis.
When I hear the word kringle, I think of Chris, but this is a delicious pastry that almost melts in your mouth. It is made of fluffy pastry dough (often shaped in a circle) with yummy fillings like cherry, blueberry, and pecan and is topped with an icing. This pastry has been made in Denmark for hundreds of years. In America, you can usually find it near Racine, Wisconsin (the U.S. city with the largest population of Danes) and in Seattle, Washington.
Here’s a recipe for Kringle, but if you don’t want to try to make it, you can order it online at bakeries such as the O & H Danish Bakery.
For this recipe, you will need butter, flour, eggs, almond extract, powdered sugar, and milk.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut 1/2 cup of butter with 1 cup of flour, then add 2 tablespoons of water. Mix that well and press it into a jelly roll pan. Bring 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of butter to a boil in a saucepan. Remove the saucepan from the heat and, using a wooden spoon, add 1 cup of flour. It should form into a ball. Add 3 eggs and continue to stir until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract and stir. Carefully spread this mixture on top of the dough layer in the jelly roll pan. Bake this in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes.
While that is baking, you can make your icing. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract, and a touch of milk to make it creamy and smooth. Once you have removed the kringle from the oven, let it cool slightly, and then drizzle with the icing before serving.