My First Kringler

A couple of weeks ago a coworker brought me a pastry.  She said it was called a "kringler" and she wanted me to figure out how to make one.  This kringler was full of almond flavor, light but doughy at the same time, and had a very almond, slightly sweet frosting on it.  I told her I'd see what I could do!

I went where everyone goes when they need information on something of which they've not heard before, Google!  I found a few recipes for "kringlers" and settled on one that was posted by someone right here in St. Paul.  We are known for our Scandinavians around here so if it was someones mother's recipe I figured it had to be good.

It's been a couple weeks since I was asked to try this so I was feeling guilty!  The recipe seemed pretty simple and I had all the ingredients in the house already.

The crust is just flour, butter and water.  The directions said to press the crust into a 12x16 rectangle on a cookie sheet.  I found that hard to do with my hands and my rolling pin kept sticking so I put some plastic wrap on the dough and then used the rolling pin.  Worked like a charm!  No, there is no significance to the red plastic wrap, it's just what I had, probably a left over clearance purchase from Christmas!

Once the crust is in place, the second layer is made.  This layer comes together a lot like a puffed pastry dessert I learned to make years ago.  I had it when I was up visiting my brother in Bayfield.  A friend of his made it for him and said it was called "Larry's Birthday Puff".  Whatever it was called it was easy and it was good!  The second layer of the kringler was made just like this puff, melt butter in water in a pan, quickly add flour until it's incorporated, add three eggs and in this case, almond extract.  This is then spread over the crust layer and baked.

I was expecting a really puffy pastry.  It didn't puff up much.  In fact, I made it twice just in case I had goofed the first time.  Nope, it doesn't puff much.

 Once this is cooled it is frosted with a mixture of powdered sugar, butter, milk and more almond extract.  The amount called for by the recipe seemed really skimpy compared to the sample kringler I had been given so I doubled the batch!  The final touch is to top with sliced almonds.  The recipe didn't say to toast them but I did.

 

It's pretty.  I'll bring it to work tomorrow and see what the verdict is there!  Personally, if I made it again I think I'd either do my "Larry's Birthday Puff" recipe for the second layer or maybe try a different recipe altogether.  But who knows, my coworker might love it!