Swedish Kringle

Swedish Kringle Recipe-

Ingredients-

(First Layer)

1 cup flour

½ cup butter

1 tbsp water

(Second Layer)

1 cup water

½ cup butter

¼ tsp salt

1 cup flour

3 eggs

½ tsp almond extract

(Frosting)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp butter

½ tsp almond extract

1 ½ tbsp cream

Directions-

1. Mix together the first three ingredients with a fork. Spread onto a cookie sheet.

2. Mix together the water, butter, and salt over the stove until it reaches boiling point. Take off heat and add the cup of flour; stir until smooth. Stir in 3 eggs – one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add the almond extract and mix. Spread over first layer. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. It should puff up while baking, then fall after coming out of oven.

3. While baking, mix together the last four ingredients to make the frosting. When cool, spread frosting onto kringle. Cut into slices.

            Since I am in a Christmas mood right now, despite there still being over a month until the holidays, I decided to bake something that reminded me of Christmas-time. Swedish Kringle, a recipe passed down by my grandma, which can be found in the family cookbook, is something that my family makes every year for Christmas. I unfortunately do not know much about the history of this delectable pastry other than the fact that it originated in Sweden. I Google-searched it and all I came up with was more recipes and Wikipedia’s page on Santa Claus...not exactly what I was going for, but oh well.

            As you can probably see, the directions to this recipe aren’t very detailed, so I asked my dad for a little help. He is usually the one who bakes the kringle every year, so I figured he could give me some advice. The first step; mixing the first three ingredients together with a fork, is a bit more complicated than it sounds. The mixture is very dry and crumbly, so at first I thought I had done something wrong. But you just have to keep at it, and if the fork doesn’t work, use your hands. Keep mashing the ingredients together until it resembles a more doughy form. Spreading it onto the pan is also a bit tricky. My dad gave me a tip; he told me to use the heel of my palm to flatten it out as thin as possible. I eventually got it to work. The rest of the recipe was much easier, and I was able to follow the directions pretty well, as I am sure you will be able to as well!

            Swedish Kringle is a delicious pastry that my whole family and I enjoy every year at Christmas. It has a flaky texture with a buttery taste, among many others. My favorite part of all the flavors, however, is the hint of almond extract in the custard-like frosting. This yummy dessert tastes great with coffee, milk, or just by itself. It is one of my favorite treats, and everyone always has a hard time stopping themselves from continuously eating it! Swedish Kringle is not a taste most people experience very often, so if you’re looking for something unusual, but still tastes great, I would definitely recommend it!