I'm not going to sugar coat this... no puns intended, I would never intentionally make a joke that terrible... it was not a very pretty pastry. Though I'm sure it is when most people make it, I was solely focused on getting it into the oven and into my stomach as quickly as humanly possible. I can't express to you the deliciousness that ensued when this masterpiece was done. I have an incredible obsession with sweets and this most certainly satisfied my sweet tooth. As I understand it, a kringle can come in many forms. This one in particular is just a seemingly simple oval shape filled with a brown sugary nut filling and a vanilla glaze on top. I used pecans and I highly recommend that choice. When I decided to make this, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. But honestly, I love following a recipe when I have no idea what I'm doing and I just get the chance to get dirty and have fun. If it comes out terrible, so be it! At least I had some play time. In this case however, while the presentation left much to be desired, the taste was out of this world. It could have literally looked like anything* (side note: this sentence was originally much more inappropriate before I chose to edit it. Use your imagination.) and I still would've devoured almost the entire thing single handedly. Luckily, I had some assistance in the devouring part. The cats were willing to assist as well but they've yet to master the art of holding a fork. Some day.
So for anyone that wants to attempt this and completely show me up in their dough-making skills, here's the fabulous recipe- as provided to me by my friend KPM :) I divided everything in half as I'm attempting to lose weight (But that's a post for another day). May the first bite make you smile as it did for me and my one last night.
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degree F. to 115 degree F.)
1/2 cup cold butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup warm milk (110 deg. to 115 deg.)
1 egg beaten
Nut Filling (recipe follows)
Glaze (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
Using a pastry blender or two knives, in a large bowl, cut butter into flour and salt until particles are the size of small peas. Add yeast mixture, sugar, warm milk, and egg; beat until smooth (dough will be very soft). Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours but not more than 24 hours.
When ready to use, remove from refrigerator. Punch dough down and divide in half; return other half to refrigerator. On a well-floured board, working quickly before dough softens, roll into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle, approximately 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick (if dough gets too warm from handling, return to refrigerator).
Spread half of the prepared Nut Filling down the center of the rolled-out dough rectangle in a 2-inch strip. fold sides of dough over filling, overlapping 1 1/2 inches; pinch edges to seal.
Oval Shape: Form roll into a circle and pinch ends together. Place seam side down on a large greased baking sheet. Repeat same process with remaining dough and filling. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until double in size.
Pretzel Shape: Lift the filled roll from both ends firmly and center the middle of the roll onto the baking sheet as if you were forming a circle. Pull the ends of the roll so that they make a cross above the roll, then pull the ends down and tuck the ends under the top part of the roll so that the ends stick out from under the roll.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until double in size.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
Spread prepared Glaze over kringles. Sprinkle with chopped pecans or walnuts. Serve kringles warm or at room temperature.
To re-warm, preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Slide a whole, uncut kringle onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Cover loosely with a large piece of aluminum foil and heat for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and remove aluminum foil before slicing.
Makes 2 Kringles (each serves 10 to 12).
Nut Filling:
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
In a large bowl, combine pecans or walnuts, brown sugar, and butter.
Glaze:
1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
4 to 5 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, water, and vanilla.
No comments:
Post a Comment