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What is Kringle Pastry?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Kringle pastry is a type of Danish pastry which is specially worked and kneaded so that it becomes light, flaky, and very rich, almost like French puff pastry. Traditionally, kringle pastry is used to make a round filled coffeecake which is also known as a kringle. Kringles are very popular in the American Midwest, where a number of Danish people settled during the 1800s. Specialty bakeries are often willing to ship their kringle to people in areas without a ready supply of this food, and it can also be made at home.

The base of the pastry is a rich, buttery dough which is allowed to rest overnight before being kneaded, rolled and folded in a complex process which creates thin layers in the dough. As the dough bakes, these layers separate slightly, turning into a flaky, dense pastry. The dough is filled with ingredients like chopped nuts or fruit, and it is shaped in an oval before baking. To serve, cooks cut wedges of kringle pastry out of the oval.

Almonds, one of the ingredients in kringle pastry.
Almonds, one of the ingredients in kringle pastry.

The original kringle was apparently baked in a pretzel-like shape, but over time the crossed folds of pastry were eliminated in favor of a simpler oval. Almonds and almond paste were the filling of choice for early versions of the kringle, but a wide variety of ingredients are used today including other nuts, cherries, raspberries, and apricots. Many cooks drizzle glaze or powdered sugar on their kringle after baking, to make it especially sweet.

Today, kringles include apricot filling.
Today, kringles include apricot filling.

Danish immigrants to the United States brought kringle pastry with them in the 1800s, and several towns in the American Midwest are renowned for their kringle. These regions sometimes sponsor annual baking competitions, along with attempts to break kringle size records. Fans of this Danish food claim that the best kringle pastry takes three days to make from start to finish if it is rested and assembled properly, although some bakeries prefer to significantly shorten the process in the interest of being more efficient.

Some American Midwest towns settled by the Danish are known for their kringle pastries.
Some American Midwest towns settled by the Danish are known for their kringle pastries.

Because kringle pastry is challenging to make, home cooks might want to consider cheating and using commercial puff pastry dough or a rich bread dough like that used for brioche, since this will cut down on assembly time dramatically. The dough should be rolled out into a long, narrow rectangle so that the filling can be spooned into a long line down the middle, and then it can be rolled up into a tube which can be bent into the desired oval shape and brushed with egg before baking for a glossy finish.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

donasmrs

Actually, may bakers make Danish kringle pastry in individual serving sizes now because not everyone can buy the whole thing. There are also many bakers who still make the pretzel shape. I think there are a lot of variations when it comes to kringle shape. It depends on the bakery and the preference of the baker. I think that they're all equally delicious. I've actually never come across a Danish pastry that I haven't liked.

bluedolphin

@SarahGen-- I think the dough used for both pastries are the same, but the shape and the fillings are different.

I know which type of Danish pastries you're talking about. Those are individual sized, so they are small. But kringle is a large pastry that's rolled around itself and then cut into small pieces to be served.

The fillings are also different. Kringle can be filled with fruits, but this is not as common as nuts like almonds. My favorite type of kringle is filled with marzipan and custard. Marzipan is made of almonds and sugar. I like kringle that's not extremely sweet. It's already a very rich and savory pastry. I love having it for breakfast with a cup of strong coffee. I'm lucky that I have a kringle bakery nearby that makes them daily.

SarahGen

Kringle sounds very similar to Danish pastry. There is a type of pastry called "Danish pastry." It's round and the center is filled with sweet cheese or chocolate. Are the two recipes and flavors similar?

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    • Almonds, one of the ingredients in kringle pastry.
      By: Dmitry Rukhlenko
      Almonds, one of the ingredients in kringle pastry.
    • Today, kringles include apricot filling.
      By: Malyshchyts Viktar
      Today, kringles include apricot filling.
    • Some American Midwest towns settled by the Danish are known for their kringle pastries.
      By: simo_cris
      Some American Midwest towns settled by the Danish are known for their kringle pastries.