anderson@jete.eng.ohio-state.edu (Bettylise Anderson) (11/24/90)
In article <1990Nov21.202700.17684@mthvax.cs.miami.edu>, iverson@Neon.Stanford.EDU (David L. Iverson) writes: > I'm looking for a recipe for Kringla. It's a doughy Scandinavian > cookie that's usually shaped like a pretzel. If anyone has a kringla > recipe to share, it would be much appreciated. I will give my great-grandmother's recipe, which I have to admit is truly awesome, but first let me point out that I have seen many different versions of Kringle. First there are the big coffee-cake things, which we won't even mess with. Then there are cookie things shaped liked pretzels as you say. I have seen these, but I haven't seen any like the ones this recipes makes. These Kringle (in the recipe) are not soft and squishy, they don't have much sugar in them, and do have lots and lots of butter (fat fest, so I only have 'em at Christmas). They are a lot of work, and they are worth it. Kringle (This comes from Danish heritage) 3 cups flour lots of shortening (butter) water sugar 1. Make the dough by cutting 4 tbsp butter into the flour as you do for pie crust. Add water until the consistency is like pie crust. 2. Roll out dough to a about 12-15" diameter (it will be sort of thick). Spread on top of the dough about 1/3 to 1/2 lb of softened butter. (Is this weird or what?) Fold the dough in thirds lengthwise (like folding a letter). Wrap in waxed paper and chill for a hour or so until cold and stiff. 3. Take out of fridge, and fold in thirds again in the other direction. It should be roughly square. Roll back and forth along one axis only, until it's a rectangle about 1/4 inches thick. (Maybe 15-20 inches by 8-10 inches) Fold in thirds again and roll in the perpendicular direction until a long rectangle again. Repeat this process about 10 times (yes, ten). You will have to put it back into the fridge every few times for a half hour or so.The butter will start to peek out through the bottom and the dough will get too warm from the handling. I believe you are meant to repeat the process until you can't see the butter anymore. My great-uncle Ozwald Bjeregord Petersen says he remembers "fold and roll, fold and roll, fold and roll". Anyway, the last time, leave it in the shape of a long rectangle (after rolling but before folding) and put into the fridge overnight or several hours to get stiff and cold again. 4. Take it out of the fridge, and roll it in one direction (the long axis) until about 1/4 thick. Mommy says it isn't good to have it any thicker than 3/8". Brush with melted butter, and then sprinkle with sugar. Yes, this is the first time you put any sugar in them. Slice the rectangle along the sort axis into strips about about 3/8" wide, and shape into pretzels. We say "pretzels" but we actually make little "infinity" signs (OK, figure eights). 5. Bake at 350 F for about 1/2 hour. They won't get very brown, but they should be tan on the bottoms. Also, one is meant to sprinkle them with sugar again halfway through cooking but we sometimes don't bother. They freeze well. These Kringle are wonderful wonderful wonderful but not super sweet, which is what I like about them. Betty Lise Anderson