It’s lastly right here: my mother has agreed to let me share the recipe for her well-known almond kringle she makes yearly for Christmas morning breakfast. A slice of this almond kringle served heat out of the oven with a cup of espresso is one among my favourite issues I eat all 12 months. The almond-filled scents wafting from the oven are ceaselessly synonymous with the coziest vacation feels.
My mother is the one who taught me to cook dinner, although it was a casual schooling of merely spending time collectively within the kitchen and watching as she intuitively ready easy, scrumptious meals for our household rising up. However she’s at all times cherished a standout baking undertaking, and doesn’t shrink back from towering layer truffles or from-scratch butter croissants worthy of a French bakery. I’d put this almond bread within the latter class. Despite the fact that it’s not difficult, it does have that “wow” issue that makes it really feel so particular and worthy of being the centerpiece of a vacation brunch.
Almond Kringle Elements
My mother’s almond kringle combines pantry staples like flour, sugar, and yeast with wealthy elements like heavy cream, butter, and almond paste to create a superbly flaky and flavorful pastry. Including heat spices, crunchy sliced almonds, and almond extract ensures every chew is as indulgent as it’s balanced.
Heat milk: Helps activate the yeast for a smooth, fluffy texture within the dough. Use milk that’s simply heat to the contact, not scorching.
White sugar: Sweetens the dough and offers meals for the yeast to ferment correctly.
Energetic-dry yeast: Important for leavening the kringle, creating its attribute gentle and ethereal texture.
Heavy cream: Provides richness and moisture to the dough, leading to a young crumb.
All-purpose flour: Supplies the construction and elasticity wanted for the dough to carry its form.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the general taste profile.
Butter: Ensures the dough is tender and flaky, lending richness to each chew.
Almond paste: The star ingredient of the filling, delivering a candy almond taste.
Sliced almonds: Provides texture and a nutty crunch to the filling and topping.
Cinnamon: Infuses heat and spice, complementing the almond’s sweetness superbly.
Almond extract: Amplifies the almond taste.
Egg white: Creates a shiny end and helps the sliced almonds adhere to the kringle.
Sliced almonds (topping): Present a toasty, crunchy distinction to the smooth, flaky pastry.
My Mother’s Ideas for Almond Kringle Success
From my mother: “I like to mix the dry ingredients in the food processor, then pulse in the butter till it is the size of small beans. It’s especially important to chill everything before getting started, including a marble rolling pin or board, to keep the dough from sticking.”
She jogged my memory that the rolling pin and marble board that she makes use of to make the bread (pictured above) belonged to my paternal grandmother Mo, who bought them years in the past so she might make my mother’s almond kringle, too! Proof of a real household custom. My mother took them for her personal when Mo handed away, and it’s such a candy option to bear in mind her each time she rolls out the dough for my grandmother’s favourite bread.
The recipe requires this loaf to be made right into a pretzel form, however for household gatherings, my mother began doing the guts form a number of years in the past. I like the way in which it seems within the heart of our desk.
Easy methods to Serve Almond Kringle
There’s one thing magical about savoring a slice of almond kringle on a cold Christmas morning. I like the buttery layers and candy almond filling completely paired with my favourite heat drink. Whether or not you’re sipping espresso pre-stockings or indulging with a wealthy scorching cocoa whereas unwrapping presents, this pastry elevates the second into a comfortable ritual. Its delicate sweetness and nutty depth appear tailored for quiet mornings full of vacation cheer.
For storing leftovers: Retailer any leftover kringle in an hermetic container. Whenever you’re prepared for an additional slice, a fast warm-up within the oven brings again its just-baked aroma and flaky texture. When shared with family members, this almond kringle turns into greater than a pastry—it’s the guts of your vacation morning.
Scroll on for the recipe. I’d love to listen to what vacation traditions you’re celebrating within the feedback!
Description
A buttery, flaky almond kringle full of a wealthy almond paste and crushed almonds for the right vacation deal with.
- 1/2 cup heat milk
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon white sugar (divided)
- 1 (.25 ounce) envelope energetic dry yeast
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 (8 ounce) can almond paste
- 1/2 cup crushed sliced almonds
- 1 teaspoon floor cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 egg white, crushed
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- In a small bowl, stir collectively the milk and 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle the yeast excessive and let stand for 10 minutes to dissolve. Stir in cream.
- In a separate bowl, stir collectively the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. Minimize within the butter utilizing a pastry blender or pinching together with your fingers till it’s a course mealy texture. Stir within the yeast combination till properly blended. Pat right into a ball, flatten barely, then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
- To make the filling, combine the almond paste, almonds, 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, and almond extract utilizing an electrical mixer till evenly blended. It might be crumbly.
- Roll the chilled dough out right into a 24-inch vast and 18-inch lengthy rectangle. Unfold the filling to inside 2 inches of the edges and roll up right into a tube. Cowl your work floor with sugar, and roll the tube of dough within the sugar to coat completely. Roll and stretch the dough out to type a protracted rope about 36 inches lengthy.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and form right into a pretzel or coronary heart form.
- Brush the highest of the dough with egg white and sprinkle with almonds. Cowl loosely with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Bake the kringle within the preheated oven till golden brown, 25 to half-hour. You might must cowl it with foil for the previous couple of minutes of baking to stop over-browning. Minimize into slices and eat!
Notes
This bread could be made upfront and frozen for as much as a month, wrapped rigorously in foil. Thaw Christmas morning and bake until heat on a cookie sheet. Cowl flippantly with foil to stop over-browning.
