Marzipan Birthday Kringle Food

MARZIPAN BIRTHDAY KRINGLE

Steps:

• Combine yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, and warm milk in a small bowl. Let rest until the yeast dissolves and begins to foam (about 10 min). Gently stir in the cream.
• Combine the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and cardamom in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Fold in the yeast mixture just enough to moisten the dough. Cover and refrigerate 12 - 24 hours before rolling out the dough.
• Prepare the filling after the dough has been refrigerated by blending together all the filling ingredients.
• Lightly flour a pastry board or other smooth surface, and place the dough on the floured surface. Pound it with a rolling pin until the dough is flattened to a thickness of about 2 inches. Roll the dough to make a 24 inch square.
• Spread the filling to within 1 inch of the edges and roll up the dough as tightly as possible.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar on the work surface, and with your fingers, roll the dough firmly into the sugar to coat it, while also strething it to form a log measuring about 36 - 40 inches.
• Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the roll on the paper in the shape of a large pretzel. Brush the surface with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
• Cover and let rise 45 minutes, or until puffy, but not doubled.
• Bake in a 375 F oven for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

KRINGLE

Steps:

• Divide butter in half and spread each half on waxed paper to an 8x8 inch square.
• Chill.
• Dissolve yeast in warm water.
• Add lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, lemon extract and egg, mixing well.
• Add flour and mix until smooth.
• Roll dough on well floured board to an 12x8 inch rectangle.
• Place one piece of chilled butter on two thirds of dough.
• Fold uncovered third of dough over the middle third, then fold the remaining third over top.
• Again fold one end over middle third, and fold remaining third over top, making a square of nine layers.
• Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Roll dough again to an 8x12 inch rectangle.
• Add chilled butter and fold the same way.
• This makes 18 layers.
• Refrigerate 2 hours.
• Cut dough into 2 equal pieces.
• Lightly roll one piece at a time, until piece is about 20x6 inches.
• Spread center third of dough with butterscotch filling, then add fruit, nuts, raisins and so on-- or top with jam.
• Fold one of the long edges to the middle, moisten other edge and fold over top to cover filling.
• Seal well.
• Put kringle on a greased baking sheet and form into an oval shape, pressing ends of kringle together to form a continuous circle.
• Flatten dough with hands.
• Cover kringle for 1 hour at 70 degrees.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool, then ice with a mixture of powdered sugar and water.

MARZIPAN CHRISTMAS KRINGLE (JULESKRINGLE)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together the milk and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let stand for 10 minutes to dissolve. Stir in cream.
• In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt and cardamom. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or pinching with your fingers until it is a course mealy texture. Stir in the yeast mixture until well blended. Pat into a ball, flatten slightly, then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
• To make the filling, mix the almond paste, almonds, sugar, cinnamon and almond extract using an electric mixer until evenly blended. It may be crumbly.
• Roll the chilled dough out into a 2 inch wide and 24 inch long rectangle. Spread the filling to within 2 inches of the sides and roll up into a tube. Cover your work surface with sugar, and roll the tube of dough in the sugar to coat thoroughly. Roll and stretch the dough out to form a long rope about 40 inches long. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and shape into a pretzel shape.
• Brush the top of the pretzel with egg white and sprinkle with almonds. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the kringle in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into slices to serve.

KRINGLE

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: In the bowl of a food processor, combine all-purpose flour, bread flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Pulse a few times to blend. Add butter and pulse 10 times, or until butter chunks are broken down by about half.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and egg. Scrape flour mixture into the bowl and use a flexible spatula to stir together until nearly all the flour is moistened. Use your hand to quickly knead the dough to bring it together. Transfer dough to a work surface, pat into a rectangle, and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough into a roughly 8-by-15-inch rectangle. Fold the two short sides of the rectangle toward the center, folding the rectangle into thirds, like a letter. Rotate dough 90 degrees, then roll out again into a 8-by-15-inch rectangle; fold into thirds again. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes.
• Roll the dough out into a roughly 8-by-15-inch rectangle, fold into thirds, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes two more times. At this point, wrapped dough can be kept in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or freezer for 2 months.
• Prepare the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine almond paste, butter, confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons of the egg whites and the salt. Beat to combine, then beat in lemon juice, adding more to taste, if you like.
• Line two rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough and cut in half.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll each half into a 6-by-24-inch rectangle. Spread 1/2-cup filling on each in an even strip down the center (about 2 1/2-inches wide).
• Fold one long side over the filling, leaving the remaining third of the dough exposed. Use a pastry brush to the open border of dough with reserved egg whites on both the long side and two short ends. Fold the second long side over the first; pinch and press the seam tightly along the length and at both short ends, sinking your fingertips into the pastry to create a tight seal.
• Remeasure dough to make sure it's at least 24 inches long; if necessary, stretch it back out. Form into an oval, then tuck one end into the other. Pinch and press the seam together, then transfer oval to prepared sheet pans and flip over so it's seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 30 to 45 minutes, or until slightly puffy.
• When ready to bake, heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush pastry with more egg white, then bake until golden, about 25 minutes, rotating sheet pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through.
• As soon as the pastries come out of the oven (and the pastries are piping hot!), do something that seems a little crazy: Compress each pastry slightly by using the sheet pan with the other pastry on it, setting the sheet pan on top of the pastry and pressing gently to eliminate the air pocket between the pastry and filling. Transfer the sheet pans to wire racks and allow pastries to cool completely.
• Prepare the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, vanilla, fine sea salt and 4 teaspoons water. Spread icing over tops of the kringles. Let icing dry before slicing and serving.