Kringler

I'm thinking there are probably more than one Scandinavian confections called Kringler. This is a version from a long-time friend who is a wonderful cook, and I've enjoyed her recipe for many years. I made it for dessert on Easter Sunday this year and it's really good. Not heavy, a light dessert that keeps you going back for more.

KRINGLER

Cut 1/2 cup butter into 1-1/4 cups sifted flour with a pastry blender until uniformly mixed. Blend in 2 tablespoons water with a fork, mixing and mixing (don't give up, keep at it) until the dough forms a (rough) ball.

Divide dough in half, form kind of a log-like shape in your hands. Lay each "log" on an ungreased cookie sheet and press and pat it out into a long strip about 3" wide. (You can see I didn't do a very good job of dividing my dough evenly. No matter, it will still work.)

Now put 1-1/4 cups water and 1/2 cup butter in a medium saucepan and heat to the boiling point. Remove pan from the heat and add 1 cup (unsifted) flour and mix until smooth. Then stir in 4 eggs, one at a time, beating after each one. (Great for those arm muscles. I've never used an electric mixer, always just my trusty wooden spoon, but I don't know why a mixer wouldn't work.) After beating in the eggs, add 1 teaspoon almond extract. (If at some point you should discover you've forgotten to add the almond extract [as I once did], throw the whole kit and kaboodle in the garbage because to my mind it's the extract that gives the Kringler all its wonderful flavor!)

Spread this egg mixture evenly on the two strips of dough on the cookie sheet. It will seem like a lot, but just keep piling it on and smoothing it out with a spatula.

Now bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. This is what it will look like when it comes out of the oven.

Set aside to cool completely. (Puffiness will collapse but that's what you want it to do.) While Kringler is cooling, mix up frosting by combining 3 tablespoons softened butter, 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Add only enough milk (or cream) to make frosting of spreading consistency. Frost each cooled strip. For decoration and color, I like to add a few colored sprinkles on top of the frosting.

Cut into strips, serve and enjoy.

It's a lovely, light dessert that makes me think of spring time. Just right with a hot cup of coffee . . . or cold glass of milk. Why don't I cut it in larger pieces? One little strip disappears all too quickly.