We have Denmark to thank for the original creation of the beloved Wisconsin Kringle. The golden-brown dough is made with lots of love and filled with sweet, walnut-infused goodness. Shaped into the most beautiful yet simple braid and drizzled with a sugary glaze, it’s a feast for the eyes. But never fear–Wisconsin Kringle is never too beautiful to eat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, cold
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, plus more as needed
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups English walnuts, chopped, divided
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
Directions
Step 1 –In a large bowl, cut 1 cup of cold butter into the flour until crumbly, leaving pea-sized chunks.
Step 2 –Stir in the sour cream and mix well. The dough should be very sticky.
Step 3 –Form the dough into a ball.
Step 4 –Cover the dough tightly with plastic kitchen wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to overnight.
Step 5 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 6 –Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Step 7 –Prepare the filling by combining 1 cup softened butter with the brown sugar and 1 cup chopped walnuts.
Step 8 –Take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide it into three equal parts. Return two parts to the refrigerator to keep cold.
Step 9 –Quickly form 1/3 of the dough into a rectangle and flour lightly.
Step 10 –On a heavily floured flat surface, roll out the dough to approximately 12×17 inches in size.
Step 11 –Position the dough lengthwise on the work surface.
Step 12 –Along the long edges of the dough rectangle, use a sharp knife to cut 4-inch long angled lines, about 1/2 inch apart.
Step 13 –Spoon 1/3 of the filling along the length of the rectangle’s uncut center.
Step 14 –Alternating from one side of the dough to the other, fold each 1/2-inch wide strip towards the center, crisscrossing the filling in a braid-like fashion.
Step 15 –Lightly press together the ends of the strips to seal.
Step 16 –Sprinkle with 1/3 of the remaining walnuts.
Step 17 –Repeat the shaping, filling, and braiding processes with the remaining ingredients to form 3 braided danishes in total.
Step 18 –Place the 3 danishes on the prepared baking sheets.
Step 19 –Bake the danishes until they are golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Step 20 –Take the danishes out of the oven and cool them for about 30 minutes.
Step 21 –While the danishes are cooling, mix the confectioners’ sugar and water until a smooth icing forms.
Step 22 –Drizzle the icing in fine streams over the three warm danishes.
Step 23 –Slice and serve.
