Wisconsin Kringle-Style Cookies

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Pastry blender or food processor
• •Rolling pin
• •Sharp chef's knife
• •Electric hand mixer
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the flaky dough

   Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and cold cream cheese. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work the fats into the flour until you have a shaggy mixture with visible butter pieces ranging from pea-sized to the size of small beans. These irregular pieces are what create flaky layers. Don't overwork it. You want to see butter.

   Cold ingredients are essential. If your kitchen runs warm, freeze the cubed butter for 15 minutes before starting.
2. 2

   Bring dough together

   Gather the mixture and press it into a rough ball. It will seem dry at first. Keep pressing and folding until it coheres. Divide the dough in half, flatten each portion into a rectangle about an inch thick, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight. The dough needs to firm up completely before rolling.

3. 3

   Prepare almond filling

   Break the almond paste into small pieces in a medium bowl. Add the egg white and almond extract. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and spreadable, about two minutes. The filling should be the consistency of thick peanut butter. If it's still lumpy, keep beating. Those lumps will make spreading impossible.

   Almond paste straight from the tube can be stiff. Room temperature paste blends more easily. Set it out while the dough chills.
4. 4

   Roll the first dough portion

   Remove one dough rectangle from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll it into a rectangle approximately 12 inches by 8 inches and about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will resist at first. Be patient. If it springs back stubbornly, let it rest for five minutes, then continue. Work from the center outward, rotating the dough occasionally to keep it from sticking.

5. 5

   Fill and fold

   Spread half the almond filling in a strip down the center third of the rectangle, leaving an inch bare at each short end. Fold one long side of dough over the filling. Fold the other long side over to overlap the first, like a business letter. Press gently to seal. You now have a long filled log about 3 inches wide.

6. 6

   Slice into cookies

   Using a sharp knife, slice the log crosswise into cookies about 1 inch wide. You should get approximately 12 cookies per log. Lay them cut-side up on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. The swirl of dough and filling should be visible. Repeat with the second dough portion and remaining filling.

7. 7

   Chill before baking

   Refrigerate the sliced cookies on their baking sheets for 20 minutes. This firms the butter again, ensuring maximum flakiness when they hit the oven. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position.

8. 8

   Bake until golden

   Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. They're done when the edges turn deep golden brown and the tops are lightly golden. The centers may look slightly pale, but they'll firm as they cool. The kitchen will smell of toasted butter and almonds. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

9. 9

   Make the vanilla glaze

   Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until completely smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable, coating the back of a spoon and slowly dripping off. Add more milk by the half-teaspoon if it's too thick, or more sugar if it's too thin.

10. 10

    Glaze and garnish

    Once cookies have cooled to room temperature, drizzle the glaze over them in thin lines using a fork or small spoon. Immediately scatter sliced almonds over the wet glaze so they adhere. Let the glaze set for 15 minutes before serving or storing. The finished cookies should shatter when you bite through, revealing layers of flaky dough and sweet almond filling.

Chef Tips

• •Almond paste and marzipan are not interchangeable. Almond paste contains more almonds and less sugar, giving these cookies proper nutty depth. Look for it near the baking aisle or with specialty ingredients.
• •This dough freezes beautifully. Wrap the chilled rectangles tightly and freeze for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
• •For a more traditional kringle experience, shape the filled dough into an oval before slicing and bake as one large pastry. Slice into portions after glazing.
• •These cookies improve on day two. The almond filling softens the interior layers while the exterior stays crisp. Store them between sheets of parchment.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for 2 months.
• •Filled and sliced cookies can be frozen unbaked on a sheet pan, then transferred to freezer bags. Bake from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.
• •Baked cookies keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 5 days. The glaze may soften slightly but the flavor remains excellent.
• •For gifting, leave cookies unglazed. Package the glaze separately with instructions, allowing recipients to finish them fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 50g)