Making Kringla With Mom

The first weekend in December always means one thing – shopping with mom. It’s been a tradition since I was in college for her to come down and visit and go shopping in hopes to check everything off our list. We’ve gotten pretty efficient, not going to lie. And in recent years, we’ve made time for more than just shopping. Last year, we whipped up a batch of our favorite Christmas sugar cookies, so this year we switched it up and baked kringla. Kringla has been a favorite holiday treat in our family for as long as I can remember and I’m slowly, but surely trying to learn the tricks to making it.

So, what is kringla you ask? It’s actually a Scandinavian pastry, or Nordic pretzel as some would say, that travelled it’s way over to become a pretty common treat in the Midwest. With a few things modified (spelling included), we now have this almond-flavored, pretzel-shaped treat that pairs perfectly with coffee. At least, that’s how we prefer it. That, and straight out of the freezer. My dad’s side of the family has strong Norwegian ancestry so kringla isn’t only a tasty treat for the holidays, it carries a little nostalgia as well.

It was a cold, rainy day while we were out shopping and mom and I had so much fun warming up at home, sipping wine and making kringla. I think we’ve found a permanent addition to our Christmas tradition. I’m not much of a baker, but she definitely is. I usually get the easy jobs and I’m happy to lend my kitchen for the night. I’m grateful for the time spent together, too. I’m already trying to figure out what we’ll make next year.

Kathy’s kringla recipe is below! Have you ever had kringla?

Print

Kathy's Kringla

Course Snack

Ingredients

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 beaten egg
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

Instructions

1. Mix together whipping cream, sugar, vanilla and almond extract.

2. Add sour cream, baking soda and beaten egg. Mix well.

3. Add flour and baking powder and mix together.

4. Refrigerate dough for at least two hours before rolling into balls. You'll want the dough cold enough to be able to handle easily.

5. Once dough is chilled, begin spooning out balls about a Tablespoon in size onto a floured surface. This can be your counter or a cutting board of sorts. 

6. Begin rolling out the balls until roughly 8 inches in length. You want it as evenly thick as possible.

7. Then transfer to the baking sheet & twist into a pretzel-like shape. Repeat until sheet is full.

8. Bake each sheet for 9 minutes at 30. Bottoms should be slightly browned, but not black. Brush off any excess flour, let cool & enjoy! Store in the freezer (optional).

xoxo. B