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Test Kitchen Approved

Wisconsin Kringle

Time: 13 hours 15 minutes

Yield: 18 servings

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About

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.

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, cold, plus 1 cup butter, softened, divided
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, plus more, to taste
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 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 the cold butter into 2 cups of the flour until crumbly, forming 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 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 the remaining softened butter with the brown sugar and 1 cup of the chopped walnuts.

Step 8 -Take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide it into 3 equal portions. Return 2 portions to the refrigerator to keep cold.

Step 9 -Quickly form 1/3 of the dough into a rectangle and using the extra flour, lightly dust the rectangle.

Step 10 -Using the extra flour, heavily dust a flat surface, then roll out the dough to approximately 12x17 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 the water until a smooth icing forms.

Step 22 -Drizzle the icing in fine streams over the warm danishes.

Step 23 -Slice and serve.

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