We tried Racine Danish Kringle's Almond Kringle on a post Thanksgiving Sunday and this is what we thought.
The Kris Kringle family kicks off its review section with the Racine Danish Kringle Almond Kringle, a dessert that is entirely suitable for the holiday season.
What is a Racine Danish Kringle Almond Kringle?
This is a large pastry with a flaky outside with a heavy almond filling, sold in a dense, sealed heavy paper wrapper. It is definitely intended for a family or group. Racine Danish Kringle suggests in its FAQ:
Each 22 oz. Kringle can be cut into 10-14 slices that would be about an inch and a half wide.
I won't dispute this number, but it will also depend on the size of your eaters. We tried to divide it up into eighths, but realized that while each serving may appear small, this is filled with a heavy almond filling. It ended up in 16ths, though some folks came back for seconds.
The wrapper has detailed instructions on heating and serving, and we tried it both in a full, conventional oven and also a toaster oven. In both cases, you want to watch carefully, so that the pastry crisps up a bit and the soft filling has a chance to soften and heat up. In both cases, following the directions produced good, expected results.
What the Kris Kringle Family Thinks about Racine Danish Kringle Almond Kringle?
If you do not like almond flavoring (a staple in Christmas sweets in many countries), then we pity you. And yes, it is a double shame if you have a nut allergy. Prepared according to the instructions, the pastry was flaky and hot, and the interior was delicious. The filling is very sweet, so we recommend a strong, dark coffee or hot, unsweetened tea to make the most of it. And although we refer to it as 'very sweet', you aren't getting a 'cheap sugar' thrill here - clearly, it was made with quality ingredients. As most of us originate in the US Northwest, we have a penchant for sweet things and great coffee, and we also share a love of the outdoors, snow and plaid with our friends in Wisconsin. We suspect that Wisconsin has fewer hipsters though, and that makes us a little jealous.
Given how well it goes with after dinner hot beverages, this Almond Kringle would certainly be a good replacement for Christmas fruitcake if you are looking to make a change.
We picked up ours at Trader Joe's, and given how costs tend to work themselves out through distribution, the end cost was actually lower than ordering direct. The only negative to this experience is that Trader Joe's only seems to carry the single flavor of Kringle, and there are a lot on the Racine Danish Kringle site that look very good.
Disclosures on this Product or Service
We purchased this product ourselves at a local Trader Joe's. It was not gifted to us or provided as a review copy.