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Bakeries are wonderful to visit; both in my own town or while exploring a new city, there is something special about peering through the bakery’s glass case and drooling over all the delicious treats in the store.

I love the idea of discovering something new because while each bakery may carry typical cookie and doughnut fare (which are good in their own right), it might also offer a unique item or two that you can’t get elsewhere.

In the Midwest, and particularly in Wisconsin, one bakery specialty is the almond kringle, a buttery Danish pastry layered with almond filling, sugary glaze, and almonds or sprinkles on top.

If you are a ‘not chocolate’ person (like I am), it is delicious. For breakfast, or dessert, or a snack!

While a Kringle takes a bit of time to make, I promise you, it’s worth it to add this crowd-pleaser to your dessert repertoire to make your Valentines Day — or any holiday of your choosing — extra special!

Valentine Almond Kringle Recipe

Gather your ingredients and equipment.

For equipment, you will need a 9×13 baking pan, a small saucepan, a pastry blender or fork, a whisk, a spatula, and measuring cups and spoons.

The ingredient list is fairly simple: flour (regular or gluten-free; I have had success with Mom’s Place Gluten-Free flour blend), softened butter, salt, water, almond extract, eggs, confectioners sugar, and sprinkles or nuts for decorating. 

Let’s get started with the first layer — the buttery, flaky pastry base layer.

First, preheat your oven to 350° F.

Place ½ cup softened butter, 1 cup flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl, and use a pastry blender or a fork to blend the mixture into pea-sized crumbs. 

Sprinkle water over the crumb mixture, and use your hands to mix until the dough comes together into a ball. I like to start with 2 tablespoons of water and then add the remaining water, one tablespoon at a time, as needed.

The amount of water you need will depend on your baking conditions. I’m in Minnesota in the winter, where it is a bit dry, and I used the full 4 tablespoons.

Your dough ball will come together like this:

Now, take your dough ball and use the palm of your hands to press the dough into a thin layer in your 9×13 baking pan.

Next, it is time for the almond custard layer.

Each step in making the custard needs to happen in quick succession so it’s beneficial to have all ingredients pre-measured and ready to go before getting started on it.

Once you have your custard ingredients lined up, add ½ cup butter and 1 cup water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1 cup flour, stirring vigorously to avoid lumps. 

Once the flour is incorporated, add the eggs one at a time and mix in to create a smooth, shiny batter that will look like this:

Now, spread that creamy goodness on top of your pastry layer.

Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes until it is puffed and golden.

It just needs a bit of sweetness — the final step!

While the pastry is cooling, get your glaze ready.

Combine 3 tablespoons of softened butter, 2 ¼ cups confectioners sugar, 1 teaspoon of almond extract, a pinch of salt, in a bowl. Add water, 1Tbsp at a time, stirring until completely smooth, adding more water only if needed. The glaze shouldn’t be runny, but easy to spread.

Spread the glaze over your pastry and custard layer and decorate with sprinkles. Wait about 10 minutes for the glaze to set, then cut the Kringle into squares.

I hope this treat makes your holiday extra special!