Widespread throughout the North, where it seems to have arrived from Southern Europe in the thirteenth century, this one cinnamon scented sweet bread it has conquered gourmands from Scandinavian countries such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who share some versions of it.
The Estonian kringle, in particular, it is the one that most honors its original form: the word kringle means snail. The name of the dessert – unchanged in all Scandinavian languages ​​- in fact refers to the typical twisted braid shape. Despite the name, most Danish and Norwegian kringla (plural) are very reminiscent of German pretzels, with the typical "B" shape. In Sweden it is so widespread that bakers use it as effigy of their professionIn fact, outside the ovens you will find a golden kringle (in the shape of a bretzel) as a sign. Over time, the kringle has also changed in Estonia, where however it has taken on a simpler form of a circle. Kringles are a lot also popular in the American Midwest, where a number of Danes settled during the 1800s.

Estonian Kringle is very fragrant, with a leavened dough very similar to a brioche pastry, traditionally stuffed with butter, cinnamon and cardamom and then braided and molded in the shape of a crown. The Estonian variant of the dessert combines the particular consistency of rye flour with the sweetness of honey, which is the perfect contrast to the sugary sourness of green apples. Sprinkled with brown sugar, it comes out of the oven with a delicious crust on the outside, crunchy and sweet. Alternatively, the kringla can be polished with a simple icing of powdered sugar and water or, very deliciously, garnished with melted chocolate.

The braid shape is essential: when cut, the folds of the dough separate and rise, giving the cake a particular softness and releasing the scent of the filling. The oldest versions of the kringle, documented mostly in Denmark, had only almonds and almond paste. Today, however, the fillings – according to the country and the family tradition – follow the imagination, including raisins, apricots and other dehydrated fruit, apples, honey, marzipan, marmalade and various jams, small chocolate chips, dried fruit. The dough, on the other hand, is always the same. Only the flour varies: 00, chestnut, wholemeal or rye flour can be used.
Find the Estonian kringle recipe here

January 2022
Francesca Tagliabue