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Cinnamon Nut Wreath

Cinnamon Nut Wreath_recipe from Sheet Pan Sweets by Molly Gilbert

Fun fact: The state of Wisconsin has an official state pastry called a kringle, a wreath-shaped flaky Danish pastry with a tender, buttery crust and sweet filling. Do more states have official representative pastries? Why not?! Someone should do something about this.

Cinnamon Nut Wreath_recipe from Sheet Pan Sweets by Molly Gilbert

Cinnamon Nut Wreath

Molly Gilbert
Here’s my (very streamlined) version of the kringle—a braided puff pastry wreath stuffed with a sweet, nutty filling and drizzled with a buttery vanilla glaze. It’s a real stunner on the brunch table for the holidays and is highly snackable as the day wears on. If you’re hosting a house full of relatives, beware—you might see little slivers disappearing here and there, a subtle licking of fingers, and then, like magic, the whole thing’s vanished.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Servings 10 people

Ingredients
  

Pastry Wreath

  • 7 ounces almond paste
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup (1 Stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • All-purpose flour
  • 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • Turbinado Sugar

Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioner's sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Instructions
 

Make the Pastry Wreath:

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position.
  • Add the almond paste, walnuts, pecans, cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, salt, and 1 egg to a food processor. Pulse for 1 minute, until combined into a thick, chunky paste.
  • Add the almond paste, walnuts, pecans, cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, salt, and 1 egg to a food processor. Pulse for 1 minute, until combined into a thick, chunky paste.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and water.
  • Set the puff pastry sheets next to each other with the short sides touching. Brush the short side of one of the sheets with egg wash, then gently press the short side of the other one on top, overlapping the sheets by about 3/4 inch, to create one long, rectangular piece of dough with a long side of the rectangle nearest to you.
  • Use a sharp knife to cut off the top left and bottom left corners of the rectangle at a 45-degree angle away from the left side of the pastry, leaving a 4-inch-long edge of dough between them. Next, move to the top right and bottom right corners and cut out two triangular notches, again leaving a 4-inch-long edge of dough along the right side of the pastry between (the whole thing will look like a sideways, short-stumped Christmas tree missing its pointy top). Finally, make diagonal slits, about 1 inch apart and parallel to the notches, along the top and bottom of the pastry, leaving a 4-inch-wide strip in the center intact. (The narrow flaps will get folded over to make the braid, with the filling in the center.)
  • Spread the nutty filling over the center strip of pastry (not on the side flaps), leaving a 3/4-inch border at the left and right edges.
  • Fold the left and right edges of the pastry over the filling. Then, starting from the left side and alternating top and bottom flaps, fold the diagonal flaps of pastry tightly over the filling, crisscrossing them on top of one another, until all of the strips are interwoven and the filling is completely covered. Trim away any loose pieces of pastry, then bring the ends of the braid together to form a wreath and pinch the seams to seal.
  • Carefully transfer the parchment with the wreath to a sheet pan. Lightly brush the top and sides of the braid with the egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake the wreath until the pastry is deeply browned, 30 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool on the pan for about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk until smooth.
  • Drizzle the glaze generously over the wreath. Slice into thin wedges and serve. The wreath is best the day it’s made, although it can be baked ahead and stored, unglazed and tightly covered, at room temperature for 1 day. Reheat it in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp, then glaze before serving. Any leftovers will keep, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

Sheet Pan Sweets: Simple, Streamlined Dessert Recipes by Molly GilbertRecipe reprinted with permission from Sheet Pan Sweets by Molly Gilbert (‎Union Square & Co., October 2022). Photography by Dana Gallagher.
Keyword Baking, Christmas, Cinnamon, Molly Gilbert, Sheet Pan Sweets, Spices

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