Kringle Follow-Up

The Bendsten's kringle has been gone for several days, and I have yet to post. As I mentioned to a fellow kringle lover the other day, I wish to expound on the kringle but fear my skills will not do it justice. Perhaps, the mere fact that I ate a Bendsten's kringle pretty much solo in about two days makes a statement. Yet, when do hounds associate mere gluttony with sublime taste? I could not stop myself from eating this pastry because it was so good.

Great. How many times shall I say it. Great. The five letter word of one with little else to say. I shant have a post on kringles just saying great, great, great, great, great, great, great. How was the kringle great. Well, as someone else who recently ate a Bendsten's kringle knows, the defining feature is crisp. You think of Danish pastry as buttery, flaky, rich. Does crisp come to mind? The Bendsten kringle was krisp. Crisp almost in an odd way because it was both crisp and moist. It is as if a thousand layers of pastry were crushed under a hydraulic press. Inside the kringle you can still see some of the layers, like certain types of geology, but it was one stone. And it was like the heat of that press altered those top layers into something burnished. Inside could be gooey--and I would be remiss to say that it was great goo, not at all cloying or artificial tasting. In fact, the balance of the interior layers and the fillings against those top layers of crunch made that crispness all the more remarkable. Yes, it was great!

Luckily for me, I reside not in Racine, but its neighbor 100 miles south. My waistline cannot stand very many kringles in the house. I have no willpower around a Bendsten's kringle. Like some crazed rat in an experiment, I eat kringle until my stomach aches. I eat kringle past when my stomach aches because its pleasure overrides all other sensations. It is only the revelation that I have hacked off my third chunk of kringle that gets me to stop. Hack I say. The urge for kringle was so strong that after the initial try, after I was initially hooked, I did not wait for plate or knife. I would reach into the kringle bag and rip out some kringle. Eat it in bliss and then rip out another slab. And you wonder how I could eat that in a mere two days.

In conclusion, please get your own Bendsten's kringle to learn what my words cannot describe. What's more, I have concluded that one cannot actually control their kringle consumption. It is actually something someone should buy for someone else. Purchase Bendsten's kringles for me. Ration me. Help me eat a regular portion of kringle. We will all benefit.

I realized that after I wrote this, I just kinda assumed everyone would know what a Racine kringle is, but for those who do not, I add the following notes:

It seems that in the early 20th century a pack of Danes (shall we call them Great Danes?) picked themselves up and moved to Racine Wisconsin, a minor industrial town somewhere between Chicago and Milwaukee. And if Milwaukee is mostly Chicago frozen than I suppose Racine is a stunted version of Milwaukee. Anyways, the Danes kinda peaked in Racine when Frank Lloyd Wright designed (perhaps) the greatest commercial building ever. The The Johnson Wax HQ.. And the Dane's opened bakeries, including Bendsten's selling various pastries. Somehow, however, they settled as their calling card, their collective speciality, their gift to their new world word, the kringle.

I believe, but am not positive, that in Denmark, the kringle is a holiday pastry, a buche noel, a pannetone, a figgy pudding. In Racine, it is the raison d'etre for visiting the town (well that at the Johnson Wax buidling). It is an oval pastry, about the shape of a miniture Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It can be filled or just garnished with nuts. In fact, pecans are considered the classic kringle decor, and in nod to real agriculture that warms my little sustainable heart, the kringleries in Racine right now either are not selling pecan kringles or selling them at an up-charge 'cause of an apparant pecan shortage. Besides being oval, the other distinguising visual feature of a kringle, especially compared to normal coffee cake is its flatness. As I noted above, the flatness comes from packing a thousand layer of flavor into something less than an inch.

Mrs. JiLS's mother's family is from Racine, and while they have all lived for many decades in Syracuse, NY, they still make kringle, and I enjoyed a couple of slices of that insanely decadent treat over Christmas this year. They also make a recipe called "Danish Puff," which is like a lighter, healthier version of kringle that uses almonds and chopped maraschino cherries for decorations. If I can get Mrs. JiLS to break her blood-sworn oath, I'll publish recipes on the board.

I'm wondering whether there are any locations in the city that sell authentic Racine kringle. My husband says he's sure he's seen it in some store locally, particularly during the holidays. I'm hoping to take some to my in-laws for Christmas. They used to live in Racine and there are many Wisconsin items I know they miss. Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

shyne

shyne wrote:I'm wondering whether there are any locations in the city that sell authentic Racine kringle. My husband says he's sure he's seen it in some store locally, particularly during the holidays. I'm hoping to take some to my in-laws for Christmas. They used to live in Racine and there are many Wisconsin items I know they miss. Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

shyne

I saw a version of it being sold at Fox & Obel yesterday, although it didn't look like it was in the same league as Bendsten's. It's also sold at Treasure Island.

Vital Information wrote: The Bendsten kringle was krisp. Crisp almost in an odd way because it was both crisp and moist. It is as if a thousand layers of pastry were crushed under a hydraulic press. Inside the kringle you can still see some of the layers, like certain types of geology, but it was one stone. And it was like the heat of that press altered those top layers into something burnished. Inside could be gooey--and I would be remiss to say that it was great goo, not at all cloying or artificial tasting.

Beautiful description of this pastry and your obsession.

Hammond

Vital Information wrote:What's more, I have concluded that one cannot actually control their kringle consumption. It is actually something someone should buy for someone else. Purchase Bendsten's kringles for me. Ration me. Help me eat a regular portion of kringle. We will all benefit.

VI, great description, and especially poignant end. I haven't had kringle in a long time. A2Fay and I are a little scared of them, or maybe of ourselves. Having seen a television program about it, we stopped at Racine on our way back from Milwaukee. We bought one that afternoon maybe three or so years ago, reached home around 6ish. The kringle didn't see the end of that day. We both knew we should pace ourselves (and we generally do), but we just couldn't stop. Haven't bought another since.

Maybe at some point when we meet up, VI, we can exchange kringles

Sarah Moulton is making them on her show as I type this....

I would like to try and send Kringle to a relative in Rhode Island. It looks like Bendsten isn't taking any more orders. I'm currently checking with L&H. Is theirs good? Any others? Also, what variety would you recommend for someone with a huge sweettooth, just not big on chocolate.

Thanks, and happy holidays!

kithat wrote:I would like to try and send Kringle to a relative in Rhode Island. It looks like Bendsten isn't taking any more orders. I'm currently checking with L&H. Is theirs good? Any others? Also, what variety would you recommend for someone with a huge sweettooth, just not big on chocolate.

Thanks, and happy holidays!

I'm quite partial to almond.

Never tried them because it's just too easy to motor up to Racine, but has anyone tried this place?

kithat wrote:I'm currently checking with L&H. Is theirs good?

If you mean O&H, yes, theirs is most definitely good. I like the cherry, but pecan and almond are great as well.

Yep, I meant O&H. I'm leaning toward almond.