members recipes

Kringel is every birthday childs´ dream. Especially when it is home made.

Ingredients
30 g fresh yeast
1 glass (250 ml) of lukewarm milk
200 g of melted butter, cooled
700 g of extra fine wheat flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
4 eggs

filling:
400 g curd (not paste! too runny! use curd that is thicker)
250 g softened butter
100 g small raisins (I use black, but golden can be good too)
1 pack of vanilla pudding powder
1 egg yolk
1/2 glass of sugar
1 tsp vanillin sugar

Method
rub the yeast into the flour until you get a fine crumble. stir in the eggs one at a time, mixing carefully each time. Then add salt, sugar and milk. Beat through, then beat in the melted butter. Knead the dough on the table surface by beating and turning it against the table. when it doesnt stiick to the table any more, stretch and fold it a couple of times. when the dough has become a shiny, springy ball, place it in an oiled bowl and leave to rise until doubled in size. Beat down once with your fist and leave to rise for another half an hour.
prepare the cooking plate: spread some margarine on it or use a cooking sheet to cover the bottom. that still needs some margarine on it.
Mix the curd with the egg yolk, vanilla pudding, sugar and vanillin sugar.
sprinklea fair amount of flour on the table and roll out the dough into a long square. The way it comes out is approx. 35 x 85 cm. spread soft butter on the dough (all over). cut into 3 equal long strips. then place the curd filling in the middle part of each strip. sprinkle raisins on it, leave some for topping. fold the edges of the dough in for each strip and braid them. make sure none of the filling drop out. for better handling and lift on the cooking plate. shape into a B or an oval or a circle, whichever you prefer. brush with mixture of warm milk and the lefteover egg white, sprinkle with the remaining raisins and leave to rise for about 10 -15 minutes. cook in a 200C oven (second lower rack) for about 30 - 40 minutes. Dont bake too long, the pastry may dry. after taking out work the surface with butter to get a golden crust.

suggestion: if you ARE going on a birthday party, make the kringel a wee bit ahead so it cools down a little, it is easier to transport that way. and it also gives you enough time to still go buy flowers too.