Description
This extra-festive Christmas Kringle is worthy of a spot on any holiday brunch menu! A puff pastry kringle filled with vanilla cream cheese & homemade spiced raspberry jam, shaped into a festive holiday star, & finished with a simple icing for the perfect kiss of sweetness – the only thing missing is a warm cup of coffee!
Make-ahead instructions included in the Recipe Notes, below.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 sheets puff pastry (about 18 ounces total), homemade or thawed from frozen (see Recipe Notes)
- all-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1 large egg, whisked with 2 teaspoons water
- spiced raspberry jam (below)
- cream cheese filling (below)
- simple icing (below)
for the spiced raspberry jam:
- 6 ounces fresh raspberries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 lemon, juiced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon Watkins Organic Ground GingerÂ
- 1/2 teaspoon Watkins Organic Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Watkins Organic Ground Nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, whisked with 2 teaspoons water
for the cream cheese filling:
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Watkins Organic Original Gourmet Baking Vanilla
for the simple icing:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
Instructions
- Soften the raspberries: Place the raspberries, sugar, & lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries are softened & broken down, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. For a smooth, seedless raspberry jam, carefully pass the berry mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. It’s helpful to work in batches, using a spatula or spoon to stir & press the berries through the sieve. Be sure to scrape any raspberries on the underside of the sieve into the bowl. Discard the seeds in the sieve.
- Prepare the spiced raspberry jam: Transfer the strained raspberry mixture back into the saucepan with Watkins Organic Ground Ginger, Organic Ground Cinnamon, & Organic Ground Nutmeg. Stir to combine, then return the pan to medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until simmering. Add the prepared cornstarch slurry, stirring until thickened slightly, 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat & allow to cool completely. Set aside to cool for immediate use, or transfer to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prepare the cream cheese filling:Â Add the softened cream cheese, sugar, & Watkins Organic Original Baking Vanilla to a medium bowl. Mix to combine well. Set aside for immediate use, or transfer to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prepare the puff pastry:Â Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper & set aside. Lightly dust a clean, sturdy work surface with flour. Carefully unfold 1 of the puff pastry sheets, lightly dusting it with flour. Use a rolling pin to gently roll out the puff pastry into an 12×12-inch square. Gently set a plate or bowl 11 inches in diameter in the center of the puff pastry. (If you do not have an 11-inch plate or bowl, you can draw out a template on parchment paper.) Using a pastry cutter or paring knife, trace around the plate or bowl, cutting the puff pastry into an 11-inch circle. Set aside & repeat with the remaining puff pastry sheet.
- Fill the puff pastry: Place the cream cheese filling in the center of the puff pastry. Leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge of the puff pastry circle, spread the cream cheese into a thin, even layer, about 1/8-inch thick – an offset spatula is really handy for spreading. Place the spiced raspberry jam over top, spreading it out over the cream cheese in a thin, even layer, about 1/8-inch thick, maintaining the 1/2-inch border around the edge. Lightly brush the egg wash around the 1/2-inch border. Place the second puff pastry circle over top. Working out from the center, press out any air bubbles then gently press down along the edges to seal. [gallery size="full" ids="24522,24525,24526"]
- Create the puff pastry star:Â Place a small bowl or ramekin, roughly 3 inches in diameter, on the center of the filled puff pastry. Using a pastry cutter or a paring knife, create 4 quadrants from the edge of the bowl to the edge of the pastry. Repeat, slicing from the edge of the bowl to the edge of the pastry through the center of each quadrant, creating 8 sections. Repeat once more, slicing from the edge of the bowl to the edge of the pastry through the center of each eighth, resulting in 16 radial sections. Take 2 adjacent sections & twist them away from each other 2-3 times. Press the ends together & shape into a point. Repeat 7 times, creating a star with 8 points. Carefully slide the parchment paper onto a large baking sheet & set in the refrigerator to chill as the oven preheats. [gallery size="full" ids="24528,24529,24532"]
- Preheat the oven:Â Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the center of the oven. Once preheated, remove the puff pastry star from the refrigerator. Lightly brush the egg wash over the surface of the star, taking care to avoid the exposed spiced raspberry jam & cream cheese filling.
- Bake the puff pastry star:Â Place the baking sheet in the oven & bake 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through as desired to promote even browning. Remove from the oven & allow to cool slightly.
- Prepare the icing & serve: Meanwhile, as the puff pastry star bakes, prepare the icing. Combine the powdered sugar & milk in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine well. Set aside for immediate use, or transfer to an airtight container & store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Once the star is cooled slightly, drizzle or brush the prepared icing all over the surface. Enjoy immediately, with coffee, hot cocoa, & plenty of Christmas cheer. Merry Christmas!
Equipment
Watkins Organic Original Gourmet Baking Vanilla®
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Watkins Organic Ground Cinnamon
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Notes
- Puff pastry:Â While you can certainly make your own homemade puff pastry, in my opinion, it’s one of those instances where our store-bought options are just as good. Puff pastry is usually sold in the “dessert” freezer section of the grocery store, next to bread dough & pie crusts. The box I typically buy contains two 9-ounce sheets of pastry, perfect for this Christmas Kringle!
- Storage:Â This Christmas Kringle is best enjoyed fresh, though leftovers will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Enjoy leftovers cold or reheat in the microwave or a 250 degree F oven until warmed through.Â
- Make-Ahead Christmas Kringle:Â If you’d like to do some prep work in advance to reduce active prep time required Christmas morning, there are 2 options:
- Option 1: Prepare components:Â Up to 3 days in advance, prepare the spiced raspberry jam (Steps 1-2, above), cream cheese filling (Step 3, above), &/or the simple icing (Step 9, above), storing as described in Recipe Directions (~20 minutes active prep). On Christmas morning, all you have to do is assemble & bake the puff pastry star according to Steps 4-8 (~20 minutes active prep). For best results, let the spiced raspberry jam & cream cheese filling come to room temperature prior to assembly.Â
- Option 2: Assemble the puff pastry star:Â Up to 1 day in advance, prepare & assemble the puff pastry star according to Steps 1-6 of Recipe Directions, above (~40 minutes active prep). Wrap the baking sheet with the assembled puff pastry star tightly in plastic & store in the refrigerator. On Christmas morning, simply bake & serve according to Steps 7-10 of Recipe Directions, above (<10 minutes active).
Keywords: kringle, Christmas brunch recipe, star bread recipe, easy star bread, puff pastry recipe