Chocolate Pecan Caramel Kringle

It's Jennifer's birthday today, so I made my first Kringle. Actually, it's King Arthur's #bakealong version of Kringle, with a Chocolate Pecan Caramel topping. (I made 4, and will take 3 to social hour tomorrow.)

Ingredients:

Base Layer:

• 4 ounces butter, cut into pats
• 4 1/4 ounces All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 ounces cold water 
   

Pastry Layer:

• 8 ounces water
• 4 ounces butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/4 ounces  All-Purpose Flour
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon rum flavor or vanilla (optional)
   

Topping:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups pecans, toasted
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate 
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon milk
   

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line a 11” x 17” baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. For the base:
   Combine the butter, flour, and salt in food processor, mixing until crumbly. Add the water, and stir to make a soft, sticky dough.
3. Dump dough on floured surface, divide in half.
4. Roll each half into a 9” or so log, and shape into a circle on the sheet pan.
5. Flatten the dough (with wet or floured hands) into a 1.5 to 2” wide circle.




6. For the pastry layer:
   Heat the water, butter, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat boiling and butter has melted in.
7. Add in the flour, stirring with a spatula until the dough is cohesive and starts to form a ball.
8. Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl, let cool for a couple of minutes.
9. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully mixed in efore adding the next.
   (Optionally add the flavor with the last egg.)
10. Spread the pastry dough evenly along each base ring, covering the ring completely. Smooth it out with a spatula.




11. Bake the kringles for 45 to 55 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown. 
12. When the kringles are golden brown, remove from oven and allow to cool completely on pan. (This may take 15 minutes or so.) 




13. After you remove kringle from oven, drop temperature to 300 and toast  pecans for about 8 to 10 minutes in the oven. After toasting, remove from oven and let cool.
14. For the topping:
    Place butter in a 24-ounce microwave-safe bowl. 
15. Microwave on high 45 seconds. 
16. Add brown sugar, cream, and salt; stir to combine, and microwave on high 45 seconds. 
17. Carefully remove, stir, and microwave on high 30 seconds.
18. Drizzle the caramel sauce on each kringle. Place pecans on kringle, pressing into caramel sauce.
19. Allow the caramel to cool.
20. Melt chocolate chips with butter until liquid.
21. Drizzle chocolate sauce over kringle.
22. To serve, cut the kringle in 2" slices.
     
    

Carole's Notes:

We liked this! The toppings were very sweet, but the pastry itself was not,

Lightly adapted from http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2016/12/01/butter-pecan-kringle-bakealong/