Danish Kringle

1 . Stage

Make pastry: Sift flour into a large bowl. Cut in cold butter with 2 knives or a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly, leaving pea-sized chunks. Stir in sour cream and mix well to form a sticky dough. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.

2 . Stage

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease or line a baking sheet.

3 . Stage

Prepare filling: Mix together brown sugar, 1 cup walnuts, and butter in a medium bowl until well combined. Set aside.

4 . Stage

Divide dough into 3 equal parts; return 2 parts to the refrigerator to keep cold. Roll dough into a 12x17-inch rectangle on a heavily floured surface; flour the top lightly. Position lengthwise on the work surface. Use a sharp knife to cut 4-inch long angled lines, about 1/2 inch apart, along the long edges of the rectangle. Spoon 1/3 of the filling along the length of the rectangle's uncut center. Alternately fold each 1/2-inch-wide strip towards the center, crisscrossing filling in a braid-like fashion. Lightly press together the ends of the strips to seal. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the remaining walnuts. Place pastry braid onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough to form 2 more braids.

5 . Stage

Bake pastries in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes.

6 . Stage

While pastries are cooling, make glaze: Mix together confectioners' sugar and water in a small bowl until smooth and thin enough to drizzle.

7 . Stage

Spoon or drizzle glaze over cooled pastries.