A Pastry From Another Era And Today

Every year Trader Joe’s brings back a pastry called the Raspberry Kringle. It’s packaged in a white paper sleeve. To actually see the pastry you have to buy one. This year my husband and I bought it to see it.

The Kringle is a flat ring of dough filled with raspberry jelly and topped with a thin coat of icing. When we pulled it out of the sleeve its appearance was austere, seemed almost kitschy. I imagined a print advertisement from the 1940s or 1950s. We tasted it. It reminded me of pastries from a different time. It was a bit too sweet. Not a soft and airy pastry.

It’s a decadent indulgence and gives off a vibe from a time when women wore their hair in voluminous styles and men looked 50 by their 30s.

Overall, I liked it. Was it worth the money to see it? If I was hosting a party or brunch, yes.

Christian Oleson, founder and creator of the Raspberry Kringle, the official pastry of Wisconsin.