We are gathered here today to make fried cookies. Klejner (sometimes spelled Kleyner), a classic Danish cookie, that's served at Christmas. Little fried knots of dough for ringing in the holiday season in Denmark.
I should probably make it clear that I am not in Denmark. I'm in Canada, but I'm of Danish descent. And Irish. But I didn't know I was Irish until I started to research my ancestry because of the high potato levels in my blood steam.
How Danish am I you ask? Well I'm Danish enough to be able to say thank you, you're welcome and pass the klejner in Danish. And truthfully I can't really say "pass the" so I just use a waving hand motion to represent "pass the"
I inherited this recipe for Klejner from my farmor (Danish for paternal grandmother) Agnes.
Klejner
Klejner are really just twisted fried donuts and they're popular in a ton of other countries as well. The shape may be a little different, the name will definitely be different, but it's basically the same thing. Fried cookie dough.
And it's SIMPLE cookie dough at that. Flour, sugar, baking soda, vanilla, eggs, milk, butter. That's it.
You just add your dry ingredients to your handy, dandy mixer and mix. If you don't have a handy, dandy mixer ... mix by hand.
Throw in your wet ingredients: the vanilla, butter and milk and mix everything up until combined. You're creating a dough.
If the dough is too sticky and really sticks to your work surface knead in some flour.
Just sprinkle it over your dough and knead away. If you're using a stand mixer, mix away.
You want the dough to be dry enough so it isn't sticky, but not so floury that it'll crack when you roll it out.
It will look like the ball up above. Except your pastry board might be different. You might not even have a pastry board. Just be prepared for a few differences when you look down at your blob of dough.
As long as it doesn't crack or stick when you roll it out, you're good.
The dough gets rolled out to ¼" thick (or even a little thinner) and then cut into 1" wide strips.
Once the strips are cut you cut them again into 3" lengths then use a paring knife cut a small hole, just off-centre in each strip.
NOW is the fun part. You turn every little strip of dough into a knot by pushing one end through the hole.
Repeat with all the dough until you have a big pile of uncooked knotty looking things.
Now whip out that deep fryer and heat it to its highest setting. If you don't have a deep fryer you can fry them in a pot. Yup. Like I said, they're fried cookies. The best kind of cookie as far as I'm concerned.
Carefully drop your cookies into the fryer. You can do about 10 or 12 at a time. Once the cookies have browned on one side, flip them over with a fork or whatever you have on hand, so the other side gets browned. They only take a couple of minutes to cook so keep an eye on them.
The cookies will be golden brown. Like you'd expect a fried cookie to be. Drain them on a paper towel.
Just before serving them, sprinkle them with powdered sugar. At this point you can either admire them or eat them. Or give them away. Or eat them.
And that my friends is how you make a Danish Christmas Cookie.
Klejner
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- 4 cups flour
- 4 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- .25 lb butter softened
- ½ teaspoon cardamon (optional)
Instructions
- Mix together dry ingredients reserving ½ of flour
- Add in remaining ingredients and mix well until dough smooth.
- If needed, add the reserved ½ cup of flour to the dough.
- Roll dough out to a scant ¼" thick.
- Cut dough into 3" x 1" strips. I use a pizza wheel for this.
- Cut a slit in the centre of each strip of dough. The direction of the slit should run the length of the strip, not across it.
- For each strip of dough, pull one end through the centre cut slit and pull through to the other side. This will form a sort of knot.
- Deep fry until the dough begins to form a golden colour.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
They're one of my favourite cookies, because I grew up on them and we all have a soft spot for something we grew up on don't we? I mean how else do you explain your lingering love of macaroni and cheese made with powdered cheese? Also these cookies aren't overly sweet. In fact they aren't very sweet at all. If you want them sweeter add a little bit more sugar.
If you don't like sweet stuff at all, then just stick with potatoes.
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Kirsten Nielsen Eads
Hi Karen
I am 5/8 Danish...tall, blonde, blue eyes born in the USA, but my grandmother was born in Denmark. These are our traditional Christmas cookies but my recipe is a bit different as well..
3 eggs
3/4 c sugar
3 TBS Cream
2/3 c melted butter
1 grated rind of lemon
1 tsp brandy flavoring
cut in rectangles, twist thru slit in middle and fry, sprinkle with powder sugar.
It's interesting to see the variations of the posts above. Thanks for sharing.
Louise
They look great but they need the zest of a lemon in them :)
Nancy
Hi Karen! As I was getting ready to make my yearly "klyner" (which my dad and my hubby call "kling-ons") out of curiousity googled it....how very interesting! My Grandma (moms side) was born in Denmark, taught my mom to make, who taught me. Mom is now 84 and living with us, but always have her cut the dough (diamonds) and "tie" (twice), I make the dough and fry...we have always used both vanilla and cardamon with a bit of nutmeg...and powdered sugar on top. Thanks for the entertaining blog...MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Karen
Thanks Nancy! This is the first year in many I haven't made Kleyner. I can't wait to make it and add vanilla and cardamon. In fact, if I have some cardamon, I might just make them right now! ~ karen
Mike
I have been helping to make these for over 50 years. I used to help my mother. Now helping my kids. Born in Denmark. Our recipe is slightly different: it includes a bit of lemon rind and also some potato flour, the dough is chilled in the fridge for a couple of hours before being rolled out, and they are cut into diamond shapes, not rectangles. In North America we cook them in Crisco shortening (the solid white stuff, not the liquid oil).
our recipe:
2 eggs
100g sugar
rind of 1 lemon
100g melted margarine
50g potato flour
250g wheat flour (normal flour)
½ tsp. baking powder
Beat eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in lemon rind and margarine.
Add both types of flour and baking powder. Mix until smooth.
Wrap dough in wax paper and allow it to cool in fridge for a couple hours.
Place dough on floured cutting board and roll into a sheet 2.5mm thick. Cut into diamonds and fold appropriately.
Deep fry in vegetable shortening until lightly golden.
Karen
Thanks Mike! ~ karen
Sandy
I am not Danish but my husband is. we make these at Christmas, and once they are totally cooled, some like to sprinkle powdered sugar over them. It does not soak in. We store them with wax paper between the layers, in a cardboard shirt box
Jakob
I'm afraid jalapenos are a relatively new addition to the Nordic kitchen, so I haven't got any recipes there. I have a few traditional biscuit recipes though, but we'll save those for later. Now it's time for scones!
Scones - Comfort food for chilly winter evenings.
850g flour (~30 ounces)
50g sugar (~4.5 ounces)
300g rasins (~10 ounces)
5 teasp. baking powder
3 dl cream (~1.25 cups)
3 dl milk (~1.25 cups)
2 eggs
Chop raisins/berries roughly.
Mix all ingredients, but hold the four; you'll want the dough the be sticky.
Roll the dough into ~1.25" thickness.
Cut dough into squares.
I haven't got a clue what it's called in English, but "paint" the top of the scones with a bit of egg.
Bake 12-13 minutes at 200C (~400 F) until they brown lightly.
Serve with tea besides a lit fireplace, preferably overlooking a snowy landscape.
You can substitute the raisins with dark chokolate and a bit of lemon zest for extra (sinful) points.
Jakob
Vila, are you still looking for that raisin scones recipe? We have a few in the notebook my wife keeps her favorite recipes in, but it's far too late to translate it right now. Just let me know and I'll type it up tomorrow.
..and just before I hit "Send" I notice the comment is ancient, oh well.. I'll just wish you all a merry christmas instead and politely point out, that the klejner should be cut into diamond shapes for the truly authentic look. Not that it would matter taste wise.
Karen
Jakob - LOL. I've seen the diamond ones. My Danish grandmother did them this way .... so that's the way I do 'em. Oh! And everyone likes a good scone recipe. Feel free to post it! I'm actually looking for an excellent jalapeno/cheese biscuit recipe too if you happen to have one of those. ~ karen!
rj
Oh, those scandahoovians! If you were to cut these on the diagonal instead of rectangle, you would end up with the Norwegian Christmas cookie: Fatigman! Fa la la!
Karen
la, la, la, laaaaaa. ~ karen!
Vilborg Gunnarsdottir
They are also made in Iceland, and called Kleinur, we do cut them in to dimonds, and use a ruffeled Kleinu wheel,
Karen
I think I have one of those wheels now that you mention it Vilborg! I should dig it out. :) ~ karen!
JessE @ LoveLifeFromScratch
Love these cookies! My grandma makes them every year for the holidays. I am 25% danish :) I will have to get the recipe from my grandma this year and try them out. Wonder how different her recipe is from this one ...
Bart
Great explaination of the best Christmas treat to be found. BUT... they are even better when the magical spice "CARDAMOM" is added, and then one must use real rendered lard to fry them. Try it.
Karen
Bart - I usually use lard. Lard is good. Can't say I've rendered any myself though! And cardamom sounds like it should definitely be added to the Kleyner, Kleiner, Klejner this year. LOVE cardamom. ~ karen!
Nancy
My Polish grandmother in N.J. used to make something similar to these but her magic ingredient was WHISKEY. Sadly she left no recipe, just eyeballed everything and they always came out perfect. Cut in diamond shape, only fried about 30 seconds. Dust with powdered sugar. Called them Chruschiki or bowties.
Jenny (The Housewife Project)
It is May and I just came across your kleiner post from Christmas time! But, being three quarters Danish and growing up watching and/or helping my grandma make kleiner, I had to comment. You've inspired me to make some - I haven't made any since before I had kids and I simply have to share this tradition I'd forgotten about with them.
Karen
Jenny - I always associate Kleiner with Christmas. The shape of them always fascinated me as a kid. Do it! :) ~ karen
Paul
Hi Karen,
My grandparents used to make these (I'm 1/2 Danish). Grammie made the dough, Bapa cut them out and fried them. They used a roller that left a zig-zag edge to the cookie (like a pinking shears would) and cut theirs in diamond shapes, so the ends were pointed. Much easier to pass an end through the slit, and prettier when they're done! My GF just made a batch today! Yummy (CRUNCH)!!! I haven't had a Klejner in 15 years!
Diane...
Today will be my first attempt at making Kleiner's as the "head chef"....Only been a helper at Mother-in-Laws in past years....Wish me luck, I am so excited....
Joshua
I'm a bit Danish as well. One set of great-grandparents were danish immigrants, and they passed down the traditions of æbleskiver and kleiner. I grew up making æbleskiver (and love to use the original danish pan, though most ours were bought here) but we rarely make kleiner, as it just isn't as big a hit. I figure if it's going to be bad for me, it's gotta taste like heaven.
Lori Gould
My Great Grandmother, Sarah, made these for Christmas every year. I have been looking for the recipe and how to make it too. You have given very colorful and detailed directions on how to do this. There are a lot of things that have been lost through the generations of convenience that I wish could be picked up again. Thank you for bringing this one back to our family.
Ali
Actually, they are not only danish, but mostly "european cookies" :) You can find it as well in Slovakia, France, Belarus, Italy, Sweden etc. :) As far as I know, you can call it "angel wings". In my country in Poland they are just "faworki" and the word "klejner" sounds really polish because of "j" inside :)
Terri
Yum - fried cookies! Dangerous...
Pam'a
I have no business at this Danish post, other than to offer that powdered sugar won't soak in and disappear if you let those Barcaloungers cool first.
Karen
Pam'a ~ That was my hope, but nope ... it still sunk in. It just took longer. :( ~ karen
jenn b
with powdered sugar these would be very similar to beignets at Cafe Du Monde on New Orleans; the sugar soaks in there also, but still delicious; thanks muchly, will help in my nightly walks around the neighborhood!!