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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Hi Karen! I am estonian and it's really amazing, how some recipe (or it's modifications) is widely spread. these cookies have been made in Estonia also and they are called ears of pig :) (seakõrvad).
Häid jõule!
Hi Annely! Ears of Pig! I love that. :) ~ karen
Hi Karen, My name is Karen also and both my father and mother were born in Denmark. I have made Klejner for decades now. Thought you might like to try a different shape as well. Cut the dough as a rectangle on an angle ( as in a diamond shape) and make the slit in the middle pointing to two points , you still take one point and slip it through the middle and it works the same, just looks neater. The oldest Danish cook book that I have, and I mean old, recommends Crisco. I use cardamom and Almond flavoring. For the Aebleskiever we put out small dishes of powdered sugar, apple sauce and red raspberry preserves for the guests to choose from and even some like maple syrup to choose from.
Hi Karen! I'll be making Klejner this week and will indeed be adding cardamom. I've seen that shape but have never used it because my grandmother taught me to do it this way but maybe I'll give a few of them a shot to see how they turn out. :) ~ karen!
Can you buy these already made in Utah
Is there any significance to the shape of the Kleiner?
I am first generation American as both my parents moved to the states when they were children. We make Klejner every year though we put grated orange peel in...so good! We also deep fry them in Crisco shortening. Have you ever made Aebleskiver?
I should say they moved "From Denmark" to the states...
To Karen I just sugar in bowl an when cool enough to handle I roll about two at a time when I finish once I repeat hope you enjoy msbetty
I have made these cookies for years at this time of year. I had misplaced my box with all my old recipes from my great gramama and grandma so i was so pleased when i look it up and boom there it was on the next Now I can cook some this weekend Just got me a new deep fryer they are so good I roll them twice in reg sugar and also add a bit of cinnamon to the recipe that is the way i was told as a kid. good luck to all and happy holiday msbetty
Glad to help out Betty! How do you roll them in sugar? I may just have to do that myself! ~ karen
I consider myself the melting pot of America (six nationalities), married to a Swede - Norwegian for almost fifty=five years. I make Fattigman, the name used by the Swede Norsks for this recipe. But this year I am going to use this one as my grandson's girlfriend was telling me hoe much she missed having them at Christmas since her grandmother is gone. Had a terrible time finding the recipe as she didn't recall the name, but perseverance and the internet came through. Thanks so much for your web site.
Good luck with them Verna! I have *never* seen the same kleyner recipe twice. They're all different! But this is the one I grew up with from my grandmother. The only problem is, I have no idea if she was a good cook, lol. Hope your grandson's girlfriend likes them. ~ karen!
both my parents and all my ancestors are Danish, and this recipe of yours is nothing like the original, sorry but just had to let you know that. there is no baking soda in this recipe, its calls for baking amonia, and whipping creme. my mom used to make these every year for Christmas, and now that she has passed away, my older sister now makes them every year for Christmas.
your recipe has been altered. although i'm sure they are quite good, it's not an original recipe.
LOL. Well, June, Kleyner is kind of like Shortbread, there are a million different recipes. So it's not a matter of being the original recipe or not, more a matter of which original recipe. ~ karen!
June
Thanks for your comments, we have always used the baking amonia, but very hard to find anymore. I believe the whipping cream was also in our original recipe. I will be in trouble if I don't fix these tomorrow.
My Swiss-born grandmother made the same little treats every Christmas. She called them Schlieferlies.The tradition has carried on for 4 generations in our family. The recipe is very similar, but much heavier on eggs - s single batch uses 9 eggs. We cut them and fry them the same way,and dust them with sifted powdered sugar when they have cooled.
Hi Karen, my name is Maren (pronounced like car, not care).
Tak for mad and velbekomme, also the only Danish we learned from Dad. I'm planning on making Klejners tomorrow. My Mom (not Danish at all) made every Christmas till she passed away 25 years ago. We lost Dad this year, so maybe the Klejners will be a little bit of Dad on Christmas Day!
My question to you is: what type of shortening do you use?
Glædelig Jul (one more Danish phrase to add to the list)
Hi Maren - I'm sorry about your Dad. That's a tough thing to get through. It's funny you're making kleyner today ... I was thinking of making them today as well! A lot of people say lard. You can only use lard to do your kleyner. But, I'm pretty sure today I'm going to use plain old vegetable oil. But those people who prefer lard? They're right, lol. It really does add to food. :) ~ karen!
Ah, i am of Danish heritage 💕 but have not heard of these. However, my Mother-in-law was 100% Swedish and taught me to make Fattigmann at Christmas. It is very similar and Very delicious❣️. She would use that wavy little metal wheel people use on pie crusts to cut the strips. Then you cut the strips at a slant so you have a diamond. Put a slit in the middle and pull end through and fry. Sprinkle with powdered sugar😋😋😋
Goddag
My mother an her siblings could not speak English when attending school. Therefore Danish was not to be spoken at home. The language was lost to me except for a few terms. On to Christmas traditions relative to cooking. Every X-mas the family makes aebleskiver and klejner it's a good omgas. Now I have a question for you and/or your readers - grandmother use to make rhubarb pudding. To the best on my ability, the pudding was regurt or rugert??? Anyone know its reciepe or correct pronouncement??
Klejner cutters (made of metal) can be purchased in Solvang, CA. We purchased one for each of our kids.
Klejner cutters make a diamond shape wth a slit in the middle.
Glaedelig Jul
Oh my!! I am SO excited to find this/these recipe(s), the blog and the entertaining and informative comments. What a find!
I, too, am a Great Dane! Likewise, I, too, am Karen, only know a few words, (being the daughter of parents who both emigrated from Denmark as young children), and it was also my Far Mor who always cooked the Klejner.
I have to say I was starting to think with all these amazing synchronicities, I must have written this blog without remembering doing so! I was laughing out loud, feeling such a kinship with you Karen, and all the other Great Danes here. My Grandma also made her Klejner diamond shaped - LOL, and I can distinctly remember lemon rind and icing sugar. I can now hardly wait to start baking!
Mange Tak!
I am one quarter Dane and have made these every Christmas as long as I've been alive! We use heavy whipping cream instead of milk. We also use 6 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs. We also use Crisco as the oil. I don't have my recipe in front of me, but I son't think we use vanilla at all. Finally, if you cut your long strips with angled cuts, making diamonds, then make a slit lengthwise and pull the top through the dough, they make a shape that my grandmother (100% Dane, immigrated in 1924) says is THE traditional shape! We even actually have a roller tool that makes all the cuts for you!
Yes! This is the recipe my mother got from her Danish mother (I am 1/2 Danish) - funny how the ingredients vary. Here's the recipe we have, and I just made them yesterday morning - they are really, really yummy, not too sweet, & go great with coffee. My mom also identifies them as Danish Crullers:
6 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon butter (yes!)
flour - not measured - here's the guideline: Add as much flour as can be stirred with a spoon. Turn onto floured board and knead in flour until it will not stick to hands or board.
All other steps are the same, except we drain on brown paper, aka as paper grocery bags!
Mary Jo - yay we use this recipe too! except a little more butter (1tbsp) and as far as flour goes found out 4 cups works best. ... and once cooled we dust with powdered sugar!
My husband's parent (both from Denmark) father deceased mother very itt - have brought him up very Danish and I too am interested in many of the traditions as I also have 2 boys. My mother-in-law always made me Mel Boller when sick - I now find myself wanting to carry on some of her tradtions - however I am unable to find the Mel Boller press. Do you know of anywhere I can purchase this item - would love to surprise my husband hwen the cold weather comes back and make him his favorite soup (from a child). Your help IF POSSIBLE is greatly appreciated.
probably too late for Paula, but if anyone else is looking for one of these items now [2019], it's called a "bollesprøjte" and you apparently can order one from http://www.danishwindmill.com
There seem to be many different recipes for this delightful little cookie
Our recipe (family from Svendborg)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
Mix to a soft dough and refrigerate for a few minutes to make it easier to roll out. We cut ours diagonally and usually fry in Crisco shortening.
I had a round ball-shaped cookie from a friend who said it was traditional in her family and it tasted exactly like klejner! She was born in Iran and raised in Egypt. Those naughty Vikings!
Karen,
Skiby is the name my grandfather chose to emigrate from Denmark because the agent said there were too many Olsens...whatever... so here is my Grandmother's recipe (after we figured out how many handsfull a cup or many cups were, and some of this and some of that really was!)
KitchenAid Mixer (my arm used to fall off after a few batches when mixing by hand, and I needed someone to hold the bowl!)
Fry Daddy (fries just enough at a time and you can turn them easily)
1&1/4 stick of REAL sweet cream unsalted butter
5 eggs (room temp)
1 cup half and half (room temp)
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1&1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1&1/4 teaspoons salt
Approx 9 cups flour (don't faint...you probably won't use it all
Canola oil
Separate eggs. Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time and beat til creamy. Add vanilla, then half and half (add the half and half slowly so you don't wear half of it) beat until it is a lemon color. Whip egg whites until very stiff in a separate bowl, then fold into mixture on low speed. Add baking powder and salt to first cup of flour, then add to dough. add flour 1 cup at a time until dough starts to stiffen and ball up. Remove dough and knead on floured board until dough holds form (and feels kinda like a baby's butt...mom said that not me). let stand on floured waxed paper for at least ten minutes.
Rolling dough: Begin with about a softball size, and roll on floured board to abt 1/4 in or 0.7cm (I estimate, cuz I have been making them for forty years) Cut into 1 inch strips, cut on diagonal for 2 inch long pieces, and place slice in center. Fold and place on platters, dinner plates, blah blah, till all rolled out. Fry in Fry Daddy with canola oil at 350 degrees, 3 to 4 at a time until they rise to top, turn when they are a very light golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and store when cool in covered container...like a roasting pan because you will be giving them to friends, or eating them until you groan.
These are a tradition in our family and I have taught my daughter and daughter in law, who have taught their children in turn!
All my best,
Karen
Thanks Karen! Hope you had a merry, cookie filled Christmas. ~ karen!
Karen: 1/2 Danish, both of my maternal grandparents were from Denmark. My mother was born in Brooklyn NY as so was I. As a prelude to Christmas, all of my Scandinavian aunts and my mother would get together and make kleiner. They would dust them with powdered sugar and pack them in big glass jars. After school a glass of milk and as many kliener as I could get away with. I am going to try your recipe. Thank you. By the way, the only Danish words I know are from a children's game my mother used to play, kind of lie the "itsy bitsy spider" which involved tickling at the end. I can still say the words but don't know how to spell them in Danish. It was "forehead, eyes, tip of the nose and lips" then you got tickled.
Gerry - Hmm. There are a couple of Danish gals who wander around town here. I'll ask them about it. I'm sure I'll get a big long singing rendition that will indeed end with me getting tickled. ~ karen!
Karen:
The chin was also involved: The way I remember hearing the words was something like: panabean, eyestein, nasatip ayaflip, agaflip and then tickling. This is a 60 year old memory and I don't speak Danish. I did run into a Danish woman about 20 years ago who knew this game. If any of your friends can enlighten me more please let me know. Thank you.
Gerry
Exactly: pandeben (forhead) øjesten(eyeball) næsetip ( nosetip)mundelip (mouth lips) hageflip (chin) and tickling under the chin while you say "kilde kilde kilde" which means tickle tickle tickle.
It is fun for me to read about these Danish traditions that still seems to have some life in the US..and Canada. Glædelig Jul og Godt Nytår
Hi Karen;5 I've been making these for about 75 years, that tells you my age! Since my husband was Polish, they made crushki (Polish kleiners). It became a family affair every Christmas with each member taking part, mixing, rolling, carrying to the fryer, frying and then sifting the powdered sugar and packing. How hard it was to try to save them for the holidays! Oh, and since cardamon is so expensive, my daughter finds
it for me at the Indian grocers in Mass. sold by the pound. Tak!
1
Hi Virginia. Well! It's hard to come by someone who's been doing ANYTHING for 75 years, let alone one who's also able to talk about it on the Internet, LOL! I'm making Klejner this weekend. Thanks for reminding me about the cardamom! I have some in the cupboard right now. I have on idea how much to add, but I'll figure it out. :) ~ karen!
Thank-you Karen I have been looking for kleiner biscuit recipe as I am of danish decent both my mum and dads side are all danish except all the grandchildren like me. These were my favourite treat at Christmas time as a kid I will enjoy making these with my kids
You're welcome Jennifer! Scroll through the comments to see other suggestions to alter the recipe from other Great Danes. ~ karen