Winter & Christmas

Klejner

Klejner are small twisted diamonds of dough fried golden in hot fat. Cardamom and lemon zest give them their characteristic aroma – and they taste best while still slightly warm, straight from the pan.

Golden-brown twisted klejner on a board
Photo: fru_green / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Preparation
45 min
Cooking/baking time
30 min
Servings
approx. 60 pieces
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

Dough

For frying

Method

  1. Mix the flour, sugar, cardamom and lemon zest. Rub in the butter, then add the eggs and cream and knead everything into a smooth dough. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
  2. Roll out the dough in batches on a floured surface to about 3 mm thick and cut into diamonds of about 3 × 10 cm with a pastry wheel.
  3. Cut a slit of about 3 cm in the middle of each diamond. Pull one end through the slit to create the typical twisted shape.
  4. Heat the fat in a heavy pan to about 175 °C. Fry the klejner in batches for 1–2 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.
  5. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Once cool, store in a biscuit tin.

The story behind the dish

Klejner are a deep-fried pastry that has been known in Scandinavia since the Middle Ages. In Denmark they are among the classic Christmas biscuits.

Their name varies by country and region: in Norway they are called fattigmann, in Iceland kleinur, and in Denmark names such as "vredne drenge" are recorded too.

Enjoy it at Dansk Cottage

Klejner are best made in pairs: one rolls and twists, the other stands at the pan – and who gets the first taste is decided by drawing lots.

The cottage kitchen · Discover Søby · Experience Ærø

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In the mood for Denmark?

Dansk Cottage near Søby can be booked from spring 2027 – with a spacious kitchen for exactly this kind of dish.

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