Danish Christmas Cookies
Christmas is coming up soon, and we are super excited for some much-needed time with family! We would say that one of the best ways to spend time with family over the holidays is baking cookies together. There are plenty of Danish Christmas cookies to choose from – see our ranking of the five best here. Whether you prefer gingerbread or shortbread, there is a cookie on that list for you!
Fried Cookies!
Today’s recipe is another addition to that list – klejner! These are twisted fried cookies that are crunchy and flavored with lemon zest and cardamom. A very traditional Danish snack at Christmas, these pieces of dough are cut into a diamond shape, then twisted and deep-fried. You can dust them in powdered sugar and enjoy with a glass of gløgg (mulled wine)! Across Scandinavia, there are many versions of this cookie, most notably a version of klejner that is much more like a doughnut! We will definitely be trying to create a recipe of that version in the future!
The Recipe: Tips & Tricks
This recipe can be a little tricky – the dough itself is quite easy to make, but the twisting process takes a little bit of practice! One end of the diamond shaped cookie gets passed through the slit in the center to create the signature twist. One tip is that if your dough breaks apart too easily, you can knead it together a little bit (not too much as you don’t want to make the cookies tough) to help the cookies maintain their structure. These cookies will keep for a few weeks if stored in a cookie tin/airtight container. Let us know if you try the recipe in the comments below, or tag us in a photo on Instagram!
Sprøde Klejner (Fried Cookie Twists)
Ingredients
- 60 grams (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 200 grams (1 2/3 cups) flour
- 50 grams (3 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold
- 1-1.5 tbsp half and half or heavy cream
- Zest of half a lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 large egg
- Neutral oil for frying (we used vegetable oil)
Instructions
- Combine cold butter and flour in a food processor until it looks like sand. If doing this by hand, just break up the cold butter with your fingers and crumble until you get to the sand-like consistency.
- Add in the sugar, salt, lemon zest, and cardamom and mix well.
- Add in the egg and one tablespoon of half and half (or cream) and combine in the processor or knead together until a cohesive dough forms (try not to overwork the dough, but you also want it to hold together!) If you need to, you can add an additional half a tablespoon of half and half or cream.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, roll out the dough to between 1/4 and 1/8 inch – the thinner it is, the easier it is to twist, but it may also tear apart more easily! If the dough is tearing apart easily, knead it together gently and it should help it hold its shape better. If it is too wet, add some flour as well.
- Cut the dough into a rectangle. Using a scalloped edge pastry or ravioli cutter, cut long vertical strips, about 2 inches apart. Then cut on a diagonal to make diamond shapes, about an inch and a half apart on the diagonal. Within each shape, cut a slit about an inch long, lining up the slit with the corners of each shape.
- Take each shape and pass one of the ends through the slit. This is what creates the twist in the middle, and it may take some practice! If they are breaking apart really easily, you can knead the dough a bit with some additional flour until it holds together better.
- Heat a pot filled with about a quart of oil (remember to keep the oil level low so when you add the cookies, the oil doesn't go above the edge of the pot!) to 350 F (176 C) – we highly recommend using a thermometer for this! If you have a separate electric fryer, set it to 350F (176C) and wait for it to heat up.
- Place each cookie twist (gently to avoid splashing) in the oil and fry for about 1 minute on each side or two minutes total, cooking about 5-6 cookies at a time. Make sure you are moving the cookies around when you first drop them in so they don't stick together. As soon as you add the cookies, the temperature of the oil will likely drop – you may have to adjust the stove temperature to keep it around 350F. If it's getting too hot, make sure to lower the temperature. We tend to just move the cookies around continually instead of flipping them halfway. Take the cookies out when they are a golden brown color as they will continue to darken slightly after removing from the oil.
- Place on a sheet lined with paper towel to drain.
- Repeat with all the dough (make sure to collect dough scraps, press/knead together, and re-roll them out! We usually get between 40-50 cookies). Let the cookies cool completely, top with powdered sugar (optional), and enjoy!
I’ve been making Klejner for 50+ years. My mom called them Klinas, no doubt an Americanization of the pronunciation. She always said the Danes did not powder sugar them, while the Poles did. Either way, they are wonderful!
Wow, that’s so interesting! I know that these are made in many other European countries and go by many different names but have never heard “klinas” before. I love how food can cross cultures and continents like that!