Published: · Modified: · About 4 minutes to read this article. · By Kim Nielsen
Traditional and old-fashioned recipe for Danish Klejner (Fried twists). This is one of the most famous Danish Christmas cookies that you can make. Fresh and hot from the deep fryer - it does not get any better than this.
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No Christmas without klejner! Klejner is an old and very traditional Danish Christmas snack served throughout the month of December. A klejne is a small piece of dough shaped/twisted like a small knot or diamond and then deep-fried until it is crisp and golden.
See also: Original recipe for famous Danish Butter Cookies
In Denmark it is possible to buy klejner at almost every super market at Christmas. However, we always make our klejner ourselves. We believe that the homemade version is way better compared to the klejner from the super market. Some people think it is difficult to make them yourselves but actually it is pretty easy. It does take some time, though.
We normally estimate about 2-3 hours to make a batch of klejner. The dough is really easy and simple to put together. However, the dough must rest for about 1 hour and then it takes about 1 hour to shape/twist all the klejner. The twisting of the klejner can actually be quite fun especially if you have kids that can help. As said, a traditional klejne is twisted like a small knot but you can also try make all kind of different shapes like circles and squares - it is basically only your imagination that is the limit. When you have made klejner out of the dough they need to be deep-fried. In this step it is important to keep a high temperature on the oil. A deep-fryer is the best option. However, you can also just use a sauce pan and heat the oil on your stove.
We think that the klejner are best when they are freshly cooked and still a little warm. However, they are also good the days after. If you are interesting in other traditional Danish Christmas recipes you can find some in our archive.
Danish Fried Twists (Klejner)
Traditional and old-fashioned recipe for Danish Klejner (Fried twists). This is one of the most famous Danish Christmas cookies that you can make. Fresh and hot from the deep fryer - it does not get any better than this.
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Prep Time: 1 hour hour
Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes
Course: Nordic Christmas
Cuisine: Danish
Keyword: Nordic Christmas
Servings: 6 people
Author: NordicFoodLiving.com
Ingredients
Metric - US Customary
- 3 eggs
- 150 g sugar
- 150 g butter soft
- grated lemon peel optional
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 l oil for frying
Instructions
In a large bowl, whip egg and sugar into a light and fluffy mixture.
Add the soft butter and some grated lemon peel, whip well. Keep whipping until the mixture has an even consistency.
In a separate bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, baking soda and cardamom. Add the flour mixture and the heavy cream to the butter mixture and knead it well together. The dough must have a uniform consistency.
Leave the dough in the fridge for about 1 hour. This will make it a bit more firm.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it has a thickness of about 0.5 cm (1/5 inch).
Cut the dough into long strips with a width of about 4-5 cm (1.6-2 inch).
Then cut the dough into slightly tilted strips. The result should be small 5x5 cm (2x2 incdiamond/rhomboid shaped dough pieces (see the pictures on NordicFoodLiving.com).
Cut a small 2 cm (4/5 inchole in each of the small dough pieces.
The dough pieces are now ready to be folded. This is actually pretty easy once you have learned the technique. Take one of the sharp corners and fold it through the center hole and pull it a little (see picture and video guide below).
In a deep-frier or sauce pan; heat up the oil to about 180 C (360 F).
Fry the klejner for about 2-3 minutes or until they are nice and golden. Flip them over a couple of times.
When the klejner are done; put them on a sheet of paper towel. This will absorb the excessive oil.
Keep the klejner in a cookie jar or cake tin. They are best when they are still a little warm.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Judy
As a Kenyan living in Denmark, I can tell you that klejner are very similar to (Kenyan) mandazi. I love the two snacks.
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Kim Nielsen
Hi Judy. Thanks for you comment - I have never hear of Mandazi before. I just Googled it and they indeed look very similar.
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Attychck
These are a must have for my family! We are Jensen’s. My grandparents came to the U.S. and we always have these at Christmas. I looked up the recipe because I was showing it to some non-Danish friends.
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Gwen Gielfeldt
My farmor was also a Jensen! Her name maiden name was Stella Helene Jensen.
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Jenny Jorgensen
I am going to try the klejner's and wonder what they are cooked in . Is it coconut oil? Thank you
My dad is Danish and my stepmother has suggested that I try making this for him as a pre-Christmas pleasure.Reply
Kim Nielsen
The original way is to use Palmin, which is a type of solid fat. However, I'll recommend you to use sunflower oil.
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Karen A Delegan
My Grandmother used lard. I have fried them in both lard and in oil and lard is really the best. (It is Christmas) !Reply
Linda
Thank you, Kim! I am very grateful for your recipe. My grandmother used to make them many decades ago, and I’ve never found a recipe that seemed close to hers until now. Very excited to make them! Is storage in a tin the best way to keep them crisp? Thanks!
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Kim Nielsen
Hi Linda. You are welcome. I'm happy that you like the recipe. Yes you can keep them in a tin to keep them crisp :-)
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Linda Green
Thanks again. Can't wait to make them in a few weeks! Merry Christmas!
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Birgit K Rogers
so happy to have found this , we are unable to make it to Denmark this year for Christmas and its Not Christmas without Klejner and Peppernuts, making my peppernuts tonight and the klejner next week, thank you again, so exited you saved Christmas this year.
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Kim Nielsen
You are very welcome. I hope that you like these homemade cookies :-)
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Birgit K Rogers
so I was trying to make klejner tonight but the dough is so sticky and '"wet" was unable to pull it off the counter top, so do I just add flour until it becomes manageable ??
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Jess
Hey Bigit!
I made this recipe a couple days ago and found it was a little sticky too. To work with it, I rolled small bundles of the dough, about the size of two fists, to keep in manageable. I floured my rolling surface, rolled about 3 times, then picked up my dough, re-floured and continued rolling. I did this 2 - 3 times. The taste wasn't sacrificed at all, and my counter tops thanked me. :)Reply
Debora
My entire family is from København and this is the same recipe we have used for years. Great job!
And we do finskbrød as well.Come from the Kjeldsen and Lauridsen clans.
Merry christmas
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Kim Nielsen
Merry Christmas. I am happy that you like the recipe. Regards Kim (NordicFoodLIving.com)
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Robert Banzet
My Danish Mother came from Langland Denmark nd i love this recipe. My mothers recipe has been lost and this recipe is about the same that I have lost, Thanks
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Jessica Cremer
Our family uses a similar recipe, referred to as "Klinas" where Bakers Ammonia is used as the leavening, which results in a long lasting crisp cookie while the Baking Soda yielded something closer to a donut. We always fry in lard, as well. It has been made without spices or citrus and not served with the powdered sugar coating.Reply
Darlene Ragsdale
My grand father came to the US early in the 1900's. He met my grandmother in West Virginia. He told her about kleijners. She had no idea what was in it. The final recipe was trial and error. All my life she had me help her with them. I have continued this with my son then his children. Actually her recipe is very close to yours. Thank you for having it here for people to see.
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Deanna
I married into a Danish family 40 years ago and learned how to make Kliners. I make them several times a year and they don't last very long!
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Peter Gartner Randrup
Our family made Klejner every Christmas, Now that my parents are gone I try to make a small batch each year. Our family LOVES them! Never met anyone who didn't enjoy them My sister bought some last week in a Scandinavian food store but they didn't didn't taste right....apparently made without cardamom. Don't get it. Thant's one of the things that makes them so delicious. When we were young Mom had to keep an eye the huge glass Klejner jars.so we (5 children) didn't gobble them up to quickly. They are fairly easy to make. The time consuming part is when you have to cut the dough into the right shape (some were not perfect) twist them inside out and cook them in the hot oil. We had to make tons of them. We never dusted ours with icing sugar and we didn't add lemon zest. Had to watch closely so they didn't get to dark. Both my parents were Danish (100% of my ancestors also) so we had a number of Danish customs we tried to keep alive. We had a smorgasbord Boxing Day and New Years day.
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Kathleen A Dombrowski
Hello Kim,
I am making my Klejner tonight and took a little break. I have never Googled Klejner but just did and you were my pick. I am 1/2 Danish my Mother was a Jensen. I married a Polack and they make Kruschicki which are very similar. I make 2 huge batches of Klejner for Christmas. Since the advent of dough hooks on mixers my dough is perfect every time. My recipe is a little different than yours I use ammoniated baking powder and fry mine in peanut oil. Years ago we used lard which is how the Danes in Denmark make them. My Uncle made us all Klejner Cookie Cutters one year for Christmas and it works awesome. All my cousins and their children know how to handle and roll dough it's in our blood.Reply
Kim Nielsen
Hi Kathleen. I'm happy that you like my recipe. Klejner is one of my favorite Christmas cookies and I know that some people have slightly different recipes but that is just good to have a little variations from time to time. :-) Regards Kim (Nordicfoodliving.com)
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Carole McNaughton
My Oldemore used to make these when she came to visit, years ago. I want to keep this Danish tradition alive. I was typing her klejner recipe for my children and needed a picture. May I use the picture of your Klejner on the paper towel?Thank you-
CaroleReply
Kim Nielsen
Hi Carole. Thanks for your comment on my recipe for Klejner. Yes you can use the picture :-) Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)
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PETER RANDRUP
One time I had the Klejner dough ready to go and was about to roll it out flat when I realized I had forgotten to add the melted margarine - it was still sittingon the stove! What to do? I added the margarine to the dough and mixed it together really well - convinced that they wouldn't be edible. They turned out slightly crisper than normal but still very tasty!
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Rikke
Hej Kim,
Jeg har tilladt mig, at linke til din Klejne opskrift i en FB gruppe (Best cookie recipes ever). Håber det er OK - ellers fjerner jeg selvfølgelig link igen.
God dag til dig :-)Reply
Kim Nielsen
Hej. Det er naturligvis helt OK :-) Jeg er kun glad for at du har lyst til at linke til min side. vh Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)
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Kirstin Nielsen
How long do these keep/how far in advance can I make them? Normally they get eaten right away, but I want to include them on my cookie trays.
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Kim Nielsen
As your are saying - normally they get eaten right away. But I remember my grandmother use to keep them in a jar for about a month or so. It should be airtight. I have never try having them until they go bad so I would not know for sure. Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)
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Fred
Not sure if these are the same or not and my spelling is most likely wrong. My mother used to make something that looked alot like these but she called them krumijungen (sp). She grew up right on the German/Danish border (Flensburg-Kappeln) and spent alot of time in Denmark when she was young. I can't wait to finish frying them to compare the taste. They are going to be part of her Christmas gift from my daughter to her.
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