One of my favourite Christmas treats has always been freshly baked klejner, a really old treat dating back to the Middle Ages. As with all recipes, this has developed across the lands. In Iceland, it is slightly different from Denmark, and different also from the Norwegian version. In Sweden, it is mostly popular in the south, and rarely eaten up north. Food travels and changes. This is the Norwegian version, but if you would prefer to try the Danish version, you will find it on my food blog.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (200 ml) lukewarm whole milk
- ⅞ oz (25 g) fresh yeast
- 6 tablespoons (75 g) caster superfine sugar
- 3½ tablespoons (50 g) butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (300 g) strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 cups (500 ml) coconut oil (or any oil with a high smoking point), for frying
- icing/confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
How to Make It
- In a stand mixer, combine the lukewarm milk and yeast until dissolved, then add the sugar and stir again. Add the soft butter and egg, then start adding the flour, salt and cardamom, followed by the zest. You may not need all the flour, or you may need a bit more. Knead for around 3–4 minutes it shouldn’t be runny or too sticky, but slightly springy. Leave in a covered bowl to rise for about an hour.
- When you’re ready to cook the klejner, heat the coconut oil in a deep pan to 180°C/350°F.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface, to a thickness of around 5 mm/¼ in. Using a pastry wheel, cut into strips around 5 cm/2 in. wide, then cut at an angle, but a bit longer (6 cm/2½ in.) so you end up with diamond shapes. Cut a slit in the middle of each one. To make the knot, pull one corner of the pastry through the hole in the middle and pull gently.
- Carefully drop the klejner into the hot oil and fry, turning over halfway. Each will take 1½ –2 minutes. You will need to cook them in batches. Drain on paper towels and dust lightly with icing/confectioners’ sugar. These are best eaten on the day you make them.
