''Klenät'', ''kleinur'', ''klena'', ''klejne'', ''kleina'', ''kleyna'', and ''fattigmann'' are all names for Angel wings, a fried

pastry Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" suggests ...

common in the Nordic countries as well as the rest of Europe and the United States. In nearby countries (such as Lithuania, is found under the name ''žagarėliai'') and Eastern European countries (such as

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...

under the name of ''minciunele'' or

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

, under the name ''krepli'', rus , крепли). The name is related to ''klen'', the Swedish term for "slender", but is originally of Low German origin, which may indicate that the pastry was originally German. It is made from flattened

dough Dough is a thick, malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops. Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes yeast or other leavening ag ...

cut into small trapezoids. A slit is cut in the middle and then one or both ends pulled through the slit to form a "knot". The kleina is then deep-fried in oil or another kind of fat. Subsequently can be sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon. In Scandinavia, klenäter are traditionally eaten around

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

, most commonly in the southern parts of Sweden, and

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

, the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic archipelago, island group and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotlan ...

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is ...

and

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...

, the

Baltic states The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, ...

, as well as

Northern Germany Northern Germany (german: link=no, Norddeutschland) is a linguistic, geographic, socio-cultural and historic region in the northern part of Germany which includes the coastal states of Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Lower Saxony an ...

. They may be sprinkled with sugar. Icelandic ''Kleinur'' are a very common everyday pastry, sold in bakeries (singly) and stores (in bags of ten or so) all around the country, and eaten plain. Klenäter are similar to the American cruller.

History

Klenäter are an old type of pastry and are mentioned in Denmark as early as the 14th century and appearing in Danish and Icelandic cookbooks in the 18th century and 19th century. They are also referenced in a Swedish poem by

Anna Maria Lenngren Anna Maria Lenngren, née ''Malmstedt'' (June 18, 1754 – March 8, 1817), was one of the most famous poets in Swedish history. Her father and brother were also poets. One of her best-known poems is ''Några ord till min kära dotter, ifall jag ...

from 1800, called ''Grevinnans besök'' (English: ''The Countess' Visit''). In the poem, a countess is invited to a dinner party at the home of a pastor, where she is served klenäter as part of the

entrée An entrée (, ; ) in modern French table service and that of much of the English-speaking world (apart from the United States and parts of Canada) is a dish served before the main course of a meal. Outside North America, it is generally synony ...

. Klenäter also frequently appear in Christmas stories by famous Swedish author

Selma Lagerlöf Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf (, , ; 20 November 1858 – 16 March 1940) was a Swedish author. She published her first novel, ''Gösta Berling's Saga'', at the age of 33. She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, which she was ...

, winner of the

Nobel Prize in Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 ...

in 1909.

Regional variations

In Norway, klenäter are known as ''fattigmann'' (English: ''poor man''), or ''fattigmannsbakkels'' (English: ''poor man's pastry''), because, it was said, the high cost of making the cookies could leave you impoverished (''fattig''). Fattigmann tend to be made with

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus '' Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, brea ...

cardamom Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They are r ...

and a dash of

cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appellat ...

as well as the other ingredients listed below. They are also eaten in the areas of North America where Scandinavians settled during the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. A similar pastry called "calzones rotos" (literally "broken panties") is eaten during winter in Chile.

Preparation

The dough for klenäter is made from

flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many c ...

egg yolk Among animals which produce eggs, the yolk (; also known as the vitellus) is the nutrient-bearing portion of the egg whose primary function is to supply food for the development of the embryo. Some types of egg contain no yolk, for example bec ...

s, sugar, and

margarine Margarine (, also , ) is a spread used for flavoring, baking, and cooking. It is most often used as a substitute for butter. Although originally made from animal fats, most margarine consumed today is made from vegetable oil. The spread was orig ...

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food), spread, melted a ...

. The

is rolled out and then cut into strips, in Iceland often with a special cutting wheel called a ''kleinujárn''. (A pizza cutter can also be used.) The size may vary, but about long is typical. The uncooked strips are covered with plastic wrap and left to rest for two hours in a cold place. They are then fried in oil or sometimes

lard Lard is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig.Lard
entry in the ...

and the dough expands into shape. Traditionally, Icelanders fried ''kleinur'' in sheep

tallow Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, primarily made up of triglycerides. In industry, tallow is not strictly defined as beef or mutton fat. In this context, tallow is animal fat that conforms to certain technical criteria, inclu ...

, but today oil is typically used. Lemon juice, ''

brännvin Brännvin is a Swedish liquor distilled from potatoes, grain, or (formerly) wood cellulose. It can be plain and colourless, or flavoured with herbs and spices. Beverages labelled ''brännvin'' are usually plain and have an alcohol content betwee ...

'' or

are optional ingredients in klenäter. Water mixed with

acetic acid Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main componen ...

can be used instead. An alternative type of klenäter is ''smördegsklenätter'' (English: ''

puff pastry Puff pastry, also known as ', is a flaky light pastry made from a laminated dough composed of dough (') and butter or other solid fat ('). The butter is put inside the dough (or vice versa), making a ' that is repeatedly folded and rolled out bef ...

klenäter''). Klenäter should be kept in a dry place. The non-fried dough can be preserved in a refrigerator for a week. Klenäter are best served medium-warm and newly baked.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Klenat Danish cuisine Swedish pastries Norwegian cuisine Icelandic cuisine Doughnuts Deep fried foods Christmas food

History

Regional variations

Preparation

See also

References

External links