Iceland is the No. 1 country in the world for gender equality, and while researching That’s What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together in Iceland, I quickly became addicted to kleinur, a traditional Icleandic confection. Flavored with cardamom, they are similar to crullers or twisted doughnuts, and perfect with a cup of coffee , when discussing That’s What She Said.
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That's What She Said Kleinur (Icelandic pastries)
A book club recipe for Kleinur, Icelandic pastries, inspired by Joanne Lipman's THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID. The doughnut like confections are popular any time of day with a cup coffee.
Ingredients
- adapted from AllThatCooking.com
- 5 cups all purpose flour, divided
- 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 6 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- Vegetable oil for deep-frying
- Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Place half of the flour and all of the butter in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse for about 30 seconds, until butter is incorporated. Place the mixture in a mixing bowl. Add the other half of the flour along with the sugar, cardamom, baking soda and baking powder and mix until combined.
- Turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and place yogurt and eggs into the well. With your hands, work the flour into the egg /yogurt mixture until well combined into a dough. Add more flour or yogurt if necessary, but do not over knead. Divide the dough into two equal parts. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Flour a cutting board, place dough on board and dust dough with a little flour. Roll dough into a 20 x 14 inch rectangle. With a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into long strips, each about 2 inches wide. Make diagonal cuts across each dough strip to form 5 equal diamonds (add scraps to stored dough). Cut a tiny slit in the center of each diamond and very gently pull one up end up through the slit to make the twist. Repeat with other half of dough.
- Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a large pot to 350°F. Line a dinner plate with paper towels. Using a slotted spoon, gently lower about 5-6 dough pieces into the oil. Fry until one side is golden (about 1 minute), then turn with a spatula and cook the other side a little less time. Place kleinur on the plate to drain and cool. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar if desired. Repeat with remaining dough.