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Icelandic doughnuts kleinur

Fried Christmas Doughnuts
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Jen’s Aunt Jerry shows us how to make Grandma Paulson’s Icelandic Kleinurs. This recipe has been passed down through generations in our family. This traditional Christmas recipe is a cross between a twisted doughnut and a cookie. Aka (Kleina). Try this delicious treat, and it will soon be a favorite in your home for the holidays.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 cup Buttermilk
  • 1 Tsp. Baking Soda
  • 1/2 cup Sour Cream
  • 1 cup Whole Milk
  • 1 Tsp. Vanilla
  • 4 Eggs
  • 2 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
  • 1 Tsp. Salt
  • 2 1/2 Tsp. Ground Cardamom
  • 4 cups Sugar
  • 5 lbs. All-Purpose Flour
  • 4 cups Lard
  • 4 cups Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk and baking soda. Once it starts to foam, stir in sour cream and pour into a stand mixer. Use a paddle attachment and set the mixer on low speed. Add whole milk, vanilla, and eggs.
  2. Continue mixing on low speed and add about 1 cup of flour. Then add baking powder, salt, cardamom, and sugar. Slowly add flour and mix until the dough is soft and not sticky.
  3. Divide the dough into four equal parts and form it into balls. Take one of the dough balls and place it on a floured surface. Dust with a little flour and roll it out to about ¼ inch thick. Using a pastry rotary cutter, cut the dough into long strips, then cut the opposite way to form a diamond shape. Make a slit in the center of each diamond shape. Then take one end and pull it through the slit so it will form into a knot.
  4. Heat lard and vegetable shortening to 325 degrees in a large pot (clip a thermometer to the pot and measure temperature when adding new dough knots into the pot). Gently drop the dough knots into the pot (fry in small batches so the pot isn’t overcrowded) and fry until one side is golden brown, then turn each one over and fry the other side until golden brown. Remove the Kleiner from the oil and set it aside on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain and cool. These Kleiner doughnuts are so delicious, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and just perfect for dunking in coffee!

Notes

Note: If the oil gets too brown, use a new fresh pot with hot oil for the remaining dough.

Find it online: https://www.shotgunred.com/recipes/icelandic-doughnuts-kleinur/