The rhomb-shaped, crispy klenät is a popular deep-fried pastry enjoyed in many Nordic countries. Made with the buttery yeasted dough, often enriched with various liqueurs, it is primarily rolled, shaped into a knotted trapezoid, and then fried until it turns into a light, crunchy, golden treat.
Traditionally enjoyed during Christmastime, it is best served freshly prepared and lightly sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar.
Mandelkubb is a traditional pastry characterized by its bittersweet flavor. It is best described as an almond bun. Its name and its distinct flavor are both derived from the main ingredient – bitter almonds. These are crushed and mixed with flour, sugar, eggs, and leavening agents.
Some versions of mandelkubb replace the almonds with almond oil and include sour cream or milk. The buns are always sprinkled with pearl sugar before baking. They are very easy to make and almost every bakery and coffeehouse in Sweden sells them. Mandelkubbar are usually eaten fresh with a glass of cold milk or a cup of hot coffee on the side.
Traditionally associated with Christmastime, these popular Norwegian doughnuts called smultring are prepared with a dense dough that is usually spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, lemon or orange zest, as well as various liqueurs. They are typically small in size, ring-shaped, and fried in lard.
Although they were traditionally enjoyed plain, today these crispy treats are often glazed or dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar, and are mainly sold at various mobile stands throughout the country. The variety known as hjortetakk (deer antlers) is different in shape only - two notches are made along the edges of the dough before frying in order to visually represent the antlers.
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This traditional Finnish funnel cake is prepared with a thin egg batter that is deep-fried in sizzling oil. Since it is poured through a piping bag in tangled streams, it results in a golden brown, irregularly-shaped treat that is usually served dusted with powdered sugar.
Tippaleipä is typically associated with Vappu—the annual May Day holiday celebrated across Finland—when it is often enjoyed alongside spiced sima mead.
Despite its name, Budapestbakelse is not a specialty coming from Hungary’s capital, but Sweden. Often referred to as Budapest roll, this delicious dessert consists of a pastry made with creamy meringue and toasted hazelnuts, filled with whipped cream and slices of mandarin oranges.
The pastry is then rolled and topped with melted dark chocolate, icing sugar, and dark cocoa powder. It was a Swedish pastry chef named Ingvar Strid who first introduced this scrumptious dessert to Sweden. There is a popular Finnish variation of this dessert, which calls for bananas and raspberries instead of mandarin oranges.
A layered pastry know as Napoleonbakelse is a Swedish version of the French mille-feuille. The flaky pastry is made with flour, butter, water, egg yolks, salt, and lemon juice or vinegar. Once baked, the pastry is cut into rectangles, which are arranged on top of each other and layered with vanilla custard and whipped cream.
Raspberry jam is evenly distributed over the final pastry layer, and it is then drizzled with a mixture of powdered sugar, water, and raspberry jam. This scrumptious dessert is also popular in Finland.
Karjalanpiirakka is a traditional pasty consisting of various fillings wrapped in a thin rye crust. It is traditionally formed into an oval shape, and the top is always left open to showcase the creamy filling that is nowadays mainly prepared with rice or barley porridge and mashed potatoes.
When baked, each piece is brushed with melted butter and usually enjoyed as a hearty breakfast or lunch. Traditionally, Karelian pasty is served topped with munavoi—a creamy butter and egg spread.
Skolebrød are traditional Norwegian custard buns. They're made with a combination of butter, milk, yeast, sugar, flour, and cardamom for flavoring. The custard is made with milk, cream, egg yolks, sugar, cornflour, and vanilla. The cardamom buns are stuffed with custard, then topped with desiccated coconut.
These sweet rolls are typical children's treats in Norway, and the name is a reference to the fact that skolebrød was a part of school lunches.
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These delicious mini-tarts consist of a puff pastry shell that is filled with a creamy combination of chicken and asparagus. Dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, this Danish classic is usually enjoyed as an appetizer, a light main course, or a part of a festive buffet table.
These tartlets sometimes include various vegetables and can be served either lukewarm or well chilled.
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Tebirkes is a traditional pastry originating from Denmark. The pastry is usually made with a combination of milk, sugar, salt, flour, yeast, eggs, butter, marzipan, and poppy seeds. The marzipan, sugar, and butter are beaten until smooth. The dough is rolled out and topped with marzipan butter, then folded over and left to double in size.
The pastry is brushed with egg wash and topped with poppy seeds before it's baked until golden brown. The crunchy and slightly nutty tebirkes are served warm or at room temperature.
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