Klenät

Klenät
Alternative namesKlena, Klejne, Kleina, Kleyna, Fattigmann
TypeDoughnut
Region or stateNorthern Europe
Main ingredientsFlour, egg yolks, sugar, margarine or butter

Klenät, kleinur, klena, klejne, kleina, kleyna, and fattigmann are all names for angel wings, a fried pastry 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 or in Latvia under the name žagariņi or zaķauši depends on region) and Eastern European countries (such as Romania under the name of minciunele or Poland under the name ‘’faworki ‘’ or Russia, under the name krepli, Russian: крепли). The name is related to klen, the Swedish term for "weak", but is originally of Low German origin, which may indicate that the pastry was originally German. It is made from flattened dough 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, most commonly in the southern parts of Sweden, and Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Denmark, the Baltic states, as well as Northern Germany. 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.