Take a bite out of the world of Danish pastries (2024)

What to eat when. The Danish cake calendar

Pick a special occasion, and there’s a cake for it!

Birthdays: Time to eat a kagemand or kagekone (a cake baked in the shape of a man or woman) or, if you’re over the age of 10, a layer cake (a light sponge cake cut into lots of layers, with cream inbetween and berries on the top).

Christmas: Prepare yourself for a cake fest, with butter cookies, cinnamon and cardamom cookies, brunkager, small round vanilla biscuits called vaniljekranse and much more. The one thing they don’t eat is Christmas Cake – raisins do not feature in a typical Danish cake.

New Year’s Eve: At New Year it is traditional to eat kransekage, a tower of 18 of more ring-shaped layers made from almond, egg and sugar. Eaten as the clock strikes midnight (and after we've jumped into the New Year) it's served with a glass of bubbles to welcome the New Year.

February: Seven weeks before Easter, Denmark celebrates Fastelavn with a special type of cream-filled bun called fastelavnsboller that you’ll see everywhere in bakeries and supermarkets.

St. Bededag: On the fourth Friday after Easter, Denmark celebrates ‘Great Prayer Day’ by baking cardamom wheat buns called varme hveder. You can buy them everywhere or make them yourself– just be sure to eat them warm.

Summer: Danish strawberries are so full of flavour that it makes sense that summer is celebrated with a strawberry tart called jordbærkage, topped with fresh strawberries.

Take a bite out of the world of Danish pastries (2024)

FAQs

Why do Americans call pastries Danish? ›

Danish pastry was brought to the United States by Danish immigrants. Lauritz C. Klitteng of Læsø popularized "Danish pastry" in the US around 1915–1920.

What is the famous Danish pastry called? ›

Specifically, the famous Danish pastry wienerbrød was first developed by Austrian bakers who immigrated to Denmark during a worker's strike. Other European desserts, such as profiteroles and riz à l'impératrice, have inspired the development of Danish desserts.

What do the Danish call Danish? ›

There's more than one type of 'Danish' in Denmark – and to make things even more confusing, we call them wienerbrød or Viennese bread, as the inspiration for them came from a trip a Danish baker took to Vienna back in the 19th century.

Can you freeze Costco Danish pastries? ›

The two-box deal does leave you with a lot of pastries (eight, in total), but according to Reddit users, the danishes freeze “exceptionally well” with no change to the flavor. Bonus: If they ever disappear again, you'll have a perfectly tasty supply available. Another hot tip?

What is a Danish pastry called in Germany? ›

To this day, pastries inspired by these "suitcase bakers" are known as Kopenhagener Geback (Copenhagen-style pastries) in Germany, Kopenhageners in Austria, and, of course, simply Danish in most of North America and Great Britain.

Why are Danish pastries so good? ›

These Austrian bakers introduced their method of laminating dough with butter, which creates the flaky, layered textures now synonymous with Danish pastries. They also brought their unique flavor combinations and fillings, such as custards, jams, and cream cheese.

What do danes eat for breakfast? ›

Typical Danish breakfast is bread (white or rye bread) with cream or soft cheese, sausage, cured cold meat or jam with coffee or tea. Among popular breakfast dishes are also cereals and porridge. One of the most interesting things and a very traditional Danish food you can eat in Copenhagen is øllebrød.

What is the difference between croissants and Danish pastries? ›

Like brioche, Danish pastries contain eggs, which is one of the main differences between these pastries and croissants. Danish pastries contain eggs because the dough needs to be sturdier in order to add fillings. During the lamination process, Danish pastries are not folded as many times as croissants.

What is the difference between puff pastry and Danish pastry? ›

DIFFERENCE PUFF PASTRY

First of all Danish pastries contain a high level of fat: 40%. The second difference is that Danish dough contains yeast and that isn't the case for puff pastry. This is the reason that after baking, puff pastries contain a more airy structure and a more crispy bite.

What is slang for hi in Danish? ›

With hej, you're always on the safe side in Denmark. Pronounced just like “hi” in English, this is the simplest and most common way to greet someone in Danish.

What is a Danish person called? ›

The people of Denmark are known as Danes. They are Nordic Scandinavians, many of which are blond, blue-eyed, and tall. In the southern part of the country, some people have German ancestry.

What is the Danish accent called? ›

While there are relatively a small number of speakers, there are numerous dialects found throughout the country, broadly categorized as Insular Danish (ømål), Jutlandic (jysk), and Bornholmsk dialect (Bornholmian). Rigsdansk [ˈʁisd̥ænˀsɡ̊] is the common name for Standard Danish.

Does Costco have danish? ›

Bon Appetit, Gourmet Danish, Variety Pack, 3 oz, 18-Count | Costco.

Do Danish pastries need to be refrigerated? ›

Baked Danish pastries are best enjoyed the same day they are made for optimal flakiness and freshness. However, they keep well in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How to fold a danish pastry? ›

Pinch the edges of dough together with your fingers. Roll each piece out to a 20x12-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds like a letter. Repeat rolling and folding one more time.

What does Danish mean in the United States? ›

Danish in American English

1. of or pertaining to the Danes, their country, or their language. noun. 2. a North Germanic language, the language of Denmark, closely related to Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic.

What does Danish mean in baking? ›

A Danish pastry, often known as simply “a Danish”, is a layered, sweet pastry baked with Danish pastry traditions. This type of baking involves using yeast-leavened dough or puff pastry with added ingredients such as butter, eggs, milk, cream, and sugar to make the pastries richer and sweeter.

What do they call pastries in the UK? ›

A pasty (/ˈpæsti/) is a British baked pastry, a traditional variety of which is particularly associated with Cornwall, South West England, but has spread all over the British Isles, and elsewhere through the Cornish diaspora.

What is the term Danish pastry? ›

Definition of 'Danish pastry'

Danish pastries are cakes made from sweet pastry. They are often filled with things such as apple or almond paste.

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