Tebirkes (sometimes thebirkes, københavnerbirkes, or grovbirkes) is a traditional sweet pastry originating from Denmark. It is made with two layers of laminated dough sandwiching a layer of marzipan filling and topped with poppy seeds.
The name "Tebirkes" comes from the Danish words "te" meaning tea and "birkes" meaning poppy seeds.[1]
The origin of Tebirkes is Austrian and dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries, even though the name refers to Denmark.[2] The pastry was introduced to Denmark by Austrian bakers who came to work in Copenhagen in the late 1800s.[2] Over time, Danish bakers adapted the recipe and added their own twist by incorporating marzipan filling and poppy seeds on top.[3][1] Tebirkes is a popular pastry in Denmark and can be found in most bakeries throughout the country.[1]
The pastry is usually made with milk, sugar, salt, flour, yeast, eggs, and butter.[4] The dough is made by rolling out laminated dough and folding it several times to create layers.[3][5]
There are different variations of Tebirkes in Denmark. The traditional filling is remonce, a mixture of sugar, butter, and either nuts or marzipan.[6] However, jam, custard, and fruit can also be used as a filling.[6] There are also different types of Tebirkes; according to Scandinavia Standard the ones filled with remonce are "undoubtedly the most popular".[7]
