Tebirkes (Danish Poppy Seed Pastries) and Copenhagen

A recipe for Tebirkes (Danish Poppy Seed Pastries) inspired by our visit to Copenhagen, Denmark! These flaky pastries have a sweetened marzipan filling and are covered with poppy seeds.

In April 2019, we spent a week in Copenhagen (København), Denmark! I have shared our experiences in a series of six posts with recipes inspired by our travels.

Today, I am covering Nyhavn, Christiansborg Slot (Christiansborg Palace), and Strøget along with a recipe for Tebirkes (Danish Poppy Seed Pastries). 

Here are my other posts on Denmark:

• Kartoffelmad (Danish Potato Sandwich and Copenhagen: Rosenborg, Torvehallerne, and Nationalmuseet)
• Flødeboller (Danish Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow Puffs) and Copenhagen: Tivoli Gardens, Nørrebro, and Vesterbro
• Birkesvafler (Poppy Seed Waffles) and Copenhagen: Experimentarium and Den Blå Planet
• Ristet Hotdog and Copenhagen: Rundetårn, Amalienborg, and Langelinie
• Kanelsnegle (Danish Cinnamon Rolls) and Helsingør, Denmark

Copenhagen/København

Copenhagen wasn’t originally on my shortlist, but it definitely should have been!

In October 2019, I did a search for our specific spring break dates and found relatively inexpensive flights to Copenhagen from LAX. This was my first big trip alone with the kids (unfortunately Chad had to work) and the city was so easy to navigate with lots for us to do and plenty of delicious food to try.

We left Los Angeles at 5:25 pm on a Saturday, had a nearly 11 hour flight to LHR, then another 1 1/2 hr flight to Copenhagen with an arrival at 5:25 pm on Sunday.

After we landed and made it through customs, it was easy to take the less than 15 minute train ride straight from the airport to København H (Copenhagen Central Station).

We picked up a Copenhagen Card at the airport (one adult can take up to two children under the age of 10 for free, so we only needed one card for the three of us), but otherwise the trip would require a ticket that covers three zones.

This was my first experience arriving in Europe in the evening (all of my previous trips have involved leaving from the east coast of the US with an early morning arrival) and it was so nice to only have to grab a quick bite to eat before settling into our apartment for the night after such a long day of travel.

The kids nearly slept through the night immediately, but I did have a bit more difficulty adjusting to the 9 hour time difference. Overall, we still had such a wonderful time and fit so much into our week!

Nyhavn

One of the most recognizable sections of Copenhagen with its rows of colorful buildings is Nyhavn. This roughly 437 yard (400 m) long canal was built between 1670 and 1673 by Swedish prisoners to connect the old city center to the sea.

Once home to less than reputable inns and other establishments frequented by sailors and artists, the area was revitalized in the 1960s and is now filled with restaurants, cafés, bars, and historic boats.

Hans Christian Andersen even lived here (in no. 20- where he wrote his first fairytale, The Tinder Box; 67; and 18).

We visited Nyhavn twice during our trip- on our first full day via a boat tour and a couple of days later while walking. It was perfect to be able to see the canal from both viewpoints.

Canal Tour

Our first full day in Copenhagen was also the warmest. Temperatures reached into the 50s˚F (10s˚C) with sunny skies, so we took advantage and made sure to fit in a canal tour. 

There are dozens of options available. We used the Copenhagen Card to take an hour long Canal Tours Copenhagen cruise with a departure from Ved Stranden 26. 

The boat was covered with heaters under the seats and the option to open windows during this still slightly chilly day.

The cruise included a guide speaking in Danish and English (some departures also have a third option of German, Italian, French or Spanish).

It was a great introduction to the city and took us by many sites that we otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance to see.

The tour begins at Ved Stranden and makes its way into the harbor. Along the route, we were able to see Nyhavn, Royal Danish Playhouse (Skuespilhuset), The Opera House (Operaen), Black Diamond Library (Den Sorte Diamant), Amalienborg Palace, Kastellet, The Little Mermaid (Den lille Havfrue), The Sixtus Battery, Church of Our Savior (Vor Frelsers Kirke), National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet), and Christiansborg Palace.

Broens Gadekøkken (The Bridge Street Market)

In 2016, Inderhavnsbroen (The Inner Harbor Bridge) was completed after much delay and connected Nyhavn to Christianshavn.

We walked the 180 meters (197 yards) across the harbor during our second visit to Nyhavn to eat lunch at the outdoor market, Broens Gadekøkken (The Bridge Street Market), located just on the other side of the bridge.

I often seek out food halls while traveling and there was definitely no shortage of unique offerings in Copenhagen. With the children in tow, we can all choose exactly what we want to eat (which this trip usually involved Danish food for me and pizza/pasta for Evan and Claire).

Broens Gadekøkken was created as a collaboration between the owners of Copenhagen Street Food and Noma. This market features food and drinks from around the world. During the winter, the area transforms into an ice skating rink.

Kejser Sausage

Kejser Sausage features hot dogs and chocolate milk.

I went with The Usual (pork sausage with seasonal herbs in a brioche roll with relish and lime pickled red onions) and a Chokolademælk (chocolate milk- Claire was a huge fan).

Barabba

The kids split a sausage from Kejser Sausage, then shared Ravioli from Barabba while I enjoyed the Tiramisu.

The stall is no longer at the market, but Barabba now has a restaurant at Store Kongensgade 34.

Trampoline

After lunch at Broens Gadekøkken, we walked along Havnepromenade to make our way to the Lego Store on Strøget (for the second time during our trip).

We came across some trampolines built into the sidewalk along the waterfront across the street from Copenhagen Strand. Evan thought this was the coolest thing ever.

Strøget

One of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe, Strøget runs 1.1 kilometers (0.7 miles) long from Kongens Nytorv to Rådhuspladsen (City Hall Square) in Copenhagen’s Indre By.

It became car-free in 1962 (for a trial period, then permanently in 1964) along with a collection of surrounding side streets. There are a variety of shops here from local to international, souvenir shops to luxurious brands.

ILLUM

Our first stop on Strøget was ILLUM at Østergade 52. This large department store has a collection of restaurants on the top floor with sweeping views of the surrounding rooftops and street below.

I was in dire need of some caffeine to help combat the jet lag following our boat tour. Luckily, ILLUM’s rooftop has an Original Coffee (there are additional locations throughout Copenhagen).

Lego Store

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time during our trip to visit Legoland and the impressive LEGO House in Billund.

The kids were still quite happy to get their lego fix at the Lego Store at Vimmelskaftet 37. It was definitely a favorite for them and we ended up stopping by twice!

This store isn’t the largest we have been to, but we enjoyed many of the unique displays such as replicas of Nyhavn, Strøget, R2D2, C-3PO, logos over the years, and more.

They even had a Hans Christian Andersen set exclusive to Denmark. The kids especially loved taking some time to just relax and build legos between all the shopping and sightseeing.

Peter Beier Chokolade

Delicious chocolate can be found throughout Copenhagen and Peter Beier Chokolade was no exception.

We visited the week before Easter, so we were able to sample a variety of their chocolate eggs (Vagtelæg/Quail Eggs). The caramel was my favorite.

They have locations throughout Copenhagen, Denmark, and in Sweden.

Lagkagehuset

Before walking to the Nationalmuseet (National Museum- more on that later!), we had pastries at the Strøget Lagkagehuset location at Frederiksberggade 21.

There are locations throughout Denmark (and now even in New York City under the name Ole & Steen).

We tried the Direktorsnegl (chocolate glazed cinnamon roll), Træstammer (Tree Logs), Varm Chokolade (hot chocolate for Claire- definitely fitting for the weather outside), and of course a Pain au Chocolat (his go-to) for Evan.

We walked by another Lagkagehuset stand while going to our gate at the airport. Evan of course had to grab one last Pain au Chocolat before boarding the plane.

I finally decided to try their Tebirkes (Poppyseed Rolls) after seeing them at bakeries all week. This ended up being my favorite pastry of the trip. Unfortunately, I never took a photo.

The incredibly flaky layers from the laminated dough surround a sweetened buttery marzipan filling and is topped with a layer of poppyseeds (Lagkagehuset covered theirs with white poppyseeds, but I also saw others with the blue).

If I had known how good Tebirkes actually were, I would not have waited until our very last moments in Copenhagen to try one!

Christiansborg Slot (Christiansborg Palace)

The last stop on our last day was a visit to Christiansborg Slot (Christiansborg Palace). I really wish we had done this earlier, because we didn’t give ourselves nearly enough time to see the palace in its entirety.

It is located at Prins Jørgens Gård 1 in Indre By on the islet of Slotsholmen. Check the hours before your visit as the Reception Rooms are occasionally closed for events.

The current building is actually the fifth on this site. The original fortress was founded in 1167 by Bishop Absalon, but demolished following King Valdemar Atterdag’s defeat in 1370.

The second castle, Copenhagen Castle, was built at the end of the 14th century over the ruins. It was demolished by King Christian VI in 1731 to make room for a more elaborate palace which burned down in 1794.

The fourth castle (second palace) was completed in 1828, but also burned down in 1884. Construction on the present-day palace began in 1907.

While large portions of the palace are still in use by the Danish monarchy (it was their main residence until the fire in 1794), Christiansborg Slot is also the seat of the Danish Parliament, Prime Minister’s office, and Supreme Court of Denmark making it the only building in the world to hold to all three branches of the country’s government.

After stopping by the ticket office (we used our Copenhagen Card), we put on these blue shoe covers to protect the floors of the palace.

For additional protection, large bags/items and strollers are also not allowed through the rooms, but there is a cloakroom with lockers available.

Our self-guided tour of the Royal Reception Rooms included walking through the Queen’s Staircase, Alexander Hall, Flora Danica Cabinet, Princess Chamber, Queen’s Library, Abildgaard Room, Dining Hall (photo above), Green Room, Swedish Gallery, Great Hall, Velvet Room, Corner Room, King Frederik VI’s Room, Fredensborg Room, King Christian IX’s Room, Throne Room (photo below), Tower Room, King’s Staircase, and Hall of the Giants.

It was incredible to see the elaborately decorated rooms and such attention to detail. I especially loved all the different chandeliers.

The Queen’s tapestries in the Great Hall are another highlight not photographed. Designed by Bjørn Nørgaard, these 17 tapestries were a gift for Queen Margrethe II’s 50th birthday in 1990 and feature over 1000 years of Danish history.

We only had time to see the Royal Reception Rooms, but other areas available for touring include the Ruins (the remains of Bishop Absalon’s original castle), Royal Stables, Royal Kitchen, and Tårnet (the Tower- Copenhagen’s highest tower).

Plan about 2-3 hours to see everything.

Tebirkes (Danish Poppy Seed Pastries)

After trying the memorable Tebirkes at Lagkagehuset, I immediately wanted to recreate them at home!

Also known as Københavnerbirkes, the Tebirkes are a type of Wienerbrød formed by folding a soft and smooth dough over many times with butter, optionally filling with a Remonce (a buttery Danish pastry filling), and finishing with a poppy seed topping.

This has definitely been one of the more difficult recipes I have attempted with multiple steps and rise times, but the combination of buttery, flaky dough with the creamy filling and crunchy poppyseeds makes it quite the fun project.

Forming the Dough

The base of the Tebirkes is created with a laminated dough (Wienerbrødsdej). Start this process the night before by bringing together the yeast dough and refrigerating for 8-12 hours.

Do not pack in the flour when measuring or you may end up with too much. To measure flour, gently spoon it into the measuring cup and level with a knife without pressing down. The most accurate way to measure is by weight.

When adding the yeast to the milk, make sure the milk isn’t too hot or it will damage the yeast. The temperature should be about 105˚F (40˚C)- just warm enough to activate. Allow to rest at room temperature until frothy, about 10 minutes.

If the dough is too crumbly and just won’t come together after mixing everything together thoroughly, add some more milk a splash at a time. Give it some time to blend fully with the flour before adding more.

Add just enough flour to create a smooth and workable dough. Too much flour or overworking will cause the layers to become dense.

Laminating the Dough

After the dough has rested overnight, bring to room temperature for 30 minutes.

For best results, use a European-style butter with about 85 percent butterfat.

Cut the butter into 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeter) thick slices and arrange over a large piece of parchment in an 8×8 inch (20 x 20 centimeter) square.

Cover with another piece of parchment and hit the butter evenly with a rolling pin to bring the edges together, then roll into a 9×9 inch (23 x 23 centimeter) square.

Once the butter is in an even layer, refrigerate for about 10 minutes. This should just be long enough to get the butter cool again. It should still be a little pliable without snapping and not completely solid. If refrigerating longer, bring to room temperature for a few minutes before placing over the dough.

Place the butter in a diamond shape over the 12×12 inch (30×30 centimeter) square of dough with the corners placed towards the center of each dough edge.

Fold in the corners of the dough to meet in the center of the butter, pinching together the edges to fully enclose the butter. You don’t want any pieces of butter sticking out.

Being careful to not crack the dough and expose the butter, roll the dough into a rectangle about 10×14 inches (25×36 centimeters) in size.

Fold 1/3rd of the dough inward towards the center similar to a letter followed by the other side to create three layers. Cover in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Repeat this process 3 more times (for a total of four in all) to create multiple layers of dough and butter. Use just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface.

Assembling the Tebirkes

After creating the laminated dough, I rolled it out into a large sheet about 18×12 inches (46×30 centimeters) in size, then divided it in half to make two 9×12 inch (23×30 centimeter) sheets.

I then spread the marzipan filling down the center of each sheet and folded the edges over to cover. The Tebirkes I came across in Copenhagen had the filling, but many areas don’t.

When folding the dough over the filling, seal the two overlapping edges together with the egg wash or some water. Make sure they stick together or the pastry slices may fall apart in the oven.

The layers need to overlap by at least an inch (2.5 centimeters). If not sealed well or overlapping enough to have a good base, the pastries may fall over while baking.

Use a sharp knife to cut the pastries into individual slices.

Since the Tebirkes are open on each side, some of the filling will spill out. The poppy seeds will cause a bit of mess too. For easy clean-up, line the baking sheets with parchment.

After assembling the pastries and cutting into individual slices, allow them to rest on the prepared baking sheets at room temperature until completely puffed and doubled in size. This will take about 2-3 hours. Do not try to rush this part. If you bake before the Tebirkes are ready, the butter will seep out and it will lose its flakiness during baking.

Brush the egg wash and cover with poppyseeds right before baking.

The Tebirkes I tried at Lagkagehuset were covered with white poppyseeds, but I have also seen them with blue. I have made them with both types and personally prefer the contrast in color with the blue.

In many American grocery stores, poppy seeds come in a small bottle in the spice section. I like to seek out the larger bags of poppy seeds at markets with Central or Eastern European ingredients. The white poppy seeds can often be found at markets with South Asian ingredients.

Want to try a different shape? Twist the dough to make Frøsnapper.

This recipe was originally posted in May 2019 and updated in March 2024.

Tebirkes (Danish Poppy Seed Pastries) Recipe

Adapted from Pilens Køkken 

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5 from 3 votes

Tebirkes (Danish Poppy Seed Pastries)

A recipe for Tebirkes (Danish Poppy Seed Pastries)! These flaky pastries have a sweetened marzipan filling and are covered with poppy seeds.

Course Bread

Cuisine Danish

Keyword almond, bread, Danish, Denmark, marzipan, pastry, poppy seed

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Resting Time 12 hours hours

Total Time 13 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Pastries

Ingredients

Dough:

• 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams) active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup (177 milliliters) lukewarm milk 105-115˚F, 40-46˚C
• 2 1/2 cups (315 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter chilled

Filling:

• 4 ounces (113 grams) marzipan grated
• 1/3 cup (85 grams) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar

Topping:

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) milk
• Poppy seeds blue or white

Instructions

To make the dough:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm milk. Stir briefly to combine and allow to sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
• Mix in the frothy yeast with milk and egg until a soft dough comes together.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.
• Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Cut the butter into 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeter) thick slices and arrange over a large piece of parchment in an 8×8 inch (20 x 20 centimeter) square.
• Cover with another piece of parchment and hit the butter evenly with a rolling pin to bring the edges together, then roll into a 9×9 inch (23 x 23 centimeter) square.
• Refrigerate the square of butter for 10 minutes, only enough to make it cool again but not completely solid. It should still be a little pliable without snapping.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the rested dough into a large 12×12 inch (30 x 30 centimeter) square.
• Place the prepared sheet of butter in a diamond shape over the square with the corners placed towards the center of each dough edge.
• Fold in the corners of the dough to meet in the center of the butter, pinching together the edges to fully enclose the butter.
• Being careful to not crack the dough and expose the butter, roll the dough into a rectangle about 10×14 inches (25×36 centimeters) in size.
• Fold 1/3rd of the dough inward towards the center followed by the other side to create three layers. Cover in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough out again and fold inwards again, then refrigerate another 30 minutes. Repeat the process two more times for a total of four times in all.

To assemble:

• In a medium bowl, beat together the grated marzipan, softened butter, and sugar to create a smooth, sticky mixture.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment or lightly grease.
• In a small bowl, beat together the egg and milk.
• Roll the rested dough into a large sheet about 18×12 inches (46×30 centimeters) in size on a lightly floured surface.
• Cut the dough in half crosswise using a sharp knife to make two rectangles 9×12 inches (23×30 centimeters) in size.
• Spread half of the marzipan filling down the center of one dough sheet lengthwise.
• Fold 1/3 of the dough over the filling. Lightly brush the edge with the beaten egg milk mixture.
• Fold the other 1/3 of the dough over the filling and folded dough, making sure about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) are overlapping, and press to seal.
• Flip the filled sheet over so the seam is on the bottom.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the sheet into individual pastries about 2 inches (5 centimeters) wide crosswise or about 6 equal pieces.
• Arrange on the prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches (5 centimeters) apart and cover the baking sheet with a towel.
• Repeat with the other sheet of dough and marzipan to make 12 pastries in all.
• Allow the covered pastries to rest at room temperature until puffed and doubled in size, 2-3 hours at room temperature.
• Place the egg milk mixture in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

To bake:

• Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
• Brush the egg milk mixture over the top of each puffed pastry.
• Cover completely with poppy seeds.
• Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 375˚F (190˚C) and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden.
• Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet and enjoying or cooling on a wire rack.