Oliebollen

I've been eating these for years, but I never knew what they were called until a month ago. Every year we used to drive the 8 hours (then 5 hours when they fixed the highway) to Albury to visit my grandparents, and the hours of boredom and fighting with my brother on the way were compensated by a batch of freshly fried Dutch doughnuts at the Sunday Trash & Treasure Markets.

The taste, smell and texture of those doughnuts are implanted in my memory forever - they have a beautifully crisp outer, and fluffy, soft innards. Studded with raisins and dusted with a liberal amount of icing sugar and cinammon, they were probably the ultimate comfort food of my childhood.

Recently I found the recipe here, and thought I'd give it a go - it was only when I fried a batch of these that I realised these Oliebollen were the doughnuts of my youth.

Oliebollen

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp sugar
2 small packets of dry yeast
4 cups flour
1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1 peeled and grated Granny Smith apple
1/2 cup of raisins or sultanas
8 cups vegetable/sunflower oil

Icing sugar
Ground cinnamon

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the teaspoon of sugar into 1/2 cup (120 ml) of warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top, stir, cover with then allow to stand for 10 minutes.

2. Mix together the flour and sugar in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs as well as the yeast mixture. Warm up milk in the microwave for approximately 30 seconds until lukewarm. Add half of the milk to the well in the flour and mix until all ingredients are combined. Add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth.

3. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel and allow to rise in a warm area for about an hour. Once the dough has doubled, stir in the salt, apple and raisins.

4. Heat the oil in a large, deep pan or in a deep fryer. To check whether the oil is at the right temperature, stand the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil. If little bubbles form around it, the oil is ready.

5. Use two tablespoons to form and handle the dough, as well as a slotted spoon to remove the Oliebollen from the hot oil. Quickly dip the two tablespoons into the oil and form small balls of the dough with the oiled tablespoons, then carefully scrapeand drop the dough into the hot oil. Fry at least 6 Oliebollen at a time, but don't crowd the pan. Fry until golden brown on both sides, carefully flipping when required. Drain on a tray lined with paper towels.

6. Sieve powdered sugar over the Oliebollen as well as a dusting of ground cinnamon, and serve warm.

Comments

[joanne]

I've never heard of these before but they remind me of apple-infused zeppole...which has to be a good thing!

[Sara (Belly Rumbles)]

I love how food from our youth can imprint itself on ourselves. These doughnuts look great, for me, I think a childhood craving for sure.

[Juliana]

So interesting this treats...like the idea of apples and raisins...remind me of donuts...
Thanks for sharing this recipe Jasmyne and hope you are enjoying your week :)

[yummychunklet]

Sounds and looks like a tasty childhood comfort food!

[Hotly Spiced]

Congrats Jasmyne on making these donuts. I have never heard of these before but they look magnificent and I'm sure I wouldn't be able to stop at just one xx

[Nic@diningwithastud]

YUHHHHMMMMMMM! They look great :)

[Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella]

These sound like the perfect donut! :D

[Alana]

This is so cool to read, my boyfriend's grandmother used to make this all the time apparently... but very, very badly! It's nice to see what excellent oliebollen looks like after all the horror stories I used to hear about them! Lovely inspiration behind this dish, too. <3

[Tania @ A Perfect Pantry]

Oh these look like home-made doughnuts my mum made as I grew up... but she'd always put plum jam in the middle... yum. I'll have to try your version.

[Angie@Angie's Recipes]

Yum yum! Those oliebollen look fantastic!

[Lucas @ CoverVersions.tv]

Man, the Dutch. First poffertjes, now this. They don't want me thin.