Old Style Oliebollen Food

OLIEBOLLEN (DUTCH DOUGHNUTS)

Steps:

• Break up the compressed yeast, and stir into the warm milk. Let stand for a few minutes to dissolve. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Stir the yeast mixture and egg into the flour and mix into a smooth batter. Stir in the currants, raisins and apple. Cover the bowl, and leave the batter in a warm place to rise until double in size. This will take about 1 hour.
• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer, or heavy deep pan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Use 2 metal spoons to shape scoops of dough into balls, and drop them carefully into the hot oil.
• Fry the balls until golden brown, about 8 minutes. The doughnuts should be soft and not greasy. If the oil is not hot enough, the outside will be tough and the insides greasy. Drain finished doughnuts on paper towels and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve them piled on a dish with more confectioners' sugar dusted over them. Eat them hot if possible.

OLIEBOLLEN - THE NO-YEAST VERSION.

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar.
• Add the remaining ingredients in batches, mixing well and adding the fruit last.
• The amounts are only guides- you are aiming for a thickish batter.
• Heat up the sunflower oil for deep frying and drop scant tablespoons worth of dough.
• Deep fry for about 5-7 minutes- they are self turning.
• If you are too generous with the amount the doughnuts sink to the bottom of the pot and stick.
• Not a good idea!
• Too small and they overcook.
• The aim is to have a golden doughnut that is cooked right through.

OLIEBOLLEN - TRADITIONAL DUTCH DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in the milk, leave for a few minutes to get frothy.
• Mix the flour, salt and sugar.
• Add the eggs and the yeast-milk mixture to the flour.
• Use a wooden spoon, whisk (needs to be a sturdy one) or dough-hooks and a mixer to mix everything together.
• Keep mixing for about 10 minutes to develop the gluten.
• Mix the raisins and apple through.
• Cover the bowl and leave to rise for about 1 hour.
• Heat the fat in a deep fat fryer or suitable pan to 170C.
• Form spheres from the risen batter with 2 spoons, or an ice cream scoop, dipped in the hot fat and let them slide into the hot fat.
• Bake them until brown, in 4-6 minutes. When the temperature of the fat is correct, the oliebollen will turn their selves over when the first side has browned enough.
• Take the oliebollen from the fat with a slotted spoon, place them in a colander to get rid of most of the fat, then place them in another colander layered with kitchen paper towels. Use more kitchen paper towels between the layers. The towels will absorb the remaining fat.
• Use the same method to bake the rest of the dough.
• Eat hot, cold or reheated in the microwave and dusted with sugar.

OLD STYLE OLIEBOLLEN

Steps:

• Tear yeast into small pieces; stir into warm water until dissolved. Add beer; let stand for 5 minutes.
• Stir hot water and raisins together in a bowl; let stand until plumped, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess water.
• Combine flour and salt in a large bowl; stir in yeast mixture and beaten eggs. Mix in raisins and apple. Cover with plastic wrap; leave dough in a warm place to rise, 8 hours to overnight.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Shape scoops of dough into golf-ball-size balls using 2 metal teaspoons; drop carefully into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

OLIEBOLLEN | DUTCH DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the lukewarm milk with the yeast and sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, sift the flour with salt. Make a well in the center and crack the egg into it. Add the yeast mixture and beat with an electric hand mixer, adding more milk if needed to make a thick batter the consistency of a cake batter. Cover the batter and set it aside in a warm place to rise for 1 to 2 hours.
• In a large sauté pan or deep-fry pan set over medium-high heat, warm the oil to 350°F (180°C). Using 2 oil-slicked teaspoons, make balls of batter no larger than 2 inches (5-cm) in diameter, sorta like a large golf ball, and let them slide into the hot oil. Depending on their size, you can fry 4 to 8 at a time. Cook until golden outside and cooked through inside, flipping halfway through cooking, about 6 minutes, depending on the size. Drain on paper towels.
• Serve warm, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

OLIEBOLLEN

Steps:

• Put flour in a bowl with the salt and make a well.
• Add the yeast, which has been dissolved in a little warm milk.
• Add remaining milk, currants and the apples if using.
• Beat to smooth and airy, cover and let stand in a warm spot for 1 hour.
• Heat oil in a deep pan until very hot and fry the oliebollen quickly-you want them golden and cooked through. Turn half-way through the cooking process.
• Remove and drain on paper towels.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

DUTCH APPLE BEIGNETS (APPELFLAPPEN)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of sugar into 1/2 cup of lukewarm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow to stand for 10 minutes (if the yeast doesn't bubble, discard and buy new yeast as it means the yeast is no longer active). Stir to combine and set aside.
• 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 (it should be 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.
• Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel and allow to rise in a warm area for about 1 hour. Once the dough has doubled, stir in the salt. The dough should be very slack and have an almost thick batter consistency.
• Heat the oil in a deep pan or in a deep-fat fryer to 350 F/180 C. 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.
• Peel, core, and slice the apples into thick rounds.
• Using your fingers or tweezers, dip the apple slices into the dough mixture shaking off any excess batter. Gently drop each apple round into the hot oil.
• The fritters will sink to the bottom of the pan and then pop right back up. You should be able to fry at least 6 fritters at a time. Fry until golden brown on both sides, carefully flipping only once when required. Drain on a tray lined with paper towels.
• Sieve confectioners' sugar over the apple beignets along with a dusting of ground cinnamon, and serve warm.