Mother's Oliebollen

Submitted by Jenny Thetford

"Posted by request. This is the closest I can get to my Mother's recipe for the traditional Dutch "Olliebollen". She never wrote down the recipe but I helped her every year and I think my recipe is pretty close. My family think they're special and queue to take home their share every New Year's Eve!"

 

• Ready In: 2hrs
• Ingredients: 14
• Serves: 40-50

ingredients

• 1 kg all-purpose flour
• 1 liter luke warm milk
• 60 g dry yeast
• 50 g caster sugar
• 80 g soft butter
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 3 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 75 g currants
• 100 g raisins
• 100 g sultanas (or mixed peel)
• 200 g finely diced apples
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• icing sugar
• sunflower oil

directions

1. Soak fruit (currants, raisins, sultanas) for 1 hour to plump up, then drain (soaking is optional).
2. Add diced apple to fruit and stir in lemon juice.
3. Dissolve yeast into 2 cups of the luke warm milk.
4. In a large bowl, add flour, making a dip in the middle.
5. Cream castor sugar and soft butter and add to flour.
6. Add lightly beaten eggs and yeast mixture.
7. Begin to combine ingredients stirring in one direction.
8. Slowly add remaining milk stirring until thick and smooth.
9. Add fruit mixture and stir 'til combined.
10. Add salt and stir again.
11. Pour into clean plastic bucket (I buy a new one each year) or very large bowl.
12. Cover with clean kitchen cloth and let rise in warm place (ideally 30F) for 1/2 hour.
13. When doubled in size, hit side of bucket or bowl to "drop" the batter.
14. Using two spoons which have been dipped into hot (180F) sunflower oil (repeat this step as required), scoop a spoonful of batter and form oilebollen (this is somewhat an art to get right to produce perfect round shape) then slide (drop) into oil from just above oil level.
15. Fry in small batches until rich golden brown (oliebollen should turn in the oil by themselves but turn with spoon if required).
16. Remove with slotted spoon.
17. Drain on kitchen paper.
18. Sprinkle liberally with icing sugar to serve.