From the W1555 Buurtkrant November 2024, by Maartje
*Oliebollen = Dutch pastry similar to doughnuts
"I make them by default every year at New Year's Eve, simply because I enjoy baking a lot of them and handing them out in the street."
You will need: (for ca. 20-25 pastries)
500 g flour
½ litre lukewarm water (or ¼ litre water and ¼ litre dark beer, unrefrigerated)
2 sachets instant yeast (7 g)
2-4 tablespoons sugar (or to your liking)
a pinch of salt
a pinch of cinnamon
raisins
apple chunks
1-2 litres sunflower-, peanut- or salad oil
icing sugar
Cooking utensils:
bowl, wok or frying pan
ice cream scoop (or 2 tablespoons)
mixer or whisk or wooden spoon
TIP:
I use organic sunflower oil. I put pieces of apple through the dough, then the balls stay fluffy longer.
Making the batter:
Put the raisins in a bowl and pour (hot) water over them. Leave for a while so they soften, then pat them dry.
Put flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Pour in half a litre of water and mix with a mixer (or with a wooden spoon by hand, takes a bit longer) until you have a smooth batter.
Now fold in the raisins and apple chunks.
The batter should rise for a little over 1 hour in a warm place. To do this, cover the bowl with a damp tea towel.
Frying:
Heat the oil in a wok or in a deep-frying pan at 180 degrees. If you don't have a kitchen thermometer, take a piece of bread to estimate the temperature: at 180 degrees, the piece of bread will turn golden brown and crispy within 15 seconds.
Using an oil-moistened ice cream scoop (or 2 tablespoons), carefully scoop the batter into the hot oil.
It is better not to fry too many oil balls in the pan at once. Fry the balls until they are golden brown and crispy; depending on their size, about 5-8 minutes. Turn the balls halfway through, scoop them out of the pan and let them drain on kitchen towel.
Serve the oliebollen with or without icing sugar.
What's left over goes into the freezer - that's where I keep the oliebollen for the cold days to come. Nicely warmed up in the oven, to go with tea :-)
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