For the Dutch, food is something that gives them energy and allows them to do many other things they enjoy (like cycling, in all its variations), so they don’t have a must-try cuisine.
A few years ago, I spent the Christmas holidays in Holland. I went to a swinging party for New Year’s Eve, and I have to say, I’ve never eaten so badly in my life. At the stroke of midnight, they started offering these fried puffs… DELICIOUS!
Of course, I filled up on this fantastic, high-calorie dessert. I made sure to ask one of the local dancers, whose name I don’t remember, for the recipe. Thanks for the gift…

Oliebollen

  • Preparation time: 60 minutes +2 hours rising
  • For 20 oliebollen
  • Difficulty: Average difficult recipe

  • Ingredients
  • 400 grams of baking flour
  • 10 grams of fresh brewer’s yeast
  • 350ml of warm milk
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 200 grams of raisins
  • 1 apple, diced
  • Pinch of salt
  • Icing sugar and cinnamon to taste
  1. Instructions
  2. Soak the raisins in boiling water for at least ten minutes. Drain and squeeze the fruit.
  3. Cut the apple into very small cubes.
  4. Dissolve the yeast in the slightly warm milk. Add the egg and mix. Then add the sugar, flour, and salt.
  5. Knead for 10 minutes to develop the gluten.
  6. Add the apple and raisins only at the end.
  7. Let rise, covered, until doubled in size (about two to three hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen).
  8. Heat the oil in a saucepan to 170°C (340°F). Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the boiling oil. It will form a ball. Repeat for another 3-4 portions.
  9. Fry them for about five to six minutes.
  10. Drain and serve hot, dusted with powdered sugar and ground cinnamon.

Tips to ensure the success of the dish:

  •  Frying must be done at a certain temperature, otherwise the inside of the oliebollen won’t cook. It’s therefore a good idea to have a thermometer to check the oil temperature.
  • Don’t fry too many oliebollen at once, otherwise the oil temperature will drop too much, resulting in a much longer frying time and the risk of becoming greasy.
  • Eat immediately while still warm. This dessert cannot be stored or reheated.