Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr
Easy - for beginners
Serves: 4
Old fashioned Dutch donut and apple turnover An oliebol is a traditional Dutch food. Oliebollen are traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve and at funfairs. They are also called smoutebollen in Belgium.
Preparation:
In a narrow glass bowl or measuring cup, stir 1 tsp. of sugar into ½ cup of lukewarm water. Sprinkle dry yeast on top and let sit for 10 minutes. (The yeast should begin to foam or bubble if active.) Stir.
Place flour in a large bowl and create a hole or well in the middle of the flour. Add eggs, sugar and yeast mixture. Heat milk in a small pan until lukewarm, add ½ of milk to well in flour and fold in wet ingredients until the flour is damp. Add the rest of the warm milk and blend until smooth.
Cover bowl with a damp cloth and place in a warm area to rise for 45 minutes to an hour. The mix should about double in that time.
Heat oil in a deep fryer or a deep pan to 375 degrees. For best results, always use fresh oil. While oil is heating, prepare some flat containers with layers of paper towels for Oliebollen or Appelflappen, to be placed in after cooking.
For Oliebollen: After mixture has doubled, stir in salt and currants, raisins or apples if desired. Once oil is heated sufficiently, take two tablespoons to use for forming the Oliebollen. Take one tablespoon in each hand. Dip each spoon into the hot oil quickly. With one tablespoon, scoop one spoonful from the bowl. With the other spoon, scrap or slide the oliebollen mix off the first spoon into the pan of oil. Depending on the diameter of your pan, you should be able to do 6 to 8 Oliebollen at a time. The Oliebollen should sink down to the bottom and pop back up. Once the bottom of the Oliebollen is golden brown, flip over to cook the top. As long as your pan is not too crowded, you should find that the Oliebollen will begin to flip by themselves. If your spoon becomes covered with Oliebollen mix so that the mix does not slide off easily, use a new spoon. Remove from oil and place on tray or flat container that has been covered with paper towels. When cooled enough to touch, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve. ALTERNATIVELY, serve with individual servings of icing sugar for dipping.
For Appelflappen, After mixture has doubled, stir in salt. Peel and core apples and slice thickly into rounds. Dip each apple slice into the oliebollen mix so that it is well-covered and careful place in oil. Depending on the diameter of your pan, you should be able to do 4 to 5 apple slices at a time. When the bottom becomes golden brown, flip over to cook the top. Remove from oil and place on tray or flat container covered with paper towels. When cooled enough to touch, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.