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To be honest, I'm not much into deep frying my food. Don't get me wrong--I like to eat deep fried foods (well, most of them anyway--I saw Paula Deen do a deep fried cupcake once...that's just wrong), I just don't like to deep fry at home. It's the smell in the house I'm not fond of. Some things, however, are worth digging out the deep fryer. Take, for instance, our new New Year's tradition: Oliebollen.
Oliebollen, the Dutch version of doughnuts, is literally translated as "oily balls". Not the most appetizing name, to be sure, but there is a history to these delectable pieces of fried dough. They are said to have been first eaten by Germanic tribes in the Netherlands during the Yule, the period between December 26 and January 6.…
View Full Recipe at The Dutch Baker's Daughter
,%20I%20just%20don't%20like%20to%20deep%20fry%20at%20home.%20It's%20the%20smell%20in%20the%20house%20I'm%20not%20fond%20of.%20Some%20things,%20however,%20are%20worth%20digging%20out%20the%20deep%20fryer.%20Take,%20for%20instance,%20our%20new%20New%20Year's%20tradition:%20Oliebollen.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOliebollen,%20the%20Dutch%20version%20of%20doughnuts,%20is%20literally%20translated%20as%20%22oily%20balls%22.%20Not%20the%20most%20appetizing%20name,%20to%20be%20sure,%20but%20there%20is%20a%20history%20to%20these%20delectable%20pieces%20of%20fried%20dough.%20They%20are%20said%20to%20have%20been%20first%20eaten%20by%20Germanic%20tribes%20in%20the%20Netherlands%20during%20the%20Yule,%20the%20period%20between%20December%2026%20and%20January%206.%20The%20Germanic%20goddess%20Perchta,%20together%20with%20evil%20spirits,%20would%20fly%20through%20the%20mid-winter%20sky.%20To%20appease%20these%20spirits,%20food%20was%20offered,%20much%20of%20which%20contained%20deep-fried%20dough.%20It%20was%20said%20Perchta%20would%20try%20to%20cut%20open%20the%20bellies%20of%20all%20she%20came%20across,%20but%20because%20of%20the%20fat%20in%20the%20oliebollen,%20her%20sword%20would%20slide%20off%20the%20body%20of%20whoever%20ate%20them.[1]%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhatever%20the%20background,%20I%20couldn't%20wait%20to%20figure%20out%20how%20to%20make%20them.%20I%20searched%20the%20Internet%20for%20a%20recipe%20and%20settled%20on%20one%20that%20I%20found%20on%20allrecipes.com.%20You%20can%20click%20on%20this%20link%20to%20find%20it:%20Oliebollen%20(Dutch%20Doughnuts)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20mostly%20followed%20the%20recipe,%20not%20knowing%20quite%20how%20to%20change%20it%20up.%20That%20will%20come%20with%20the%20next%20batch.%20:)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOliebollen%20are%20generally%20made%20with%20bits%20of%20apple,%20raisins%20or%20currants%20added%20to%20the%20dough.%20I%20decided%20to%20use%20an%20apple%20for%20the%20first%20batch,%20since%20there%20was%20at%20least%20one%20raisin%20hater%20in%20the%20house.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EStart%20by%20chopping%20up%20a%20Granny%20Smith%20apple.%20The%20first%20change%20I'll%20make%20the%20next%20time%20is%20to%20chop%20it%20up%20a%20little%20more.%20My%20daughter%20liked%20the%20bigger%20chunks,%20however.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENext,%20warm%20a%20cup%20of%20milk%20until%20it%20is%20about%20110%20degrees---bathwater%20warm---and%20sprinkle%20an%20envelope%20of%20yeast%20over%20it.%20While%20the%20yeast%20is%20proofing,%20%20put%202%201/2%20cups%20of%20flour%20in%20a%20large%20bowl%20and%20whisk%20in%20a%20teaspoon%20of%20salt%20(the%20recipe%20calls%20for%202).%20Make%20a%20little%20well%20in%20the%20middle%20of%20the%20flour,%20and%20add%20a%20slightly%20beaten%20egg%20and%20the%20yeast/milk%20mixture.%20Beat%20it%20all%20together%20with%20a%20wooden%20spoon%20(it%20makes%20a%20pretty%20wet%20dough)%20and%20add%20the%20apple%20chunks%20and/or%20raisins.%20Once%20the%20apples%20are%20mixed%20in,%20cover%20the%20bowl%20with%20a%20towel%20and%20put%20it%20in%20a%20warm%20place%20to%20rise%20for%20about%20an%20hour,%20until%20it%20doubled.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHeat%20up%20the%20oil%20(I%20used%20a%20bottle%20of%20vegetable%20oil)%20to%20390%20degrees,%20then%20grab%202%20ordinary%20spoons,%20dip%20them%20in%20oil,%20and%20scoop%20up%20some%20of%20the%20dough,%20using%20the%20spoons%20to%20shape%20the%20dough,%20and%20drop%20it%20into%20the%20hot%20oil.%20I%20put%20about%204%20of%20them%20in%20the%20oil%20at%20a%20time.%20The%20oliebollen%20should%20turn%20by%20themselves,%20but%20use%20your%20spoon%20to%20turn%20them%20over,%20if%20needed.%20Let%20them%20fry%20until%20they%20are%20golden%20brown,%20about%206%20minutes.%20Using%20a%20slotted%20spoon,%20remove%20the%20oliebollen%20from%20the%20oil%20and%20put%20them%20on%20a%20paper%20towel%20lined%20plate%20to%20drain.%20Sprinkle%20them%20with%20some%20powdered%20sugar%20and%20enjoy%20them%20warm.....although%20they%20are%20good%20the%20next%20day,%20split%20open,%20with%20a%20little%20jam.%20;)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20decided%20I%20wanted%20to%20try%20them%20with%20raisins,%20so%20I%20did%20add%20some%20to%20the%20dough%20after%20I%20made%20a%20few%20apple-only%20ones.%20I%20liked%20them.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThese%20had%20the%20raisins.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20wish%20the%20lighting%20in%20my%20kitchen%20was%20better.%20The%20picture%20makes%20them%20look%20like%20they%20have%20warts.%20Those%20would%20be%20the%20raisins....%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhile%20everyone%20loved%20these%20(my%20mother-in-law%20got%20a%20little%20misty-eyed,%20remembering%20something%20similar%20her%20grandmother%20used%20to%20make),%20there%20are%20some%20changes%20I%20will%20make%20the%20next%20time.%20Initially,%20I%20thought%20to%20add%20sugar%20to%20the%20dough,%20but%20that%20is%20totally%20unnecessary---the%20fruit%20and%20the%20powdered%20sugar%20make%20these%20sweet%20enough.%20Aside%20from%20chopping%20the%20apple%20a%20little%20smaller,%20I%20would%20add%20a%20teaspoon%20or%20so%20of%20lemon%20zest.%20I%20also%20might%20switch%20to%20bread%20flour%20or%20use%20the%20stand%20mixer%20to%20beat%20the%20dough%20for%20a%20few%20minutes,%20as%20these%20seemed%20a%20little%20dense.%20Last,%20I%20might%20add%20a%20couple%20of%20tablespoons%20melted%20butter%20to%20the%20dough...I've%20seen%20this%20in%20a%20few%20recipes%20and%20it%20may%20add%20to%20the%20flavor.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThey%20say%20that%20the%20whole%20country%20of%20Holland%20smells%20of%20oliebollen%20on%20New%20Year's%20Eve.%20I'm%20not%20sure%20how%20true%20that%20is,%20but%20our%20house%20will%20be%20smelling%20of%20them%20again%20next%20year.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}