A traditional Dutch treat on New Year’s Day. (Translated into English means ‘Oil balls’).
Why should I be writing to you on New Year’s Day about this tradition you may wonder.
First of all, I want to wish you all a very happy and healthy new year. And I hope this year will be a pleasant and peaceful one.
Last year was a year of change, and for nearly everyone I know a year of high stress.
Dealing with this is for everyone a battle, and bound to negatively affect one or more organs or systems in the body.
Myself, I saw an increase in asthma and breathing problems.
Some lost hair or prematurely aged.
Some had their digestive system in a twist.
Some had sudden attack of psoriasis.
Some could not sleep.
And so on.
I find in times of stress going for a bit of old fashioned comfort food is an amazing way of calming the system.
Going for an old tradition of your youth is paramount.
So that is why I am longing for a nice old fashioned oliebal.
My favourite is the one filled with Apple, and topped with fine powder sugar.
Don’t worry, once in a while it won’t harm you as much as your stress does.
Here is the recipe, enjoy guiltlessly, this special dutch treat:
Oliebolin Recipe
Ingredients (use organic where possible)
1 lemon
1 sour apple*
500g flour
75g raisins*
1/2 litre milk
20-25g fresh yeast (or one small package which is approx. 7g)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preparation
- Wash the lemon, dry it, and grate the peel. Chop the lemon in half and squeeze the juice in a glass. -Peel the apple, chop it in 4 pieces, remove the core. Cut the 4 parts into tiny little pieces, put them in a bowl and mix them with the lemon juice.
- Wash the raisins, and let them dry out.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan until it’s tepid.(max 40°C, so don’t let it boil!)
- Crumble the fresh yeast, mix it with the sugar and 1dl (100ml!) tepid milk in a bowl, and stir until it’s a nice smooth mixture.
- Mix the flower with the salt in a big bowl. Make a little hole in the centre, and pour the yeast mixture into it. After that add the (tepid)milk that is left into the same hole. Mix it with a hand blender or a spoon until it’s a nice smooth mixture.
- Mix the grated lemon peel, the apple pieces (with the lemon juice), the raisins, the chopped candied peel and the cinnamon into the mixture.
- Cover the bowl with some foil and let the batter stand (rise) for about an hour on warm spot.
Cooking
- Heat the oil. Now, you can do the next step with a soup spoon (a deep big one).
- Stick the spoon in the heated fat for a couple of seconds; this will prevent the batter from sticking to the spoon. Use the spoon just as you would use it to serve soup. Make sure the spoon is filled with the batter, and carefully dip it into the oil/fat.
- Repeat this, but don’t have more than 4 of them into the oil at the same time (this also depends on the size of your pan). Fry the ‘oliebollen’ for about 8-10 minutes until they are nice gold brownish.(rotate the them with a fork after 4 minutes, so the whole thing gets fried equally)
- (Repeat this step until the all of the batter is used.)
Let the ‘oliebollen’ dry out on some kitchen paper before you serve them. Arrange them on a nice dish and don’t forget the powdered sugar!
*If you don’t like raisins or apples, you can leave this out. After you fried the ‘naked oliebollen’, let them leak out, and cut them open. Now you can stuff them with whipped cream, strawberries, or whatever you prefer. (or eat them without anything, that’s my favourite way)
You can eat them hot, or cold. It’s not a problem if you let them cool down; keep them in the refrigerator and just heat them the next day in your oven.
If you are one of those who do not like to make the batter, there are also special packs available; you only have to add water, and it is finished.
Looking forward and hoping for a less stressful year ahead.
Marijke
PS, Think about a detox this month see my special coffee colonic offer!