Christmas Oliebollen

Featured Cook: Irene and Rachel from Netherlands

Ingredients:

• 250g raisins
• 200g quark
• 1 bottle light beer (Milk is possible as well)
• +/- 400-450ml luke warm water
• 60g sugar
• 75g yeast
• 1 kg flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Wash the raisins, or if you have time let it soak for a while in lukewarm water.
2. Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water and let it stand. (Begin with 400 ml water) Mix it with the sugar. (If the yeast doesn’t bubble, discard and buy new yeast as it means the yeast is no longer active).
3. Put the flour in a bowl.
4. Make a well in the middle and spread salt to the edge. (which inhibits the activity of the yeast and thereby come into direct contact)
5. Put the yeast mixture in the well of the flour and stir it.
6. Whisk the eggs with the quark and beer.
7. Mix it with the flour mixture.
8. Stir the raisins carefully to the mixture with a spoon.
9. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel and allow to rise in a warm area for about an hour.
10. Heat the oil in a large, deep pan or in a deep fryer. To check whether the oil is at the right temperature, stand the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil. If little bubbles form around it, the oil is ready.
11. You will need two tablespoons to form and handle the dough, as well as a slotted spoon to remove the ‘oliebollen’ from the hot oil. Quickly dip the two tablespoons into the oil and form small balls of the dough with the oiled tablespoons, carefully scraping and dropping the dough into the hot oil. The ‘oliebollen’ will sink to the bottom of the pan and then pop right back up. Fry until golden brown on both sides, carefully flipping when required.
12. Drain on a tray lined with paper towels.
13. Sieve powdered sugar over the ‘oliebollen’ and serve warm. (You can also eat them when they are cold)

Tips:

• Don’t store the uncooked dough for more than an hour or two (covered with a damp dish towel), because the yeast will remain active. Instead, make and fry the dough as needed.
• If the fritters are uncooked on the inside, the oil is either too hot or too cold. The oil should not be hotter than 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Oil that is too cold is the result of frying too many ‘oliebollen’ at one time.
• Allow leftover ‘oliebollen’ to go stone cold and then store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for approximately two days.
• Leftovers can be warmed in a preheated oven at 390 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 15 minutes or in the microwave on high (850 Watt) for 20 to 30 seconds.
• Leftovers can also easily be frozen and will keep in the freezer for about 2 months. To eat, allow to defrost and then warm as above.

Enjoy!