It's oliebollen time!!!!

Hello and hallo (dutch way to say hello), it is oudjaarsavond (December 31 evening) and I just wanted to tell you about a Dutch tradition, oliebollen (in the strictest sense it is balls in oil).

They look kinda like this



And they taste wonderful with powdered sugar on top of it. They are kind of a round doughnut.

This (for those interested) is the recipe:

1 tsp sugar
2 small packets of (instant) dry yeast
4 cups flour (400 g)
1/4 cup sugar (50 g)
2 eggs
2 cups milk (475 ml)
1 tsp salt
8 cups vegetable/sunflower oil (2 liters)
Powdered sugar
Ground cinnamon

You can read how to make them here

The ground cinnamon is optional, you can put sour apple (diced in small cubes or raisins) as you can read in this recipe you can just put in the apple, you can just put in the raisins or currants and some even put in cinnamon or even cubes of chocolate (I tried that once and I really disliked it.

But if you want to have a special treat for the New Years celebration, try your luck with oliebollen.

They are always a big hit at fairgrounds here in Belgium.

zyzygy said:

They are always a big hit at fairgrounds here in Belgium.
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As they are here, the AD (Dutch Newspaper) just tested 150+ of them and the figures went from 10 to a 1, but that is still better than a few years back when some were deemed as a crime against public health and good business practice. At least in this test none of the oil that was used to bake the doughnut balls was classed as "motor oil"

The number last (number 160) was Dutch bakery stall HJ Bakker (which tragically means translated in English "baker" someone who bakes bread/pastry/cakes) and their grade was 1 out of 10 (in the past the figures went even lower LOL) and the jury had this to say about their "oliebollen":

The last place and what does the food truck say "our quality speaks volumes" (or words to that effect). Someone with sense of humor might get giddy about that because quality is the last thing they produce. Let's get the hell out of here.


The jury had this to say about a few other food trucks/bakeries who had really low grades:

- Greasy doughnut ball, it's best use is to grease a bike chain. Nobody should want to eat this. The crust is like chewing on a ships rope. Can I have a bucket please (to throw up in).

- People have to be really skilled to create such a monstrosity of a doughnut ball. People who are not healthy should steer clear of this place. Tough and rancid, the greasiest balls of the entire test.

- Former Dutch politician Jan Terlouw recently said people should try and see the best in other people. I fully agree with that but there are limits. And those limits have been broken by the tasteless sponges this baker served us.


So with these kinds of places it is buyer beware, some of these places are run by failed bakers.

And for that reason a lot of people make their own just like we just did. But for us it is very easy, we buy ready to use mixes in which you just need to add water and you are good to go.

Rhinoceros droppings.

rhinefire said:

Rhinoceros droppings.

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No, they are delicious. Like hot round donuts. Homer Simpson would love them.