Oliebollen - Apple and Sultana Doughnut Balls
Photography Sarah Tuck.
This is a traditional recipe based on one from my Dutch great-great-Oma, handed down through the generations. It is traditionally made for New Year’s Eve. It is very important to do a little tester or two first to ensure your oil is at the right temperature to create the perfect golden-crusted, sugar-dusted apple balls. Serve as they are or with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream!
INGREDIENTS
150ml milk, lukewarm
1 teaspoon sugar
8 grams yeast
200 grams flour
2 tablespoons caster sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg, lightly whisked
100 grams raisins or currants
1 apple, peeled and finely chopped
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
5 cups rice bran oil (for deep frying)
rice bran oil spray
To serve
sugar or icing sugar (to dust)
METHOD
Mix the warm milk with the sugar and add the yeast. Whisk briefly and leave to sit for five minutes.
Put the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Stir, then add the milk mixture with the egg, raisins, apple and lemon zest. Stir to combine then cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest for one hour.
Heat the oil in a large deep saucepan.
Spray two table spoons or a small ice cream scoop with oil, and use them to scoop out balls of dough. Fry each ball in the hot oil for 1 minute, or until golden brown.
Start with one test ball to get your temperature correct, then cook only 4-5 at a time so they don’t cool the oil.
When cooked, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. The balls should be soft inside and not greasy – if they cook too slowly, or if the balls are too big, the crust will be thick and they will be un-cooked inside. Roll in sugar or dust in icing sugar to serve. Makes 15
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In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.