Celebrating New Year in style - dutch style that is!

And I do not mean the fireworks we picked up in Pennsylvania... no, I mean our famous Dutch Fried Dough we like to make around New Year's!

A little background on the Dutch Doughnut:
Oliebollen are said to have been first eaten by Germanic tribes in the Netherlands during the Yule, the period between December 26 and January 6. The Germanic goddess Perchta, together with evil spirits, would fly through the mid-winter sky. To appease these spirits, food was offered, much of which contained deep-fried dough. It was said Perchta would try to cut open the bellies of all she came across, but because of the fat in the oliebollen, her sword would slide off the bodies of whoever ate them...

For centuries the Dutch ate olykoek ("oil cake"), an old name for oliebol. The oliebollen visible in an Aelbert Cuyp painting from around 1652 are very similar to today's oliebol. During the nineteenth century the word "oliebol" started to be used more. These oil balls or early doughnuts were simply balls of dough fried in pork fat (Belgium) or rape oil (Dutch) until golden brown and liberally sprinkled with powdered sugar.  

Throughout the holidays most Dutch downtowns will have a temporary Oliebollen Kraam (Fried Dough Vendor). Since 1993 Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad has held an annual highly publicized oliebollentest at the end of each year, testing the skills and recipes of these traveling oliebollen salesmen! And customers do keep track of the results...

The Doughnut Shape
As Dutch immigrants began to settle in the United States, they continued to make their oliebollen, and influenced by other cultures it morphed into what we call doughnuts today. Because the inside of an oliebol does not cook as fast as the rest, problematic oliebollen (a.i. too large or undercooked) could have an uncooked center. One solution to this gooey center was to stuff it with fillings that did not require cooking but Hansen Gregory, an American ship captain, had another solution. In 1847 Gregory solved this problem by punching a hole in the center of the dough ball. The hole increased the surface area, exposure to the hot oil, and therefore eliminated the uncooked center (plus he could impale a doughnut on the ship’s steering wheel handles so that he could use both hands to steer!).

http://foodreference.about.com/od/history_myths/a/The-History-Of-Doughnuts.htm & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliebol and a little by yours truly.

a New Year's Treat!

Oliebollen or Dutch Fried Dough, the perfect way to celebrate New Year's - and a perfect treat on such cold days :)

The recipe is from a traditional Dutch cook book (it will tell you how to boil potatoes for instance) and all the recipes are from scratch. They are also in metric, as in grams and liters, but for ease of American cooking I translated the measurements to cups & spoons. Happy Eating!

Put one cup of raisins, black and / or golden, in a container with spiced rum the day before making the dough.

Measure 4 1/2 cups of white or all purpose flour into a mixing bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon of salt.
Measure two cups of milk (or beer!) and warm 1 minute in microwave.
Add 2 tablespoons of yeast to warm milk/beer and mix well (with small whisk).
Add yeast mixture to flour and mix well with dough paddle.
Immediately add 1 egg.
And add the soaked raisins (but not the rum, use that to make more rum raisins).

When all is incorporated well, remove paddle and cover with hot wet towel. Put somewhere warm, like heating vent or wood stove (or closed oven with light on) and leave to rise for at least an hour.

Heat a deep fryer to about 170 degrees Celcius (middle setting, fries setting is too hot).

With two spoons scoop about a clementine's worth of dough, pat semi round and softly lower into frying oil. Do not put in too many at once, they need their space to turn. When the bottom is done, ca 3 minutes, they'll easily flip over, if there is enough room they'll even do it themselves. Enjoy!

The American Doughnut is based on this traditional dutch Fried Dough recipe, as with larger balls and hotter frying oil the center tends to stay sticky & uncooked so the solution was to remove that all together - the hole in the middle - and voila, the doughnut was born :)

Oliebollen

New Years' Eve fried dough "Dutch style"

1 cup raisins (optional)
4.5 cups all purpose flour
2 cups lukewarm milk
1 tbs salt
1 egg
24 grams yeast

rinse the raisins, black and/or yellow, and drain well
dilute / proof the yeast in a little lukewarm milk
combine flour and salt in stand mixer, add milk, egg, yeast mixture and raisins - mix well

the mixture should fall in flakes, not sheath

let rise covered in warm environment for at least an hour
when it has risen and is full of bubbles it is ready

use a deep fryer on the french fries setting (remove the colander)
use two spoons to scoop batter from bowl, constantly rotating to make 1,5-2 inch balls, and drop them into the frying oil - leaving room to move about

After about 3 minutes turn around, if they have not already done so, and bake for an additional 2 minutes (the larger the diameter of the ball, the longer the baking time). They should be golden brown (like french fries) and crispy, without a doughy center.

"Oliebollen" are the predecessors of Doughnuts - believe it or not since they do taste completely different. The batter changed over the years, especially with the addition of sugar. One invention to prevent a doughy center (an issue with frying large volume) was to remove the center completely, resulting in the recognizable doughnut "O" shape :)

where to get those "vruchtenhagel"...

Net via de Cornell Dutch Club een nieuwe site doorgekregen met allerlei nederlandse lekkerheden voor een voor zover ik kan inschatten redelijk normale prijs - ex. verzenden natuurlijk :-)






www.destroopwafel.com

De moeite van het bekijken waard, hoewel de site zelf nog niet helemaal honderd procent werkt... maar ja, ze zijn ook nog maar net geopend!

PlantAardigHeden.nl

Een erg leuke website met allerlei recepten o.a. met zelf te vinden / groeien planten zoals munt en brandnetel. Twee voorbeelden:

Verse munt chutney

• 75 gram verse muntblaadjes
• 1 eetlepel gerapte gember
• 2 Spaanse pepers zonder zaad
• 4 eetlepels citroensap
• 1 theelepel zout
• 2 theelepels suiker

Was de munt en droog hem in een doek. Gebruik alleen de blaadjes.
Maal de ingrediënten in een mixer of staafmixer tot er een homogene pasta ontstaat, eventueel wat water toevoegen.
Je kunt er 60 gram amandelen , hazelnoten, pijnboompitten of geroosterde pinda's in doen voor het fijnmalen. Het malen duurt dan wat langer en je moet hier altijd water aan toe voegen anders is dit te dik.

Heel lekker bij gebakken aardappel en tempé. Dit kan ook gemaakt worden van koriander of kervel.

Brandnetels met verse kaas

Verse kaas: Breng in een pan 2 liter melk aan de kook en giet er 2 1/2 dl yoghurt bij. De droge melkbestand delen scheiden zich nu af van de melk. Giet alles door een doe die in een vergiet gelegd is. Vang het vocht op want dit kun je drinken of als huidlotion gebruiken (molkosan) Dit is vele malen goedkoper dan gekocht in de winkel. Laat deze substantie een half uur in de vergiet staan.

• 500 gram brandnetels of de helft en de andere helft zevenblad
• 1 eetlepel olie
• 2 theelepels gemalen korianderzaad
• 1/2 theelepel kurkuma
• beetje sambal
• 1 kleine ui
• 1 teen knoflook
• 1 1/2 dl room
• beetje suiker en wat zout

Snijd de groente fijn.
Doe de olie in een pan en bak de kruiden er in.
Voeg de groenten toe en smoor de groenten in 10 minuten gaar.
Doe er naar behoefte een beetje water bij.
Snij de verse kaas in blokjes en voeg de suiker en het zout er bij, laat dit nu 3 minuten stoven.
Roer de room er door en serveer dit met rijst of met hele dunne pannenkoekjes. (Indiaas).

te vinden op Plantaardigheden.nl

Grams to Cups Conversion

Great resource for us European bakers!

According to the Alt.cooking FAQ

flour, Deaf Smith 130 grams/cup
flour, U.K. self-raising 110 grams/cup
flour, U.S. all-purpose 100 grams/cup
flour, buckwheat 170 grams/cup
flour, cake 90 grams/cup
flour, legume 130 grams/cup
flour, potato 170 grams/cup
flour, rice 150 grams/cup
flour, rye 90 grams/cup
flour, semolina 175 grams/cup
flour, wheat bread 100 grams/cup
flour, whole wheat 130 grams/cup

sugar, brown 200 grams/cup
sugar, castor 190 grams/cup
sugar, confectioner's 130 grams/cup
sugar, granulated 190 grams/cup
sugar, powdered 130 grams/cup

Suus' Dutch American Apple Pie

for the dough:
320 g white four (.7 lbs)
200 g butter (2 sticks)
120 g cane sugar (.26 lbs)
3 g salt
little bit of orange juice

Add dry ingredients to KitchenAid. Soften butter in microwave for one minute. Mix in with dry ingredients. Use a little orange juice if needed so it will form a ball.

Use a greased 10" spring vorm. Sprinkle flour on counter and roll out dough to about 1/4"- 1/8" thick. Assemble pieces into vorm, cover bottom and sides completely, pinch edges. Save about 1/3 of dough for top lattice.

for the filling:
6-8 large apples, peeled, cored and cubed
6 tbs (vegetable) butter
3 tbs cane sugar
1 cup raisins (golden & black)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup liqour (bourbon, rum)
lemon

Melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar, salt & spices and stir till blended. Add apples & raisins and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add liqour and cook for another 10 minutes or more until liquid is reduced and thickenend (or pour off excess liquid). Squeeze lemon juice into mixture, it helps prevent browning of apples.

Add filling to pie shell. If desired, thicken excess liquid (extra cooking, or corn starch) and add to filling. Cut excess dough into strips and assemble criss-cross for lattice top. Brush lattice top with egg white.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Dough recipe from Het Nieuwe Kookboek by H.H.F. Henderson.
Filling recipe adapted from Bourbon Apple Pie by Smith & Thruslow

Traditional Dutch Poached Pears

2.5 pounds of cooking pears
ca. 2 cups of water
one large cinnamon stick
lemon peel (optional)
lemon juice
1.5 to 2 oz organic cane sugar
tablespoon of corn flour

Peel pears; for display leave whole with stem attached. Arrange side to side at the bottom of a thick bottom pan. Add water, cinnamon stick (lemon peel) and a squeeze or two of lemon juice to prevent browning and slowly cook the pears until either tender ( ca. 45 minutes) or red (ca. 4 hours).

Carefully remove the soft pears (scooping them out with two spoons helps) and arrange side to side in a nice dish. Remove the cinnamon stick (and lemon peel) and bind the cooking fluid with a little cornstarch to create a syrup.

A very good variation is to exchange the cooking water with either red wine or port.

To can these delicious pears, pack hot pears in sterile pint jars.
Pour the hot liquid over the pears, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.
Process in a boiling water bath, pints 25 minutes.

The cooking times, amount of sugar needed and the redness of the finished pears are all variables depending on the variety of pear used. The Netherlands offers specific cooking pear varieties which are not available in the States. But, the States does have old fashioned cooking pear varieties that can be used just as well.

A good rule of thumb is: if the pear is good eating when picked, it is a hand pear and too soft for cooking. If the pear is too hard and bitter straight of the tree, it will need to be stored to ripen (for hand eating), and can be used for cooking.

Translated from "Het Nieuwe Kookboek", page 292.

Lava - chicken breast in tomato sauce

large chicken breast, cut
1 quart thick red tomato sauce
peaches on heavy syrup (keep syrup)
1 tbs sweet / hungarian paprika
1 tbs crushed garlic
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sambal oelek
salt to taste

Fry the chicken breast pieces with the paprika and sambal oelek. When the meat is seared, add tomato sauce, garlic, pepper, salt and peach syrup. Keep at a slow boil until sauce bubbles like lava from a vulcano and the chicken is done, about 30-45 minutes. Add cut peaches last, they get real hot real fast and like to burn your lips!

Good with brown rice, serves 3-4 people.

Curry Pumpkin Soup

little over 1 pound of pumpkin cut in cubes
1 quart of chicken bouillon
3 onions
1 tablespoon mild yellow curry powder
3 laurel leaves
some vegetable butter
finely chopped parsley
sweet soysauce to taste
black pepper to taste
chevre (or creme fraiche if available)

Peel onions and chop finely and brown in butter for a couple of minutes. Add curry powder and pumpkin cubes and blanch for another 5 minutes. Add chicken bouillon and laurel leaves and cook the pumkin (with lid) about 25 minutes, or until tender.

Remove laurel leaves and blend thoroughly with a stick blender. Bring back to a boil and add pepper and sweet soy sauce to taste. Just before serving spoon in chopped parsley and garnish with a big dollop of chevre in the middle of the bowl. Bon Appetit!

Translated from a much used recipe from Bor & Els Spoon, thank you!

Hutspot (traditional Dutch recipe)

2 pounds potatoes
2 pounds carrots
1 pound onions
about 1 cup of water
pepper and salt to taste
butter (optional)
bacon
2 smoked sausages (polish or kielbasa)

serves 4-6 people

Clean potatoes and carrots, chop in 1 inch pieces.
Peel and chop the onions and cut the bacon in small slices.
Place the bacon in a skillet and fry until crispy.
Add the chopped onions and fry until golden brown.
Put the potatoes in a large saucepan. Add carrots on top of potatoes and add water.
Place the sausages on top of the carrots.
Cover, bring to a boil and simmer until soft, about 15 minutes.
When the potatoes and carrots are done, remove sausages (wrap in aluminum foil to keep warm).
Drain bacon fat from the skillet, add the browned onions and bacon to the potatoes and mash! Add seasonings to taste.

To make the hutspot more creamy you can add some butter while mashing.

To make gravy, return the bacon fat to the skillet, add some water and bind with a little cornstarch.

Traditionally, hutspot is served as a heap on your plate, with a small gravy spoon impression in the middle to hold the gravy and a sausage on the side. The challenge for kids is to eat as much hutspot without breaking the dike and draining the gravy...

Also very good with stew meat instead of smoked sausage.

Apple Compote - Dutch style

Clean apples, core, peel skin (this is the most work by far, I do this while watching tv at night).

when you are doing this dunk the ones you finished in a big bucket with cold water and a little asorbic acid to keep the apples from turning brown (not nessecary though, purely cosmetic)

cut apples in quarters, then half those, then half again for big apples

put in stainless steel thick bottom pot with a little water (or apple cider), just enough so it does not stick / burn

let simmer until apples are mushy

mash by hand with a potato masher (do not use a stick blender, that makes apple sauce)

put hot in hot, sterilized quart jars, cap with sterilized seals

process in hot water / steam bath for 20 minutes

no sugar, no spices, just apple

you can add a little cinnamon, or a bit of allspice if you want

to make the apple compote special you can add one or two cans of crushed pineapple (rinsed and drained) depending on the amount you are making.

Dutch Apple Pie? Not to a Dutchman...

What exactly is Dutch Apple Pie? For one, it is not from the Netherlands, whatever the name might indicate! It's an old fashioned apple pie recipe originating from the Pennsylvania Dutch, whom are also not from the Netherlands but originally came from Germany. A German, when asked, would call him or herself Deutch, which sounds a lot like Dutch, hence the mistake!

To see the difference between the two recipes, go ahead and make them both. Which one will you like the best... let me know!

Dutch Apple Pie

Place sliced apples in a 9 inch unbaked pie shell. Mix and sprinkle over apples:
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/8 tsp of cloves

The crumb crust consists of:
1/2 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of flour
1 stick of butter

Cut ingredients into one stick of butter. Sprinkle over top of pie. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes. If it gets too brown, cover lightly with foil.
This Dutch Apple Pie recipe is served at Goodwill Pennsylvania Dutch dinner every fall.

recipe from www.Cooks.com

Dutch Apple Pie - Appeltaart

225 grams (little over a cup) of cold butter or margarine (a little extra to grease the mold)
300 grams (10 oz) of flour (a little extra to dust the work surface)
150 grams (5 oz) of white cane sugar
5 apples (Golden Delicious)
2 tbs of currants
2 tbs of raisins
2 tbs of very fine white sugar (powdered sugar)
2 egg yolks
1 tbs of milk
1 tbs of lemon juice
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven at 175 C / 345 F. Peel the apples and cut into thin slices. In a bowl; mix the lemon juice, currants, raisins, powdered sugar and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, cut up the butter. Sift the flour in a large mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt, the cut butter, the cane sugar and 1 1/2 egg yolks. Knead the mixture with cold hands. The butter in the dough should not melt, or the dough get sticky; refrigerate if needed.

Sprinkle flour on a cleaned countertop and roll out the dough lightly until about 1/2 cm or 1/4 inch thickness is reached. With 2/3rds of the dough pancake layer the bottom and sides of the hoop pie dish (the side / hoop comes off of the bottom plate). Knead and roll the other 1/3rd again and cut 10 long strips. Scoop the apple filling into the pie dish and spread out evenly. Braid the dough strips on top of the apple filling and brush a 1/2 egg yolk and milk mixture on the dough braids for a shiny crust.

Bake the pie for about 45 minutes in the middle of the oven at 175 C / 345 F.

recipe from www.gironet.nl/home/bbaelde/taartap2.html