Ollie Bollen-A Dutch Tradition

father-daughter special time

the proud "fryers"

this was taken without the cinnamon-sugar, but don't worry, we didn't forget to put it on!

(sing to the tune of "America"):
"Oh, Fryer, oh Fryer, we love what you can do.
But we will pay, later this day, if we don't stop at two!"

well, computer problems hindered me from posting earlier this week on the fun we had over new years', but finally i can tell you about it.

"Ollie Bollen". essentially, this means "oil balls" in Dutch. they are airy doughnuts filled with raisins, currants, and little chunks of green apple, which you drop into the deep fat fryer and then shake in a brown lunch bag with cinnamon-sugar. this New Year's Day tradition started a long time ago when my Oma used to have all of her children and grandchildren over to her home. we would walk inside her back door to smell that greasy, but utterly appealing, aroma of the doughnuts being fried. i remember hearing the sizzle of the hot oil and rushing down the wooden steps to see my Oma standing over the old washer and dryer with her big apron on, metal tongs in hand. when the Ollie Bollen turned that perfectly, toasted brown, we set them onto brown grocery bags to cool; then, with very generous, enthusiastic shaking of the closed lunch bag, we coated them in the cinnamon sugar. to say the least, it was, and has remained, a wonderful Dutch family tradition that I cannot wait to share with my own family someday.


in those days, it wasn't really a big problem to pound down four or five. but, alas, it isn't very safe to do that anymore. thankfully, i was able to control myself a bit more this past week. i think my sister Nora's doughnuts turned out a bit better, (mine were too dense), but i dare say we had more fun. =) who knows? maybe we'll have to start Ollie Bollen contests in the years to come! As you can see, here are a few pictures from our time together. many thanks to all my friends who came over to support us in our frying adventure.