Bringing In 2014

This festive season has been very much about family.

Most nights have seen nine of us for dinner.

We brought in New Year 2014 with a Dutch tradition.

Mr Honey Pie and I cooked Oliebollen - or Dutch new year doughnuts.

Here is the recipe, passed down to me by my Mother-in-Law:

Ingredients

2 1/4  Cups(350g) S.R. Flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 cups (275g) dried mixed fruit

1 cooking apple, peeled and grated

1 teaspoon almond essence

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/4 cups water

Method

Sift flour, salt, sugar & ground ginger.

Add mixed fruit & grated apple & combine thoroughly.

Make a well in centre & gradually mix in water & essence till you have a smooth batter.

Drop heaped dessertspoons-full one at a time into hot fat (375 oF - 190 oC)

A mixture of 1500 mls vegetable oil to 250g butter is best. 

Cook until golden brown (about 8 min.)

Drain and when cool dust liberally with icing sugar.

There are many various recipes for Oliebollen, some made with yeast, which I have never tried.

I have attempted to make these with gluten free flour but, alas, am yet to perfect a good conversion.

Last night I realised I had no almond essence so used vanilla instead with good results.

Also did a batch which is apple free and found it to be quite nice.

To all my followers and random readers...I wish you a happy, safe and prosperous new year.

And although I gave up making new year's resolutions about fifty years ago (simply because I had broken them less than a month after making them), this year I have made one.

It is a practice I began early last year and which I want to continue into 2014 and beyond:

I will say less and listen more.

Do you make new year resolutions?