Rum-Soaked Fruit Oliebollen with Lemon, Cinnamon and Candied Peel

Method

1. The night before, put the raisins and currants in a small jar, pour over the rum, stir, cover and leave at room temperature for 8 h (at least 1 hour). The fruit drinks up nearly all the rum and plumps, so it won't burn in the oil and tastes deeper.

   Add in this stepRaisins 35 gCurrants 25 gDark rum 2 tbsp

2. Put the milk, beer and butter in a 14 cm pot and warm over low heat for 1 min, until the butter has melted and the liquid is lukewarm (about 37 °C); let it cool if it gets hotter. Stir in the yeast and sugar and leave for 5 minutes, until slightly foamy.

   Add in this stepMilk 100 mlLager 25 mlButter 10 gInstant dried yeast 3 gSugar 15 g

   low heat

3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, lemon zest and cinnamon, pour in the milk mixture and the egg, and beat hard with a wooden spoon or dough hooks for 5 min. It is ready when the batter pulls away from the side of the bowl and stretches into a thin sheet when lifted, without snapping.

   Add in this stepPlain flour 125 gSalt ¼ tspEgg (beaten, then measured) ½Lemon (finely grated zest only) ½Ground cinnamon ½ tsp

4. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 45 min for the first rise. Stir briefly to knock out the large bubbles, then fold in the rum-soaked fruit (with any rum left), the candied peel and the apple cut into 5 mm dice. Cover again and leave for 30 min for a second rise. Two rises make the bubbles finer and the inside fluffier.

   Add in this stepMixed candied peel (citron and orange), chopped 20 gTart apple ½

5. Pour the oil into a deep 20 cm pot, at least 6 cm deep but no more than one third of the pot's height, and heat over high heat for about 9 min, using a thermometer to reach 180 °C. Keep wet utensils away, turn the pot handle inwards and keep a lid within reach. If the oil smokes, turn off the heat.

   Add in this stepOil for frying (e.g. sunflower) 1 L

   high heat

6. Dip an ice-cream scoop in the oil, scoop up about 45 g of batter and release it close to the surface of the oil. Fry 4 or 5 at a time, in 2 batches, for 6 min per batch over medium-high heat, keeping the oil between 175 and 185 °C; turn them halfway if they don't flip by themselves. When deep brown, push a bamboo skewer into the centre: if it comes out without wet batter, lift them out. Push any fruit poking out back into the batter before frying, as exposed fruit can burn.

   medium-high heat

7. Drain them standing upright in a sieve lined with paper towels, then dust generously with icing sugar through a sieve while still warm.

   Add in this stepIcing sugar 20 g