Enjoy!

Pigs in the Blanket

Dough

2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup shortening (Bonnie prefers lard!)
1 egg beaten
3/4 cup skim milk

Filling

1 lb. sausage
1/3 pound lean ground beef
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 beaten egg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cut shortening into flour, salt and baking powder. Add eggs and milk. Roll dough into a thin sheet and cut in squares about 4″ by 4″ (Bonnie likes to use a pizza cutter for this step). Shape filling into a small log, the size of a little finger and wrap in each square of dough. Place on greased cookie sheet, brush with egg wash (an egg yolk beaten and mixed with water). Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Makes about 20 pigs.

Olie Bollen

3/4 cup milk
4 Tbsps. vegetable oil
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking power
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 to 3/4 cup raisins
chopped apples or citron
sugar-cinnamon mix or powdered sugar

Combine liquid ingredients and add sifted dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls into hot vegetable oil at 375 degrees. Fry until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper and roll in cinnamon-sugar mix or powdered sugar. Makes 30 Olie Bollen. These are a traditional Dutch New Year’s eve treat. Best if served warm.

Dutch Letters

Crust

1 lb. butter or oleo (Bonnie usually uses 1/2 butter and 1/2 margarine)
4 cups flour
1 cup water (the colder the better)
1/2 tsp. salt

Filling

1 lb. almond paste, crumbled
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs or 3 slices of bread crumbled
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together butter, flour, salt and water and chill overnight or longer (Bonnie typically uses her Kitchen Aid mixer for this but a food processor works well).

Mix together the filling ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth, refrigerate overnight. Divide dough into 14 equal parts. Roll each piece of dough into a 14″ by 4″ strip, (flour pastry sheet or counter to keep from sticking). Spread filling down the center of the strip (a pastry bag with the end cut to approximately a 1″ opening works well for this, a cookie press also is a good solution). Lap short ends of dough 1″ over filling, then lap one long side over, spread with small amount of water, then lap long side over. Water will help seal the dough. Lay onto a greased cookie sheet, seam side down. Brush the top with slightly beaten egg whites, then sprinkle with sugar (Bonnie uses rock sugar). Prick letter with a fork every 1″ or 2″ to allow steam to escape. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.