Canadian Dutchies

Sunday 28 April 2019

Canadian Dutchies

Tim Hortons is a bit of a Canadian Institution.  It is a coffee/doughnut shop that  feels like a second home to many Canadians.  I worked there for a time prior to moving over here to the UK.   


When I worked there, they would have a baker come in every night and he would work from 10:00 pm until about 6 in the morning baking cakes, frying doughnuts, baking pies, etc.  

When you went into work in the morning there would be trays and trays of the freshly finished goodies sitting and waiting to go out onto the shelves.


I understand that they don't have in-store bakers these days, and that all the goods are brought in baked and frozen, ready to thaw out and pop onto the shelves.  

Its called progress, but I understand that their goodies are not as nice as they used to be, or so I have been told. 



I can't help but think that in losing the personal touch, in favour of more profits, they have lost something very special  . . . it is a common complaint today. 



One of my favourite doughnuts that they sold was the "Dutchie."   It was a square, sultana filled, yeast-lifted and sugar  glazed doughnut.  

You could also get them as donut holes. I understand that they no longer make them, and mores the pity.  They were a real favourite of many people. 



My daughter and I were talking one day and I was telling her that one of the things I missed from Canada was the Dutchie Doughnut, and she informed me that they no longer make them.  

Can we please have a minute of silence here to mourn their loss?



Well, you know how that goes . . .  when you can't get something you love any longer  . . .  it increases your craving for it. 


For months now I have been craving a Dutchie Doughnut!  Craving, craving, craving  . . . 


Today I decided to scratch that itch and make some from scratch.  They were very simple to make.  

I searched online and found a recipe for them on the Chatelaine Magazine page (another Canadian Institution), the difference being they called them Duchesse Doughnuts . . .  


Duchesse . . .  Dutchies  . . .  a rose  by any other name.  Any Canadian worth his salt knows these are Dutchies.  Their recipe made 12.  There is no way on earth I wanted to be tempted by a dozen Dutchies  . . . 


So I cut the recipe in half, with great success and made us a lovely half dozen puffed and glazed, raisin studded delights! 





I also added a half teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough because if my memory serves me well, they had just a hint of cinnamon flavour, but that could just be my rose coloured glasses  . . . 




Yield: 6
Author: Marie Rayner
Canadian Dutchies

Canadian Dutchies

These sultana studded glazed Doughnuts are a bit of a Canadian Institution! Not as hard to make as you might think. You can easily double and make more.

Ingredients

  • 75g of sultana raisins (1/2 cup)
  • 120ml milk (1/2 cup)
  • 4g of quick rise yeast (1 1/4 tsp)
  • 2 TBS granulated sugar
  • 30g butter, melted (2 TBS)
  • 1 small free range egg, beaten (or 1/2 a large one)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 175g of bread flour (1 1/4 cups)
  • Canola oil for frying
For the glaze:
  • 130g icing sugar, sifted
  • 2 TBS water, or as needed to make a thin smooth glaze

Instructions

  1. Put the sultanas into a measuring cup and cover with 1/2 cup boiling water. Let stand for 10 minutes, then drain very well.
  2. Heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds, until warm. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast and stir. Let sit for 10 minutes. Beat in the well drained raisins, sugar, melted butter, egg and salt. Add the flour and beat on medum high with the dough hook on the stand mixer for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the dough forms a ball and pulls away cleanly from the sides and bottom of the bowl. (You may need to add a bit more flour. I did.)
  3. Scrap into a lightly oiled bowl. Oil the top and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  4. Line a large baking sheet with some buttered foil. Pat or roll the dough out into a rectangle which is roughly 1/2 inch thick. Cut into six equal sized pieces and place each on the prepare foil. Cover lightly with the damp tea towel again and leave in a warm place to rise until double, a further 45 minutes.
  5. Pour cooking oil into a large pot to the depth of one inch. Clip on a deep frying thermometer. Heat the oil over medium heat until the temperature reaches 180*C/ 350*F. Adjust the heat as required during cooking to maintain this temperature.
  6. Add the doughnuts to the hot oil, 2 at a time, flipping them over halfway through the cook time, until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes in total. Drain on paper towels.
  7. Place a wire rack over a piece of parchment paper or paper kitchen toweling. whisk together the icing sugar and water until smooth. Dip each doughnut one at a time, turning the to coat them on all sides, and allowing any excess to drip away. Place onto the wire rack and let stand until the glaze is firm. The last one of two you may need to use your fingers to make sure the glaze coats them completely. Not a problem if you don't mind sticky fingers, and I don't.





Oh boy am I ever glad I only made six of these!  They are indeed very dangerous to have around.  I think I am going to have to lock up the extra four!  They were very easy to make and tasted every bit as good as my memory of them was! (Just make sure your oil is hot and you keep an eye on it so that it doesn't cool down too much when you add the doughnuts to it.) Today you can call me a very happy Canadian Ex-pat, with a lovely satisfied grin on my face.  Nom Nom! 






28 comments

  1. I can imagine just how tempting these are! Very dangerous to have around. They actually remind me a lot of a Dutch treat that we make called Oliebollen. My Dutch grandmother made them every year as a New Years treat, just as she used to do in Holland. And because my birthday is January 1st, I used to think of them as part of my birthday.

    I still make them, but only a small batch for obvious reasons! The only difference I can see is that oma would also have a peeled and finely chopped granny smith in the batter along with the sultanas.

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    1. Maybe that's why these are called Dutchies Marie! You will have to make some for LG and the grandchildren! What a lovely memory of your nan! And what a lovely birthday treat! xoxo

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  2. I knew immediately what this was lol, Yes it’s true Timmy’s. Doesn’t make them anymore but we have a couple of places that still make them fresh daily, they sell out fast ! we have four Tim Hortons here and the Star bucks that came to town was not a success, Tim Hortons is still the favourite coffee shop here. Dutchies are still a favourite for us and we buy them often, Our locally owned grocery store has a wonderful in store bakery that sells dutchies and they look exactly like yours, nothing compares to fresh made, you absolutely nailed it Marie yours are spot on, wow, you are so good st what you do!

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    1. Thanks so much Laurie! I will take that as a real compliment coming from you! You made my day! xoxo

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  3. Dutchies are the husband’s favourite. They were brought back not too long ago for a limited time.

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    1. I think they are a very popular donut. I was surprised when I heard that they didn't have them anymore. You will have to make your husband some as a treat! xoxo

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  4. Oh Marie..perfection! Wowsers..I have not fried anything in 15 yrs..scared to:) We have a beautiful deep fryer in the basement and if anything has incited me to fry..lol these have.Thank goodness I don't crave desserts:) Except cookies and date squares and muffins..this is like a GREAT muffin:) Thank goodness.

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    1. OH, I only ever very rarely fry as well. Its so unhealthy. I was sorely tempted with these though. I have been wanting one for a very long time. Now my itch has been scratched it will probably be years before I want one again! lol xoxo

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  5. You don't know how much you have MADE my day, miserable with my third cold since the first of the year and then I saw this, Originally I lived in Southern Calif and there was a donut shop called Winchells. Occasionally they would have large square deep fried raised dough confections studded with raisins. I have been on a quest for decades now, since they closed up for good, to find a recipe. Only difference I can see that might be different is that Winchells used a hint of nutmeg in there glazed donuts. Can't wait to give these a try

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    1. You can certainly add a touch of nutmeg, and leave out the cinnamon Cardamon! I hope that you like them! I'm excited for you! xoxo

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  6. I just LOVE Dutchies and am so sad that Tims no longer makes them. Does anyone know why?
    I am definitely going to try these and thank you for the recipe!

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    1. I have no idea why, but these are a great substitute! xoxo

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  7. My Hubby is a Canadian - Filipino who stays here in the Philippines, he misses canada and duchies so he asked me to make some for him. I used your recipe and I got 2 thumbs up and a kiss��
    Thank you Marie❤

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    1. I am pleased they were enjoyed Noemi! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience! xoxo

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  8. Marie. Thank you so much for the recipe share. I am going to try these little beauties in my air fryer. I remember being served these as a child in farming community in Southern Ontario primarily made up of Dutch immigrants. Originally they are called Ollie Bolen. Dutch donut. God bless you and be safe. Heather

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    1. Let me know how you get on with making these in the air fryer! My girlfriend Leona used to make Ollie Bolen at Christmas, but they were a lot smaller! I love these. A rare treat! Xoxo

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    2. How did the air fryer work out?

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  9. Thanks for this recipe !
    We are from Holland, next door , so to say.

    My wife has family in the region between Toronto and Niagara, our age or just pre-pension, with only a few drops of Dutch blood left now.
    My wife's Dutch uncle never mixed with the Dutch, more with the Scotch.

    We have been visting almost every second year from 1989, my sis-in-law moved to Hamilton.Vivid memories of being welcomed everywhere with a large box of TH-donuts on the table . How nice they were !
    The Dutchies favorite far better than our "oliebol" And ofcourse the Maple, Boston Cream etc.

    One of the girls in the family worked there , around the time they switched to frozen products. It lost it's appeal after that.

    Besides Canada, we are Anglophile too .
    I worked in British trainstations in the buffets a few years in Harrogate, Basingstoke and King's Cross plus Euston in London in the '70's. Many trips all over the UK with caravan, hotels, B&B etc, last one in 2019. And after that the "issue"...

    We mixed our foodways with healthy Asian, so if anyone here remembers the delicate flavour of garlic and spices going over the camping, while everybody was grilling meat,somewhere in the UK, it might have been us, that family with the wok :)

    Funny to remember that British cooking and baking was not sweet at all when we started.
    We coming from Holland,with German- French inspired sweet pies , cakes, cookies etc.
    We had to get used to the British way ! And loved it !
    Same for donuts as for British traditional food: Nothing wrong with that if it is done in the old ways , instead of the processed stuff.
    And also for "homesick" reasons: We love a good donut and a meatpie !
    Next project therefor:Canadian Dutchies !

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    1. I am so sorry that I didn't respond to your comment Hankk. I meant to, but it got lost in the mire. I did want to rectify that and thank you very much. I so appreciated all your words and loved learning about your family history and traditions. Very interesting! I do hope that you made the Dutchies and that you and your family enjoyed them! xo

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  10. Instead of frying can you bake the duchies. If so what would you say a temp and time might be?

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    1. I suppose you could bake them, but the end result would not be a "Dutchie" which is meant to be a donut, pure and simple. The end result of baking would be more like a bun. Never having done this I hesitate to recommend any temp or time, but perhaps 375*F/190*C and about 10 to 15 minutes would be my guess. But again, only a guess. I HIGHLY recommend frying these however for the true Dutchie experience and cannot be responsible for the result which might occur from baking them instead.

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    2. Thank you for the speedy reply. Makes sense I would not hold you to the finished result if i choose to bake. ��

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    3. Thank you. Let me know how you get on! If they can be baked successfully it would make a nice option for those who don't like to fry.

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  11. Hey Marie, Been looking all over YT for this recipe. Then yesterday my youngest daughter suggested Pintrest. These were a must have on the nightshift cleaning offices. Of course they came from that other Great Canadian Institution. Tim's :D
    Dave (PS don't mean to be anonymous, I'm 75 and have fun negotiating this new world.)

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    1. Hi Dave! Welcome. I hope you will make these and enjoy them! Don't worry about being 75 and negotiating the new world. I am 67 myself and know all about that journey! If I know anything at all I have learned it by making mistakes! Some of them huge! xo

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  12. Hi Marie these look lovely but I’m wondering whether they can be made in advance, refrigerated and then fried when ready to eat?

    Thanks Leanne x

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  13. Hi there! Tim Horton's has brought the Dutchie back for their 60th anniversary 😁

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    1. I see that! Plus the Chocolate one and a blueberry one. I have not tried them yet! xo

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