Koeksisters

Koeksisters

A South African dessert often sold at flea markets and church fundraiser’s, Wikipedia’s definition: a syrup-coated doughnut in a twisted or braided shape (like a plait or braided hair ). They are prepared by deep-frying dough in oil then dipping the fried dough into cold sugar syrup.

Koeksisters.jpg

INGREDIENTS

Dough:

  • 2 Cups cake flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tbsp. baking powder
  • 4 tbsp. of butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • Oil for frying

Syrup:

  • 1 kg of sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of water
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • Juice of one lemon

METHOD

Syrup – Important:

Do this the night before as you want the syrup super cold

Dissolve sugar in water
Add spices and lemon juice and bring to a boil
You can mix in a teaspoon or two of cream of tarter in place of the lemon juice
Put the syrup in your fridge over night to cool

Dough

Sift flour salt & baking powder
Rub in butter and mix until pliable
Mix with egg and water, adding the water a little at a time, kneed well. Don’t be stressed if the dough gets very sticky and clumps just continue to work the dough and it will ball up nicely, of cause if you are not doing this by hand you’re going to eat yuppie sisters
Leave the dough to rest at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours under the inverted mixing bowl

Make the Koeksisters

Roll out the dough to about 5 mm thick
Cut into strips 5 cm long 2 cm wide
Cut each strip into 3 strip but not through the top, now plait the dough and pinch it at the end
Deep fry the dough until golden brown – remove and drain quickly as you are going to dip the hot Koeksisters into your cold syrup
Keeping syrup colds and the Koeksisters hot when dipping is key to get the right amount to syrup drawn into the Koeksisters to get that sweat pop that all sane South Africans love and crave
A good trick to Keeping the syrup Cold 5 to place the syrup bowl into a container of iced water

Now munch!