THE SWEET TWIST...KOEKSISTERS

What are koeksisters?

Koeksisters (pronounced "kook-sisters") are a traditional South African dessert consisting of twisted, fried dough pastries, typically coated in a sweet syrup. The dough is typically made from flour, sugar, eggs, and butter or oil.

The syrup is usually a mixture of sugar, water, and sometimes flavorings like ginger or cinnamon. Koeksisters are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a sweet, sticky syrup coating. They're often enjoyed as a sweet treat or dessert.

There are many kinds of koeksisters such as dried fruit koeksisters with dried fruit, like cranberries or raisins, added to the dough. Nutty Koeksisters have chopped nuts, like almonds or walnuts, added to the dough.Chocolate-Dipped Koeksisters with melted chocolate coating the syrup-coated koeksisters. All these dont compare though to th OG and, my personal favourite, the twisted fried dough coated in sweet syruo and coconut shreds!🤤

An easy recipe to make your own Koeksisters😍

For the syrup🍯...

250ml water (1 cup)
625ml white sugar (2 1/2 cups)
12 1⁄2 ml lemon juice (2 1/2 tsp.)
5ml vanilla essence (1 tsp.)

For the dough🥣...

375ml cake flour (1 1/2 cups)
22ml baking powder (4 1/2 tsp.)
1ml salt (1/4 tsp.)
20g butter or 20 g margarine
150ml milk (the vanilla soy milk gives added flavor, 5/8 cup) or 150 ml vanilla-flavored soymilk (the vanilla soy milk gives added flavor, 5/8 cup)
750ml canola oil (3 cups)

Instructions🧑‍🍳...

Put the water and sugar in a ot and bring to boil on low heat. Stir frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Boil for 7 minutes.
Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla essence. Put the pot into the fridge.
Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Break the butter or margarine into small pieces and add to the four mixture. Add the milk. Mix well until a dough is formed.
Roll the dough out to a thickness of 5 mm (+ or - 1/4 in.). Cut the dough into thin (+ or - 10 mm or 1/2 in.) strips. Take 3 strips and join their ends on one side. Braid the strips to desired koeksister length and join other ends.
Heat the oil in a pot until fairly hot. Put about 3 koeksisters (or what can fit)at a time in the oil and fry them on both sides until they get a golden-brown color. As you remove the koeksisters for the oil, place them directly ito the syrup from the fridge. It is important to keep the syrup cool, so between soakings, return the syrup to the fridge to maintain its coolness.
Remove the koeksisters from the syrup and allow the excess syrup to drip off. Place them in the refrigerator to cool and then eat!