The koeksisters are a traditional South African dessert made of fried dough infused in sugar syrup or honey.
They are made by frying strips of braided dough made with a base of eggs, flour, and butter, and then dipping the hot fried dough into cold syrup.
Do not confuse them with the Cape Malay version, which is a ball of fried dough rolled in desiccated coconut.
The name Koeksisters might derive from the Dutch word “koek”, generally meaning a pastry made from wheat flour, or the American English word “cookie” and “sister”, which may refer to the oral tradition of two sisters who braid their cookies and then soak them in syrup.
“Sis” could also refer to the sizzling sound.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: African
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 slice lemon (or orange)
- 2 tbsps butter
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 packet baking powder
- as needed vegetable oil
Preparation
Prepare the syrup:
dissolve the brown sugar in water adding a slice of lemon or orange. Bring to a boil, remove the lemon, let it cool, and place in the fridge.
For the dough:
in a bowl, work the butter with the egg, add the sifted flour with the baking powder.
Let it rise, covered, for at least 30 minutes.
Take back the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin. Cut rectangles to be divided into 3 parts leaving the base whole (see photo).
Braid.
Heat the oil and fry for 4/5 minutes.
While still hot, immerse the koeksisters in the cold syrup.
They can be served hot or cold.
In the video, you will find the recipe for frying with Magic Cooker .
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The most famous brands in South Africa include “Ouma Rooi Koeksisters”, whose founder won the “Huletts Koeksister Competition” before taking part in the popular South African “Koekedoor Show”.
You can also find a book with several recipes: “10 ways with Koeksisters: Delicious sweet pastry recipes (10 Ways to cook Book 1) (English Edition)
