Koeksisters

Name: Koeksisters
Cook time: 165 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: South African
Ingredients: 1 kg White Granulated Sugar; 500ml Water; 2 tbsp Lemon Juice; 2 1/2 strips of Lemon Peel; 3 1/2 slices of Ginger, fresh, optional, traditional; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, optional; 500g Cake Flour; 2 tbsp Baking Powder; 1/2 tsp Salt, fine; 60g Unsalted Butter, cold, cubed; 1 large Egg; 250ml Milk; 1.3 l Neutral Oil, sunflower or canola

Koeksisters are golden, braided doughnuts with a crisp exterior and a sticky, syrup-soaked center — a classic South African treat. These are fried until lacy and then plunged into a fragrant lemon-vanilla syrup for an irresistible chewy-sweet finish.

Koeksisters are golden, braided doughnuts with a crisp exterior and a sticky, syrup-soaked center — a classic South African treat.... Show more

Traditional South African Recipe

Health Grade

E- · Indulgent

Time

2 hrs30 min

Price

0,24 €

Calories

596 kcal

vegetarian

low calorie

kid friendly

comfort food

Method

Prep the aromatics

Wash and dry the lemon well before using it. Remove 2 to 3 thin strips of lemon peel, avoiding as much white pith as you can so the syrup stays fragrant rather than bitter, then squeeze out 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. If using it, peel and thinly slice the ginger.

Boil the syrup

Put the white granulated sugar, water, lemon juice, lemon peel, ginger, and vanilla extract if using into a saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves, then bring it to a gentle boil and let it bubble for 7 minutes until clear and slightly thickened. Take the pan off the heat and remove the peel and ginger if you want a smoother syrup.

Chill the syrup

Pour the hot syrup into a shallow heatproof bowl so it cools faster, then refrigerate it until very cold, at least 2 hours. If your kitchen is warm, set the bowl over an ice bath first and keep it chilled right up until frying—the hot pastry hitting cold syrup is what gives koeksisters their shiny, crackly finish.

Mix the dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut the unsalted butter into small cubes if needed, then rub or cut it into the flour mixture until it looks like fine breadcrumbs with a few small buttery bits still visible.

Make the dough

In a small bowl or jug, whisk the egg with the milk until smooth. Pour this into the flour mixture and mix just until you have a soft, workable dough with no dry patches. Keep a light hand here; overmixing will make the finished koeksisters less tender.

Rest the dough

Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. This short rest helps the flour hydrate and makes the dough much easier to roll and braid neatly.

Braid the pieces

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and roll it to about 6 mm thick. Cut it into 12 rectangles, then cut each rectangle into 3 strips, leaving one end attached. Braid each piece, pinch the ends firmly so they do not open while frying, and keep the shaped koeksisters ready beside the stove.

Heat the oil

Pour the neutral oil into a deep, heavy pot, filling it no more than halfway. Heat it over medium to 170° C (340° F). If you do not have a thermometer, a small scrap of dough should rise steadily with lively bubbles; if it sinks, the oil is not ready, and if it browns almost immediately, the oil is too hot.

Fry and soak

Fry the braided dough in small batches, turning once, until deeply golden and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, let the excess oil drip off for a moment, then lower the hot koeksisters straight into the icy syrup. Turn them in the syrup for 30 to 60 seconds, until glossy and well coated, then lift them out and let the extra syrup run back into the bowl.

Drain and serve

Set the finished koeksisters on a rack or tray to drip for a minute or two, then serve once the glaze has settled. They are at their best the day they are made, when the outside is crisp and sticky and the middle is still soft.