Koeksisters (South African Syrup-Soaked Fritters)

"This recipe was given to me by my South African cousin a long, long time ago. They are delicious little fritters (atleast the way she makes them) that are soaked in a spicy syrup. We have them with tea."
 
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photo by Luschka photo by Luschka
photo by Luschka
photo by Luschka photo by Luschka
photo by Johan Cronje photo by Johan Cronje
Ready In:
35mins
Ingredients:
12
Yields:
20 fritters
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ingredients

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directions

  • Prepare syrup the day before making the koeksisters and chill thoroughly.
  • Dissolve sugar in water over medium heat.
  • Add spices and knob of ginger.
  • Boil together for 10 minutes.
  • Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.
  • Rub in butter finely, add beaten eggs with enough milk to blend into a stiff dough.
  • Chill dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • Roll out to 5 mm (1/4 inch?) thick and cut into strips approximately 70 x 30 mm (3 x 1 inches).
  • With a sharp knife, cut each strip into 3 smaller ones, leaving them attached at one end.
  • Plait (braid) loosely and pinch ends to secure.
  • Drop a few at a time into hot oil.
  • Cook until lightly-browned and puffed.
  • Lift out and drain for just 1 minute of crumpled paper towels, then drop at once into chilled syrup.
  • Soak in syrup, lift out and drain in a sieve until dry.
  • Note: I'm sure my cousin got a larger yield than this, she made hers very small and dainty.
  • You can make them the size that suits your needs and aesthetics.
  • I like them small and dainty, but that's the only way I've ever had them.

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Reviews

  1. what a bust.....
     
  2. I took the advice of a previous reviewer & included some cream of tartar to prevent crystallization in the syrup, but I also definitely enjoyed the spicy combo of clove, ginger & cinnamon ~ VERY, VERY NICE! I'm not a big fan of deep frying, but I have no problem with this recipe ~ Everything went together very easily & the taste of these little buggers, OUTSTANDING! [Made & reviewed while touring Africa on the Zaar World Tour 4]
     
  3. Adding a ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar to the syrup will prevent crystallization. I put only fresh ginger in the syrup while it boils. I think the other spices are unnecessary.
     
  4. These were a real taste of home! I found ten minutes a bit long as it made the syrup crystalise a bit. Or perhaps cooking on a gas stove made 10 mins too long? If leaving the syrup overnight, I'd use less ginger next time. It's also important that the syrup be really cold when you dip the koeksisters in. It was delicious and I'll try it again when I need something sugary! I took them to an ex SA friend's house for a braai (bbq) and she was thrilled!
     
  5. If you like doughnuts, you must try THIS relative! Trust Evelyn's recipe -- this is especially good for bake sales, communal lunches/suppers/eating, as a tea or coffeetime treat, and especially for eating on the sly late at night when you crave sugar! A delicious South African treat!
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<style>body { background: url("http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3639/3512121819_f2f1aaf050.jpg?v=0"); background-repeat: repeat-y; }</style> OK, here goes. I live in Athens, Greece. I moved out here many, many years ago from Ottawa, Canada - so I am blessed in having two wonderful heritages! I suffer from compulsive obsessive behaviour with regard to food and my psychiatrist thought it would be a good idea to find a 'society' where many have the same problem and try to find a cure. So far, I've copied a couple of thousand recipes from this site and my psychiatrist has thrown the towel in and refuses to answer the phone when I call. What did I do wrong? Got 3 kids that keep me on the go - 10 and under at this point (2008) - I may not get round to updating this for a few years, so you'll have to do your own maths. I teach English full-time and Greek Cookery part-time. I would like to make the cooking part of it full-time and the English Grammar part of it part-time. That's all for now.
 
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