South African Koeksisters

A traditional South African treat, koeksisters are wickedly sweet and make for a delicious tea time treat. So roll up your sleeves, follow this easy recipe and get ready to work that dough!

• Ready In: 24 hrs 5 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 6 little loaves

Ingredients

• 2  cups cake flour
• 2  tablespoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  large egg
• 4  tablespoons butter or 4  tablespoons margarine
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1  kg sugar
• 1 1⁄2 cinnamon sticks
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1⁄2 cups water
• 1  lemon, juice of

Directions

1. Prepare the syrup a day before (it needs to be very cold).
2. Dissolve sugar in the water.
3. Add the spices and lemon juice to this and boil together. Leave the syrup cool in the fridge overnight.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
5. Rub in the butter and mix until pliable.
6. Mix this with the egg and water (adding the water a little at a time).
7. Work the dough well. If the dough appears to be lumpy and sticky, continue to work the dough until it will ball up.
8. Let the dough rest at room temperature for about three hours (under an inverted mixing bowl).
9. Roll out the dough (thickness 5mm).
10. Cut the dough into strips of 6cm long, 2cm wide.
11. Cut each of these strips into three strips (not all the way through, leave the strips connected at the top).
12. Plat each strip, pinch together at the end of the strip.
13. Deep fry until golden brown.
14. Remove and drain quickly – dip the hot koeksisters in the cold syrup (that was stored in the fridge up to now).
15. The secret is to keep the syrup cold and the koeksisters hot, this way it will draw just the right amount of syrup.
16. You can keep the syrup cold by keeping the syrup bowl in another container filled with iced water.