Koeksisters South African Syrup Soaked Fritters Recipes

SOUTH AFRICAN KOEKSISTERS

Steps:

• Combine sugar, water, ginger, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Cool syrup to room temperature, transfer to a container, and refrigerate until flavors blend, 8 hours to overnight.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until mixture has a cornmeal texture. Add the milk; mix until a smooth dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 5x14-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough into twenty eight 1/2-inch wide strips. Twist pairs of strips together and pinch the ends together. Repeat for all of the strips. Cover strips with a clean cloth and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Heat about 2-inches of oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place a wire rack over a baking sheet.
• Pour some of the cold syrup into a bowl and return remaining syrup to the refrigerator.
• Working in batches, fry koeksister twists in hot oil until twists swell and are golden brown, 2 to 5 minutes. Remove koeksisters from hot oil with a slotted spoon and immediately immerse in cold syrup for 10 seconds. Transfer soaked koeksisters to prepared wire rack to cool. Replenish cold syrup as necessary.

KOEKSISTERS (SOUTH AFRICAN SYRUP-SOAKED FRITTERS)

Steps:

• 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.

KOEKSISTERS

Steps:

• First make syrup. Heat water in saucepan, add sugar and stir until dissolved.
• Add cream of tartar, ginger and cinamon.
• Boil uncovered for 5 minutes. Do not stir.
• Remove from stove and chill.
• While syrup is chilling, make the koeksisters.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.
• Add butter and rub it in with fingertips until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
• Beat eggs and milk together and add to dry ingredients.
• Mix dough well then knead lightly for 2 minutes to make it pliable.
• Cover basin with wax paper and leave for 1 hour.
• Roll out dough to 1cm thick.
• Cut strips (rectangles) 8cm x 4 cm, then make 2 vertical cuts in each strip, starting 5mm from the top and cutting down right to the bottom.
• Plait strips loosely and secure at loose end.
• Heat oil to 190C and deep-fry koeksisters for 1 minute. Not too many at once.
• Remove from oil and drain on paper towel for 1 minute and then dip in syrup for until soaked (1 minute).
• Remove from syrup and place on dish to dry.