This Women’s Month, we’re honouring the incredible women of South Africa the sweetest way we know how, a fresh batch of Koeksisters!
Golden and crispy with syrup-soaked centres, these traditional treats are guaranteed to keep your customers coming back for more.
HOME-BAKE RECIPE:
Time: 50 Minutes
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
Syrup
- 250 ml water (1 cup)
- 625 ml white sugar (2½ cups)
- 12½ ml lemon juice (2½ tsp)
- 5 ml vanilla essence (1 tsp)
Dough
- 375 ml Millstone Flour Cake Flour (1½ cups)
- 22 ml baking powder (4½ tsp)
- 1 ml salt (¼ tsp)
- 20 g butter or 20 g margarine
- 150 ml milk or 15 ml vanilla-flavoured soymilk (the vanilla soy milk gives added flavour – ⅝ cup)
- 750 ml canola oil (3 cups)
METHOD:
Syrup:
- Put the water and sugar into a pot and bring to boil on low heat. Stir frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Boil for 7 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla essence. Put the pot into the fridge to cool the syrup.
Dough:
- Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Break the butter or margarine into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Add the milk. Mix well until a dough is formed.
- Roll the dough out to a thickness of 5 mm. Cut the dough into thin (approx. 10 mm) strips. Take 3 strips and join their ends on one side. Braid the strips to desired koeksister length and join other ends.
- Heat the oil in a pot until fairly hot. Put about 3 koeksisters (or what can fit) at a time in the oil and fry them on both sides until they get a golden-brown colour. As you remove the koeksisters from the oil, place them directly into the syrup from the fridge. It is important to keep the syrup cool, so between soakings, return the syrup to the fridge to maintain its coolness.
- Remove the koeksisters from the syrup and allow the excess syrup to drip off. Place them in the refrigerator to cool and then eat!
BULK RECIPE:
Time: 50 Minutes
Serves: 40-50
INGREDIENTS:
Syrup
- 1 litre water (4 cups)
- 2.5 kg white sugar (10 cups)
- 50 ml lemon juice (10 tsp)
- 20 ml vanilla essence (4 tsp)
Dough
- 1.5 litres Millstone Cake Flour (6 cups)
- 88 ml baking powder (18 tsp / 6 tbsp)
- 4 ml salt (1 tsp)
- 80 g butter or margarine
- 600 ml milk or vanilla-flavoured soy milk (2½ cups)
METHOD:
Syrup:
- Put the water and sugar into a pot and bring to boil on low heat. Stir frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Boil for 7 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla essence. Put the pot into the fridge to cool the syrup.
Dough:
- Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Break the butter or margarine into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Add the milk. Mix well until a dough is formed.
- Roll the dough out to a thickness of 5 mm. Cut the dough into thin (approx. 10 mm) strips. Take 3 strips and join their ends on one side. Braid the strips to desired koeksister length and join other ends.
- Heat the oil in a pot until fairly hot. Put about 10 koeksisters (or what can fit) at a time in the oil and fry them on both sides until they get a golden-brown colour. As you remove the koeksisters for the oil, place them directly into the syrup from the fridge. It is important to keep the syrup cool, so between soakings, return the syrup to the fridge to maintain its coolness.
- Remove the koeksisters from the syrup and allow the excess syrup to drip off. Place them in the refrigerator to cool and then eat!