Gateway to Gastronomy: Homestyle South African koeksisters

In our Gateway to Gastronomy column, writers are given the chance to share their favourite recipes!

Being a South African immigrant in Canada, I sometimes find it hard to connect with my family’s culture. However, one of the best ways to connect to any culture is through food! Koeksisters are a traditional Afrikaner dessert that’s often described as a South African comfort food. They’re a sweet, crunchy-on-the-outside but soft-on-the-inside confectionery that people need to try at least once.

My first time trying one was in South Africa as a child; unfortunately, they aren’t as easy to find here, but that gives you the joy of trying to make them!

The recipe involves two parts: the syrup and the dough.

Homestyle Koeksisters

Ingredients

Syrup

• 2 1/2 cups of white sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 small lemon (juice at least 3 tsp)
• 1 tsp of vanilla essence

Dough

• 1 1/2 cups of cake flour (all-purpose flour works too, but it takes more work to knead the dough!)
• 1 1/3 tbsp butter (softened)
• 3/4 cup of milk (soy milk is a great alternative!)
• 1 1/3 tbsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp of salt
• About 3 cups of oil for frying (canola, peanut, and vegetable all work fine)

Directions

1. Start with the syrup. Put the sugar and water into a small pot (ideally taller than it is wide). Bring it to a boil on a medium-low heat. As soon as it boils, reduce the heat to low. Stir it until the mixture is completely incorporated. I find anywhere from six to eightminutes works fine!
2. Remove the pot from the heat, add the lemon juice and vanilla essence.
3. Allow the syrup mixture to cool slightly, then put it in the fridge.
4. Now we move on to the dough! Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Then add the butter and milk.
5. Once the mixture has become dough, roll out pieces of the dough into long strips, about the thickness of your pinky finger.
6. This is the most delicate part! Cut the roll into three even strips. Connect the ends of the three strips, then braid them, finishing off by joining the other ends.
7. Now is a good time to heat your oil on the stove.
8. Once hot, pop a few of your koeksisters into the oil, and watch as they turn into a deep golden-brown colour! Once brown, throw them directly into the syrup you made earlier, and let them soak for at least two to three minutes!
9. Once they’ve soaked, let them dry off on a rack or some parchment paper.
10. Congrats! You’ve made some koeksisters!

Before frying your koeksisters After frying your koeksisters!