'Koesisters' are a Cape Town staple and it's the best way to start your Sunday. Get your day off to a good start by making your own.
Ingredients for dough
- 4½ cups cake flour
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- ½ cup lukewarm milk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 sachet instant yeast (10g)
- 2 tbs caster sugar
- 3 tbs butter (melted)
- 1 tsp salt
- zest of 1 naartjie (optional)
- 1 tbs fine ginger
- 1-2 tsp mix spice (optional)
- 2 tbs aniseed
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp freshly ground cardamon seeds
- 2 eggs
Ingredients for syrup
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 naartjie peels (optional)
- Oil for deep frying
- Desiccated coconut for coating
Method
- Mix all ingredients until a sticky dough is formed. The dough must be very soft.
- Knead the dough for about 10 minutes using a little oil on your hands to stop it from sticking.
- Rub some oil over the dough, cover it with a cloth and allow to rise for an hour, or to double in size.
- Roll out into little balls and fry in oil on medium to high heat until brown.
- Sprinkle with sugar and cover in desiccated coconut.
Sugar syrup
- Boil the sugar with 2 cups of water and a few cinnamon sticks, on medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes. Add naartjie peel if desired.
- Allow the syrup to simmer while dipping the koesisters into it and letting them soak for a minute before removing.
Hint: If dough isn’t soft and sticky, it won’t rise well and the koesisters won’t be light.