Make the syrup the day before...it needs to be cold when you fry the dough.
Syrup
375ml water
800g sugar (yes it is EIGHT hundred grams)
2ml cream of tartar
1 piece root ginger bruised (I used a piece about 1cm by 1cm)
3 sticks cinnamon (I only had two but I put some nutmeg in as well - worked out quite nicely actually!)
Heat the water in a saucepan (quite a big one because it boils up - I discovered this the hard way!), add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Make sure you wash down the sugar crystals on the side otherwise you end up with crystallised syrup. Add the cream of tartar, ginger and cinnamon (and nutmeg if you like) and boil uncovered for 5 minutes. Do NOT stir. Remove from stove and chill overnight.
Dough
500g cake flour
30ml baking powder
2ml salt
60ml butter
2 large eggs
250ml milk
Sift the dry ingredients together and then rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Beat the eggs and milk together and add to the dry ingredients. Mix the dough well, then knead it lightly for 2 minutes to make it pliable. Cover the bowl with a tea towel / waxed paper and leave for 1 hour.
Putting them together
This is where I diverged from the recipe book. It said you have to roll out the dough and then cut it into strips and plait it but they looked ridiculous so I ended up kneading the dough back together and then breaking off smallish balls. Each of these balls I then divided into two and rolled them (as if I was playing with plasticine) so they looked like little fat worms and then twisted them together. They looked MUCH more like the koeksusters I know! Once you've made all of these these heat some oil and deep fry them for about 2-4 minutes (or until dark golden brown but not BURNT!!) Don't worry if some of them fall apart - those are for the people that are woesies that can't eat a whole koeksuster!!! Remove them from the oil, drain on kitchen roll and then immediately dunk them in the syrup for 30 seconds. Yes it will sizzle..thats the syrup getting sucked into the dough. Remove from the syrup and drain on a wire rack and refrigerate.
Enjoy!!! If any of you try them...please let me know they were!
Monday, June 2, 2008
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6 comments:
Yum!
Thanks for posting the recipe. As soon as I have a few hours spare I will make them and let you know if they turn out amazing.
The 800 grams of sugar are scary! Still, I've printed the recipie and plan to try to make koeksusters (even though I can't pronounce the word) this afternoon.
Will report any success or lackthereof.
sounds like hard work but yummy!!!
well done you cleva gal :)
Hello, Sarah!
I loved this post and this blog.
Happy weekend
It sounds devine but way to much work for me. You'll have to make us some when you are in Jhb again ;)
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