A South African classic of plaited, deep-fried dough, soaked in a vanilla sugar syrup.
By Candice Le Noury
Koeksusters are palatable. There’s no getting round it. Correct as there’s no denying that they build now not seem like healthy. Now now not even remotely. But that doesn’t topic terribly important. A easy plaited dough, fried until crispy on the skin, and proper cooked by. Then soaked in a vanilla sugar syrup, until the core is gooey with sugar, while the skin remains crunchy. Right here’s a section of South African heritage I’m very ok with!
So whether you’re a South African who’s never made them ahead of, or within the occasion you’re essentially based fully somewhere within the qualified wide world where you’ve never even heard of them – there’s no excuse now to now not are trying these this week – they use about a cabinet staples, and the outcomes are mouthwatering. This recipe was tailored by one of our local food heroes, Justin Bonello.
Description
A South African classic of plaited, deep-fried dough, soaked in a vanilla sugar syrup.
For the dough:
- 8.4 oz (240g) cake flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4.2oz (125ml) milk
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
For the syrup
- 35oz) 1 kg sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence or extract
For the syrup
- Site the total syrup ingredients into a saucepan and produce to the boil, while stirring consistently.
- Minimize to a sensible simmer for about 5 minutes. Recall from the warmth, and house in a metal bowl within the occasion you net one.
- Site the bowl in an even bigger container (or kitchen sink) filled with ice water – you wish to win your syrup in actual fact cold. You may perhaps perhaps house it within the freezer too (in a Ziploc net) when cold satisfactory.
- Leave to sit down again while making your dough.
For the dough:
- In a bowl, sift the dry ingredients collectively and rub within the butter. Add the milk and mix into a delicate dough; knead completely, then high-tail away to stand for about 15 minutes.
- If the dough is too crumbly, add a splash extra milk, if it’s too moist, sprinkle with a little bit extra flour.
- Roll out to a thickness of about 5mm and lower into strips 1.5cm wide and about 7cm prolonged. Divide the 1.5cm into strips 5mm wide, however keeping them joined at the tip.
- Assemble plaits with the three strips, making particular that you press the strips collectively firmly at every ends – right here’s terribly necessary on fable of within the occasion you don’t, the koeksuster will give intention within the oil. I do know the plaits may perhaps also seem very small now, however they lengthen when they fry after which absorb the total syrup. Don’t be tempted to produce them bigger!
- Deep fry the koeksusters in hot oil until golden brown – don’t be afraid to win them a rich, deepish brown.
- Drain rapid and straight dip into the ice-cold syrup. I left mine within the syrup for optimum saturation, and fully eradicated them ahead of I used to be going to abet. Yum.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook dinner Time: 5 mins
Candice Le Noury
Candice Le Noury is a vanilla-obsessed South African food blogger. A farm lady at heart, she writes about her cooking and drinking adventures in her Cape Town kitchen, while dreaming of prolonged wooden tables, moist-nosed cows, and wellington boots by the front door.
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