What's in a name?

As any South African visitor will have noticed, my blog's name is somewhat of a pun – if you happen to understand Afrikaans! Back home in SA we have a sweet pastry known as a “koeksuster” (literally translated as “cake sister” and pronounced “cook-sister”).  The name comes form the Dutch koek (cake) and sissen  (sizzle) - presumable a reference to their being deep fried.  It is one of the few things which, despite the huge South African population in London, I have not seen in mainstream stores. This is not to say that someone, somewhere is not producing them in England – I just have not come across them.

So what exactly is a koeksuster? Well, the best analogy I can find is with doughnuts as they are also sweet doughy fritters, but that’s as far as the similarity goes. With koeksusters, the dough is rolled out flat and then plaited in 6cm lengths, deep-fried and then soaked in syrup and chilled overnight. They are absolutely delicious with tea or coffee and I have also seen miniature koeksusters served in lieu of petit fours. Below is a recipe, if you are in the mood for getting plaiting! But there is something of a dispute raging as to the provenance of these teatime treats.

On the one hand, we have the Afrikaans community who hold koeksusters dear and say that they were invented by their forebears as they colonised the Cape. On the other hand, we have the Cape Malay community who also claim koeksusters as their own, albeit in a somewhat different form - their variety is less sweet, covered with desiccated coconut and twisted as opposed to plaited. The taste is definitely more doughnuty than the Afrikaner version. Click here for a recipe for these – any comments on which is your favourite would be interesting to hear…

KOEKSUSTERS

The syrup - to be made the day before and left in the fridge to cool.

Ingredients

6 cups of water
24g of root ginger
2.5kg granulated sugar

Method

Boil 3 cups of water with the peeled and sliced root ginger. Remove the ginger and add 3 more cups of water. Bring to boil again. Add the sugar and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Allow to cool and store in fridge. NB - it has to be in the fridge as you need your syrup to be chilled!

For the pastry:

Ingredients

6 cups plain flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
125g of butter
2 eggs
125ml evaporated milk
312ml lukewarm water
a pinch of salt
oil for frying

Mix all the above together and knead well, then leave to rest for 2 hours.  Roll the dough flat into an oval/square until it is 5mm thick. Cut the dough into strips 2.5cm across. Then cut these strips into lengths of 6cm so that you are left with rectangles 2.5cm x 6cm Make two cuts along the length of the rectangles so that you can plait them – you are aiming for a plait similar to a 3-strand hair plait. When you have plaited each one, press the three strands together firmly at each end so that they do not come undone. Deep-fry each koeksuster in hot oil until crisp and golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and dip the whole cooked koeksuster immediately into your cool syrup. Remember - the koeksuster has to be hot and the syrup cold in order for the syrup to be absorbed by the dough! Remove from the syrup and allow to cool on a paper towels before eating.

Comments

[Yolande]

Dit sal fantasties wees as jy vir my 'n paar resepte kan stuur, sodat ek vir al die huis mense in my huis kan Afrikaanse kos begin maak!!!

Die respepte lyk heerlik!!!

[Jeanne]

Yolande - dankie dat jy kom kuier het! Sê maar net watter soort resepte jy soek en ek sal hulle aanstuur - of sommer net op Cooksister "post"! Stuur maar die versoeke deur!

[alet]

Hallo,
Ek het per ongeluk op jou site afgekom. Ek sit hier in Fresno, California.
Is op soek na 'n resep vir "spitsroken" - dis amper soos koeksusters maar die is 'n deeg wat lyk soos vetkoek deeg wat jy drup in die olie en die stroop is byna dieselfde as koeksuster stroop. As iemand dalk weet daarvan sal dit so waardeer word.
Alet

[Donald Dodson]

Hello

I have a market stall in Petersfield, Hampshire and sell koeksusters, boerewors, biltong, drywors, ruske and loads of other goodies every Wednesday and Saturday. Anyone can order from me at the above e-mail address - or on Tel. 01730 894478
Regards

[Donald Dodson]

Sorry Guys

Forgot to mention the melktert and cheese cake on Saturdays

Cheers

Don

[Caroline]

Great recipes!
For the koeksusters, what type of oil should I use.
Thank you,
Caroline

[unwa jacobs]

how do I know that you as European people know how to make a cape malay koeksister? This is not a racist comment I just would like to know because I am a cape malay and it was an integral part of our culture when growing up but the boere koeksuster is a twisted sister and completely different. I no longer live in S.A. and am looking for a good recipe to make rooikrans boerewors. Can you help? I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Missing home!

[Anneke]

Hoi! Ik zal zeker dit recept eens uitproberen, het lijkt me erg spannend. Het doet een beetje denken aan chinese 'dumplings' :)

[megean]

hey
ive come a cross some koeksusters in the south of england in hampshire there are two shops that sell them and they are tasty pitty that they are not all over london though but still not the same as the ones back in the cape where i grew up

[Juneau]

this sounds delicious!
as a child in Yugoslavija my family made something that was called "Prügelkrapfen" (a "Krapfen is similar to a donut in dough actually). I don't know therecipethough, but it was a huge thing andit was made over open fire in the patio. There was a construction similar to the one where you roast a pig over open fire, with a handle that had to be constantly moved so the "Prügelkrapfen" would notz just burn on oneside and be raw on the other. You rolled / twisted the dough onto the "Prügel" (metal stick), then smeared honey ora sugary syrup on the dough rolled it over the fire, put more dough on it and again the sweet stuff, and so forth - without end it seemed. And after what seemed an eternity we could pluck the sweet and crispy "Prügelkrapfen" from it's stick. Gawd, I loved it! But where can you have an open firein your patio nowaday .... and who would have such a construction? But your koeksusters looks very much like the stuff. And it sounds a lot like it. Wish I could try it.

[passionfruit]

And anybdy has any idea how many calories each one have? I guess thousands!!! But it tastes like HEAVEN!!!!

[Teresa]

Hello
Ek was besig om kersfees resepte te soek toe ek per ongeluk(Geluk) op jou koeksister resep afgekom het. Ek bly in Madeira Portugal en toe ek jou resep gesien het het ek onthou van die dae toe ek in die Vrystaat gebly het. Ek het grootgeword in Reitz;Vrystaat en koeksisters was vir my die lekkerste ding gewees wanneer ons skou gehad het.Baie dankie vir die resep. Ek gaan dit probeer sodat my kinders kan proe hoe lekker dit is..

[sally abrahams Durbs 2 London]

I am a south african living in london and do authenic durbs style cuisine. I supply freshly cooked curries and snacks to order.

[tony hulme]

I loved the home made black crusted white loaf that I used to have when I was visiting my afrikaner friends house, I have been trying to find the recipe its something like the scotch bread that we used to get in england but it is not sold where I am anymore.Can anyone give me the recipe. Thank you.

[Carine]

Hi, my Skotse man het koeksisters ontdek toe hy die eerste keer in Suid Afrika gekuier het en hy kon nie genoeg daarvan kry nie! Hy smeek my nou al jare lank om vir hom koeksisters by die huis te maak, so noudat ek jou resep het, sal ek die naweek dit probeer. Jy laat dit so maklik klink!

[Peter F May]

I had these for the first time a few weeks ago in the Cape. They reminded me very much of the Indian sweet you sometimes can get in Indian restuarants. It is called Jalebi or Gulabi or variations of spellings -- see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalebi and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulab_jamun

Also, you don't mention how the SA dessert got its name of 'cooksister' :)

[S]

Hey J!

I picked up some Koeksuster's today @ Savannah in Wimbledon. £2.99 for 5 - rip off, but SO SO worth it. Thanks for introducing me to these babies!

Here's a page with the address of the shop (third entry down). I'm not sure if the phone number has changed:

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/8b6c8/49f02/c/

x

[Julie]

I am fascinated with pastries that are soaked in syrup. My first experience was baklava. But a few years back a girl from india brought me what looked like round doughnuts floating in syrup. They were called "Gulab Juman" and they were
absolutely delicious, I've been hooked ever since.
So I know that I will make these "KOEKSUSTERS" thank you for teaching me about them.

[marisse]

Here is the Malay type koeksisters which I got out of The Cape Malay cookbook by Faldela Williams, photographs by Cornel de Kock, and published by Struik.

KOEKSISTERS
Ingredients:
500g cake flour
100ml self-raising flour
100ml sugar
2ml salt
10ml ground ginger
5ml ground cinnamon
10ml ground aniseed
5ml ground cardamon
10ml ground dried naartjie peel (optional)
125ml sunflower oil
1 egg
250ml cold milk
250ml hot water
20ml active dried yeast
5ml sugar
750ml sunflower oil
sugar syrup*
150ml desiccated coconut

Method: Sift flours, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl and stir in spices and naartjie peel. Rub in 125ml oil for form a crumbly mixture. Mix milk and water and dissolve yeast and sugar in half the milk mixture. Add to four with egg and remaining milk mixture. Mix to a soft dough, then set dough aside, covered, to rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Roll dough out to a 5cm thick coil on an oiled surface. Cut off 2cm lengths and shape each into a slightly flattened doughnut shape. Set aside, covered, for 30 minutes to rise again. Heat oil in a saucepan and fry koeksisters for 5 minutes on each side, or until browned. Drain on absorbant paper or in a colander. Boil koeksisters, a few at a time, in sugar syrup for 1 minute, then drain and sprinkle with coconut. Makes 60.

SUGAR SYRUP
Ingredients:
500ml water
250ml sugar
pinch bicorbonate of soda (baking soda in Canada & USA)
10ml butter

Method: Bring water and sugar to boil and boil until sugar has dissolved and syrup is slightly thickened. Stir in bicarbonate of soda and butter and use as a dipping syrup for koeksisters, bollas and other recipes. Makes 750ml.

Attached image(s)

--

[marisse]

Soft spicy koeksister dipped into sugar syrup and rolled in coconut

4 potatoes (medium size)

4 cups cake flour

5ml salt

5ml ground nutmeg

15ml ground cinnamon

10ml ground ginger

15ml whole aniseed

5ml fine aniseed

60ml sugar

1pkt instant dry yeast

30ml butter

250ml warm milk

60ml oil

2 eggs, beaten

coconut for dipping

oil for deep frying

Method

Boil potatoes and mash while still hot. Potatoes must be soft and smooth.
Sift flour with salt, spices and sugar. Sprinkle over yeast and mix through.
Melt butter. Add milk, oil and beaten eggs. Mix well and add to potatoes.
Make well in center of flour and add warm milk mixture. Mix into a soft dough.
Place on working surface and knead into soft, smooth and elastic like dough. Knead for about 15min.
Place in a lightly oiled bowl. Lightly oil top of dough and cover with plastic wrap.
Place in a warm place to double in size.
On a lightly oiled surface, roll dough into a sausage. Cut into equal size portions and shape like a koeksister.
Leave on a greased table to double in size for about 15min.
Fry in heated oil until golden in colour on both sides. Lift koeksister gently and reshape if needed. Drain on wire rack and allow to cool.
Take care that the oil is moderately hot in order for koeksister not to absorb oil.
Dip koeksister in sugar syrup over low heat. Roll in coconut.
HINT***Koeksister can be frozen for up to 3months before syrupping. Thaw at room
temperature and sugar as normal.

SYRUP

2½ cups sugar

2 cups water

Allow to simmer over low heat until syrupy.

[harold]

hello. I am from canada. And Ive had the pleasure of having these at christmas from my X mother inlaw also from SA.

[Mike]

Wow these seem really great! My wife is from China and I think she will like these cakes. Thanks and keep sharing the great desserts.

All are invited to visit us at: http://www.egourmetstore.com/

[Eric]

Hi

My wife's favorite ... especialy in the middle of the night , out of the deep freeze.

[Daphne from Texas]

Hi I loved reading your letters. Even one in Dutch!
They made me home sick. Well I have always made Koeksisters for my kids since they were little and now they ask for them all the time and they are Texan's. I use the Sannie Smit recipe book. They are very easy and you will find all the Boerewors and South African recipes in there. Even the Melk Tert which is the best light and airy. But the Cape Malay lady that wrote in is right. Those Cape Malay Koeksisters were fabulous.
There will be no place like South Africa no matter what!
Been back last year and had a great time. Enjoyed Tizikama, Addopark and Carmel by the Sea. A retreat paradise!!!!!!!!!
Do you have a good SA fish curry recipe? Durbanites make the best fish curry! Wish I could find some one here that will open something like Sa food. There is nothing here and the possibilities are endless.Tourists on the gulf.

[Leigh Hudson]

Wonderful site. Daphne - I'm also in Texas (Houston) - e-mail me at thaiquila@yahoo.com to swap SA recipes!
Leigh