Koesisters - Salwaa Smith
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Traditional Cape Malay Sunday breakfast.
Ingredients:
1 kg cake flour
2 tsp dry ginger powder
3 tsp cinnamon powder
1 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
4 tsp aniseed powder
Rind of 1 naartjie / satsuma, dried and ground (optional)
10g packet instant yeast
1 cup sugar
2 cups hot water
2 dessert spoon butter
milk as needed (about 2 cups)
1L vegetable oil for deep frying
Method:
Using a measuring jug, melt butter and sugar in hot water. Add enough milk to make 1 litre. Mix flour, spices and yeast into a mixing bowl. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix to a soft dough. Set dough aside, covered, to rise until double in size. Dip our fingers in a little oil, just to prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers. Divide dough into approximately 60 small balls on a slightly oiled surface. Allow the koesisters to rise until double in size. Meanwhile heat oil in large saucepan. Once the oil is very hot turn your stove down to medium to high. Gently pull koesister into an oblong shape and fry each side until browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on absorbent paper. Makes about 60 koesisters
Sugar syrup:
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
Boil water and sugar until sugar is dissolved and syrup is slightly thickened and sticky. Add drops of water if syrup becomes too sticky. Add the cooled koesisters into the syrup a few at a time. Cook for a minute or so turning all the time so the whole koesister is coated with sugar syrup, remove from the syrup onto a serving plate. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut or make a slit in the middle of the koesister taking care not too go right through. Drop a teaspoonful of glazed coconut in the centre.
Cook's tip:
**Wash and dry the naartjie rind. Leave it out in the sun to dry out or if there's no sunshine leave it in the oven on a very low temperature to dry out completely before grinding in a spice grinder.
To make the coconut filling
1 cup sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
¾ cup water
3 cardamom pods
1 piece stick cinnamon
Boil all the ingredients together until all the water is evaporated and the coconut is glazed and sticky. About 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn as coconut burns very easily. The coconut mixture should be dry not watery. Remove cardamoms and stick cinnamon before using
