Delicious traditional Cape Malay Koesisters served on a plate, sprinkled with coconut.

Traditional Cape Malay Koesisters

Do you know the difference between a koeksister and a traditional Cape Malay koesister? While a koeksister is plaited and deep fried for a crispy outside, the koesister is softer and made with cinnamon, traditional mixed spices, and aniseed.

Serves 8 - 10

40 min


8 cups Cake flour
2 ½ cups Water (lukewarm)
2 tsp Baking powder
2 10g Packets of instant yeast
3 tbps Brown sugar
  Large pinch of salt
  The zest of 2 naartjies
3 tbsps Ground cinnamon
3 tbsps
Ground ginger
3 tbsps
Mixed spice
3 tbsps
Aniseed
  Vegetable or canola oil for frying
1 cup
Desiccated coconut



For the Cinnamon & Sugar Syrup: 

5 cups Water
4 cups Brown sugar
3 Cinnamon sticks

1 In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (except the coconut), then add the lukewarm water and mix until you have a soft and sticky dough.
2 Rub some oil over your hands and knead the sticky dough for about 10 minutes.
3 Cover the bowl of dough with a damp tea towel and leave to double in size (about an hour should do the trick).
4 Once the dough has risen, roll it out into oval-shaped balls and deep fry them in hot oil until golden brown.
5 Remove the koesisters from the heat and drain on kitchen paper.

 

For the Cinnamon & Sugar Syrup:

1 Put all of the ingredients into a large pot, and bring it to the boil.
2 Reduce the heat so that the sugar water gently simmers.
3 Simmer for about ten minutes, stirring every now and then.
4 When you have a nice thick syrup, add the cooled koesisters and cook for about 30 seconds.
5 Remove them from the syrup and pop them onto a wire rack.
6 Sprinkle generously with the coconut and store in an airtight container.