Cape Malay Koesisters

Cape Malay Koesisters served with your favourite cup of coffee just hits the soul on all levels. This is a much easier recipe than most, using mixed spice instead of all the different spices, as some spices are hard to come by in certain regions. Mixed spice has all in one spice for koesisters.

5 cups cake flour

3 to 3½ tbs whole aniseed

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 packet dry yeast

1 tsp ground elachi (cardamom)

3 tbs mixed spice

1 egg

Sift all of the above dry ingredients together.

Wet ingredients

300 ml boiling water 250 ml cold milk 50g butter or margarine 4 tbs brown sugar

Put boiling water in a bowl. Add margarine and allow it to melt. Add sugar and mix. Add cold milk and mix together. Whisk 1 egg and add to dry ingredients.

Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix by hand.

At this point the dough will be sticky and that’s what you want.

Do not add more flour. Add oil to hand and rub into sticky dough.

Cover dough with cling wrap and put in warm place to raise about 1 to 2 hours, or until double in size.

You do not need to knead the dough. Shape into oblong shapes.

Deep fry on medium heat until golden brown.

Do a toothpick test to make sure it’s cooked inside.

Drain on paper towels.

Syrup

2 cups water

2¾ cups sugar

4 cardamom pods

2 cinnamon sticks

3 pieces dry naartjie peel (optional)

Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes or until a bit sticky and sugar dissolved.

Turn heat down to low, add koesisters and cook for 50 to 60 seconds until evenly syruped. Remove and sprinkle with coconut. Do not roll in coconut like a snowball, just lightly sprinkle Recipe makes just over 3 dozen. NOTE: You can freeze un-syruped koesisters and syrup them at the time of making.