Koeksisters with Ginger Spice Syrup

Cold weather calls for baking, and cookies/biscuits tend to be the first thing that comes to mind. How about doughnuts? Or more specifically, fried dough soaked in a sugar syrup!

To adjust for the holiday season, I add cloves and nutmeg to the syrup, as well as usual the cinnamon and ginger. I also sprinkled the doughnuts with cinnamon sugar and add gingersnap spice to the flour.

Koeksisters, a traditional Afrikaans dessert or sweet snack which comes from the Dutch word koek (cake) and sissen (sizzling). I recall seeing them in some bakeries in Zimbabwe (which made sense as a neighboring country), although of course they are considered a quiessential South African food item.

You braid the dough, fry it, and soak it in cold sugar syrup - overnight if you please too! This makes for a crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside mouthwatering doughnut.

These are great for a sweet morning treat or tea time.

Ingredients

Ginger spice syrup:

1 cup white sugar

1 cinnamon stick

3 pieces fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon gingersnap spice

1/2 cup water

Zest of 1/2 a lemon

Koeksisters:

2 1/4 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons baking powder

4 tablespoons butter

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla essense

10 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon gingersnap spice

Vegetable oil

Cinnamon sugar

Instructions:

Make the syrup. Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the ginger, lemon zest, nutmeg, cinnamon stick and cloves. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and pour into a non-stick container, set aside to cool.

Make the doughnuts. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in the gingersnap spice.

Rub in the butter until the flour forms breadcrumbs.

Beat the egg, vanilla and almond together, then mix into the flour with a knife.

Follow up with the water a little bit at a time until a soft, sticky dough begins to form and comes together.

Knead for a minute or less into a ball. Place in a bowl with cling wrap and rest for at least an hour at room temperature.

Roll the dough out to about a half-inch/1 cm. Cut into a rectangle shape then split the dough into three rectangles.

Make two incisions each almost all the way, about the same thickness as the dough. Tightly braid then tuck in the loose ends. Pinch the other end or cut it all the way and repeat the same step.

Fry each in hot oil (they should be submerged to make sure the koeksisters cook evenly).

Dunk the hot koeksisters into the cooled syrup right away, spooning over then soaking for at least 2-3 minutes. Set on a rack and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!

Note: You can also soak the koeksisters overnight so that they come out extra gooey.