Easy Koeksister Recipe
A fast way to make Koeksisters. A traditional South African dessert recipe. In this recipe I used bread instead of dough which is known as Breadsisters..
Traditional South African Recipes
As most of you guys know by now, I am a proud South African native although I have been living in Spain for the last 7 years. If you read my about me page you´ll see how I boast about South African food and how I believe it´s simply the best food out there (I´m not biast at all *smile*).
I decided to share yet another one of my favorite South African recipes. Awhile ago, I shared a recipe called Malva Pudding on my blog. At that stage I was still taking photos with my digital camera, so forgive me for the quality of those photos! Don´t let that stop you to try the Malva Pudding recipe! My friend Jen, who lives in Canada makes it on a regular basis and she and her family loves it!
How are Koeksisters made?
Traditionally koeksisters are made with dough that is cut into 3 strips and braided into koeksisters. Then fried in hot oil until golden brown, quickly drained on paper towels and immediately dipped into ice cold sugar syrup.
The reason why you immediately dip the hot koeksisters into the ice cold sugar syrup is because the colder the syrup, the more of it will be soaked up by the warm koeksister (or breadsister in our case).
The perfect koeksister is crunchy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside! Words can´t explain how much I love these sweet treats! I mean just look at this photo below! I´m not lying am I? *smile*
Easy Koeksister Recipe made with bread!
Ingredients
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup water
- juice of half a lemon
- 10 thick slices of white or brown bread (without the crusts)
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed sauce pan until it reaches boiling point.
- Boil for a further 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat (uncovered).
- Remove from the heat.
- Add the lemon juice and cool completely.
- Once the syrup has cooled place the bowl in a larger bowl with ice water (the idea is to keep the syrup as cold as possible when dipping).
- Heat the Oil over medium heat
- Cut each slice of Bread into three equal size fingers.
- Deep fry 3 to 4 bread fingers at a time, turning regularly. About 30 to 45 seconds per batch.
- Remove the fried bread, using a slotted spoon, quickly place on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.
- Immediately dunk the fried bread fingers into the ice cold syrup for 5 seconds (make sure all is covered).
- Repeat with all the bread fingers.
- Chill until it´s time to serve them.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
- These only get better with time, feel free to make a double batch! One batch wont last long wink
Notes
This recipe was adapted from With A Blast
https://johleneorton.com/easy-koeksister-recipe-a-k-a-breadsisters/
Ingredients
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup water
- juice of half a lemon
- 10 thick slices of white or brown bread (without the crusts)
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed sauce pan until it reaches boiling point.
- Boil for a further 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat (uncovered).
- Remove from the heat.
- Add the lemon juice and cool completely.
- Once the syrup has cooled place the bowl in a larger bowl with ice water (the idea is to keep the syrup as cold as possible when dipping).
- Heat the Oil over medium heat
- Cut each slice of Bread into three equal size fingers.
- Deep fry 3 to 4 bread fingers at a time, turning regularly. About 30 to 45 seconds per batch.
- Remove the fried bread, using a slotted spoon, quickly place on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.
- Immediately dunk the fried bread fingers into the ice cold syrup for 5 seconds (make sure all is covered).
- Repeat with all the bread fingers.
- Chill until it´s time to serve them.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
- These only get better with time, feel free to make a double batch! One batch wont last long wink
Notes
This recipe was adapted from With A Blast
From Koeksister to Breadsister!
Now you´re probably wondering why I didn´t I make the “real deal”. Referring to the Koeksisters that are made with dough. Well to be honest, I didn´t feel like the hassle. I´ve made them before and they take up so much time! These Breadsisters are a very close second and they taste sooooo good!
I used to eat them often as a child because my aunt used to make them for special occasions. I remember eyeying the table to see how many were left.. thinking that I needed to eat at least one more before they were all gone. They were gone really quick!
Tip: Make two batches as these store really well and before you know it the first batch will be finished!
Photo Shoot and Styling Tips
I thought I´d share a few tips with you guys on how I styled this post and some of the settings I used on my camera..
- I used PhotoScape to bulk edit the size of my photos once I uploaded them to my PC.
- Then I used Canva to crop and add text to them.
- These photos were shot in natural light, right next to my window.
- My ISO ranged between 200 – 400, which depended on my angle/position.
- I used one of my tops as a prop because it has an African print on it *smile*.
- The black dish is from an ice cream hubby bought me recently from our local supermarket. I liked it, so I kept it. Thumbs up for frugal living *smile again*.
Until next time guys! I hope you´re all having a great week!
Johlene
xoxo
Rebecca Blackwell says
I’ve never heard of Koeksisters, but after reading this post I know I MUST try them. Thank you for sharing!
Johlene Orton says
You have to try them Rebecca! They are very sweet but really so good 🙂
Razena | Tantalisemytastebuds.com says
This is such a clever adaptation. But now I have a craving for koeksisters 🙁
Johlene Orton says
I love koeksisters, I could eat them every day! 🙂
Kristi says
Yum! I’m drooling! These look amazing!! Thanks so much for sharing at #HomeMattersParty. Hope you’ll join us again.
Johlene Orton says
Thanks so much Kristi!! 🙂
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
oh boy . . I can’t wait until I can eat bread again .. I love this traditional South African dessert recipe!! Looks delicious!
Johlene Orton says
Yeah I forgot you are on your thirty day plan! Sorry to do this to you 🙂
Elizabeth @ SugarHero.com says
Wow, this looks and sounds AMAZING. I’ve never heard of this but now I want to make them immediately. Your pictures are gorgeous and I feel like I can practically taste them already.
Johlene Orton says
Thanks Elizabeth! I wish I had a bowl in front of me now too. These are super addictive even if they are mighty sweet 😉
Sam @ SugarSpunRun says
I’d never heard of koeksisters before, but now I’m dying to try them. These sound delicious!
Johlene Orton says
They are really good Sam and I really hope you try them 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!!
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
Oh my gosh Johlene, these look heavenly. They made my mouth water and I can just imagine biting into the crunchy outside and meeting the soft center. Yes! Yum!
Johlene Orton says
Yes! Kirsty these are super tasty, and so easy to make. You´ve got to try them! 🙂
Lauren @ Lauren Caris Cooks says
These look dangerously delicious!! How on earth could I stop at just 1! Or three for that matter…
Johlene Orton says
You can´t Lauren! Trust me 🙂
Linda @ With A Blast says
Looks great ! Thanks for the mention ! {I should also get some new pics on my old post}
Johlene Orton says
Thanks Linda! They tasted so good! Like you said it´s best to make a second batch 🙂