What tastes like love? If you are searching for crunchy and luscious sweets, koeksisters are some of my favourite sweets to eat. I’m sure many of you know them; they’re sticky, syrup-soaked jelly cakes covered in cinnamon. They’re delicious, and every bite will remind you of the love your mom used to make with so much effort.
Life can get quite busy sometimes, and we don’t always have the time to make these little treats, but, like most South Africans, making this sweet is something that’s close to my heart. The sugary exterior hides a soft and sweet centre. These treats have been part of the South African dessert tradition for many decades.
Koeksisters are braided and fried dough pastry soaked in syrup
These sweets were first made by slaves brought to South Africa from Indonesia. They used leftover dough from baking bread to make these sweet treats. The first time these cakes were introduced was in Cape Town in 1785. Later on, boerewors came into existence.
Soon made remarkable entries at home or bought at a bakery or supermarket. Further, they come in different flavours, such as apple cinnamon or chocolate hazelnut, but plain is always the most popular flavour among children because they don’t have to wait for the syrup to cool down before eating them!
They are sweet and delicious
These delicious sweets are traditionally made for special occasions such as weddings, birthdays and religious festivals like Christmas and Easter. They are usually served warm with lots of custard cream or ice cream. However, you can make these cakes from milk, flour, butter and eggs with no artificial ingredients here!
The mixture is then left to ferment overnight before being rolled into long coils that look like snakes. The coils are deep fried until golden brown and then dipped in granulated sugar before being left to cool down completely. The end result is a delicious sweet treat that tastes like love!
Koeksisters can be decorated with almonds
These toothsome cakes can be decorated with almonds, pine nuts, and raisins. Some people like to add a little cinnamon to the sugar syrup. It gives it a lovely flavour, but it is not traditional.
Koeksisters are traditionally served in pairs, one for each hand. If you want to get fancy, you can make a pair out of one cake and one rice Krispie treat. This way, you have a pair of koeksister, and they don’t fall apart when you eat them!
For further information visit this website!