Golden, sticky, and unapologetically sweet, the humble koeksister has a whole day dedicated to its sugary charm. World Koeksister Day is tomorrow. It’s a chance to celebrate one of South Africa’s most iconic treats: a deep-fried dough twist, drenched in syrup, and generously coated in coconut. Recipe compliments of Kerrygold.

Ingredients

For the syrup:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cup water
• Small piece of cinnamon stick
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

For the dough:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp Kerrygold Original Irish Butter
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup water, use more if needed
• Oil for frying

Method

For the sauce:

1. Add all the ingredients into a pot. Stir and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and let it simmer on low for 10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature. Keep the syrup in the freezer while you prepare the dough.

For the dough:

1. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Rub in the butter until you have a crumbly texture.
2. Whisk together the egg, milk, and water well, then bind the dough using the egg, water and milk mixture. Knead it into a soft and smooth dough. Cover and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
3. Roll the dough to the desired thickness. The thick rolled dough will result in softer koeksisters, and the thinner dough will result in crispy koeksisters. Keep a moderate thickness to get crispy koeksisters that are soft in the centre and crispy on the outside.
4. Cut into long strips about 8-10cm in length. Take two strips of dough and twist them together gently. Be careful not to twist too tightly and secure at the ends. Repeat with the remaining dough and fry in medium-hot oil until golden.
5. As the koeksisters are frying, remove the cold sugar syrup from the freezer and dip the warm koeksisters in the chilled syrup. Return to the freezer in between dipping to keep chilled. Sprinkle coconut and dried rose petals for garnishing and enjoy!