Cape Malay Potato Koesister recipe (spiced doughnuts)
Cape Malay Potato Koesisters are fragrant and aromatic doughnuts spiced with powdered cinnamon, cardamom, mixed spice and ginger and uplifted with the heady scent of aniseed and freshly grated naartjie peel (mandarin orange or tangerine peel).
Recipe PDF
Ingredients
Dough
- 160 grams potato approximately 1 large potato, peeled, cubed and boiled
- 65 grams butter approximately 4 1/2 tablespoons
- 125 ml lukewarm water approximately 1/2 cup
- 125 ml lukewarm milk approximately 1/2 cup
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 500 grams cake flour approximately 3 2/3 cups, firmly packed
- 5 ml baking powder approximately 1 teaspoon
- 10 grams instant yeast approximately 1 sachet
- 7.5 ml salt, divided
- 50 grams sugar approximately 60 ml or 1/4 cup
- 7.5 ml cardamom powder approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 7.5 ml cinnamon powder approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 7.5 ml ginger powder approximately 1 1/2 teaspoon
- 5 ml aniseed, whole approximately 1 teaspoon
- 5 ml mixed spice approximately 1 teaspoon
- 7.5 ml grated fresh clementine peel, optional approximately 1 1/2 teaspoon
- 750 ml cooking oil, for frying the doughnuts approximately 3 cups
Sugar syrup
- 400 grams sugar approximately 500 ml or 2 cups
- 375 ml water approximately 1 1/2 cups
- 5 ml butter
- 10 ml lemon juice
Garnish
- 125 ml desiccated coconut, fine shredded not sweetened
Instructions
Making the koesisters
- Peel and cube the potato and place it in a small pot with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover with water then boil until soft.
- Strain the potatoes and place back in the pot on the stove for 5-10 seconds to dry out any excess water.
- In a small bowl, mash the potatoes or put it through the fine mesh of a potato ricer, ensuring there are no lumps or big pieces.
- Add the butter to the mashed potato and mix until combined.
- Add the warm milk and water then add the lightly beaten egg and mix to combine. If using, grate in the fresh naartjie peel.
- In a large bowl, sift the cake flour and add the baking powder, yeast, remaining salt, sugar, and spices.
- Add the milk and potato mixture to the dry ingredients and knead until smooth and elastic, approximately 5 minutes.
- Scrape the bowl clean and rub the inside with oil then put the dough back into the bowl.
- Cover the dough with cling wrap / plastic wrap and a clean dish towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 60-75 minutes or until doubled in size.
- When the rising time is completed and the dough looks springy and light to the touch, knock it down gently. Fold it over itself a few times to incorporate the oil.
- On a clean dry surface, rub a thin layer of vegetable oil.
- Weigh the dough then break off equal size pieces, approximately 40 grams each. This amount of dough will yield exactly 25 koesisters.
- Roll the dough pieces into balls between your palms and allow to rise a second time on the oiled surface, not longer than 15 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a medium pot or fryer and fry the koesisters until golden brown.
Making the syrup
- Boil together the water, sugar and lemon juice together for 10 minutes until it becomes slightly sticky.
- Add the butter and boil for another 2 minutes before adding the koesisters.
- Boil the koesisters in the sugar syrup for 2 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and toss in fine shredded dessicated coconut.
- Serve for Sunday breakfast or tea time with big mugs of coffee or tea.
Notes
- This is one of the few times when I will use full fat margarine instead of butter for cakes and bakes.
- My preferred brands are the regular full fat Cordon Bleu, Blossom or Marvello Professional margarine bricks and never the low or medium fat spread in the tubs.
- Do not use cold milk and water to mix into the mashed / riced potato as it will make the starch in the potato sticky and gummy.
- During winter when there are no warm places in the kitchen, I usually let the dough rise in the oven. Switch on the oven and set the temperature to 100 celsius, then and turn it off after 5 minutes. Place the dough in the center of the oven to rise.
Nutrition
Calories: 469kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 4gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 146mgPotassium: 117mgFiber: 2gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 88IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional information for the recipe is an approximation and varies according to the ingredients and products used.
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