Malay koeksisters

* From "Every day Malay cooking" author Zainab Lagardien*
These can be deep-fried and frozen [without the syrup] for up to 14 days.
Thaw for 1 hour, make the syrup and eat!

250 ml 1 cup cake flour
250 ml 1 cup self-raising flour
5 ml 1 teas salt
60g ¼ cup butter or margarine
5 ml 1 teas ginger
5 ml 1 teas cinnamon
5 ml 1 teas mixed spice
2.5 ml ½ teas cardamom
10 ml 2 teas soft brown sugar
10 ml 2 teas white sugar
10 ml 2 teas instant dry yeast
375 ml 1 ½ cups warm water

Syrup

250 ml 1 cup water
125 ml ½ cup sugar
15 ml 3 teas desiccated coconut
1 piece naartjie peel

- In a mixing bowl, combine the flours with salt.
- Add butter and rub in lightly until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add remaining ingredients, using the warm water to form a dough.
- Do not kneed.
- Cover with plastic and leave in a warm place for about 1½ - 2 hours or until doubled in size, then turn out on a lightly floured surface.
- Dip fingers and knife into flour and use your hands to stretch the dough.
- Cut into 4 cm x 8 cm strips and deep-fry over medium heat in a deep saucepan.
- Insert fork to check if done and remove quickly, one by one, and drain in a colander or on kitchen paper.
- To make the syrup, bring water, sugar, coconut and naartjie peel to a slow boil in a large saucepan until syrup starts to bubble.
- Prick each koeksister, then lower into the syrup.
- Add as many koeksisters as the pan will hold.
- Turn koeksisters and allow them to absorb syrup until they are brown - about 2 minutes.
- Remove from pan with a slotted spoon, placing them on a platter sprinkled with a litte extra coconut.
- Serve while hot.

Makes about 25.

Tips: Make double quantity syrup or you will run out before all koeksisters have been dipped.
Sprinkle coconut over each layer of koeksisters on the platter.
Don't leave koeksisters too long in the syrup or they will fall apart.