by Kate | Aug 29, 2019 |
This Sunday is the very first World Koesister Day and if you’re as excited about this as I am then you’re definitely going to want to whip up a batch of my naartjie koesisters, a twist on Cariema Isaacs’ traditional Cape Malay recipe!
Now, I’m ashamed to say that while I’ve eaten my body weight in koesisters, I’ve never actually made a batch myself. When I’ve found myself even remotely near the Bokaap on a Sunday, best believe I’m stopping by Rose’s Cafe for the still-warm coconut-coated spiced piece of heaven which is a koesister. And you can never just have one! If, like me, you’ve never made your own koesisters, then this Sunday, the very first World Koesister Day, is about as good a day as any to give them a go!
What is a koesister?
Nope, there’s no spelling error. We’re celebrating the Cape Malay KOEsister, which is very different from the koeksister (with two k’s) of Dutch origin. Having almost the same name is where the similarities between these two traditional South African bakes ends. While a koeksister is crunchy and drenched in thick syrup, the koesister is more like a doughnut – spiced, soaked in syrup and rolled in coconut. As Vannie Kaap so eloquently put it, ‘Koesisters are vetkoeke that believed in miracles’. (Side note: they have this on aprons – NEED!)
1 September is World Koesister Day
I was fortunate enough to be invited to a koek-off between Radisson Red Chef, Naseer and renowned Cape Malay cookbook author Cariema Isaacs where they competed for the best koesister kudos (and we got to taste!) when they announced the inaugural World Koesister Day. If you think you’ve got the best koesisters in the land, then make sure to head to the Radisson Red Hotel this Sunday (with your plate of koesisters) and enter to win the title of the Kwaiest KOEsister!
How to make a Cape Malay Koesister
I have huge respect for the tradition of so many Cape Malay women who woke up at goodness knows what hour on a Sunday morning to have a plate of warm koesisters ready for their family. And as I’m no expert in Cape Malay baking, I relied on the recipe and instructions of arguably the most famous Cape Malay cook, Cariema Isaacs. I used her koesister recipe (which was taught to her by her mom-in-law) straight from her book ‘My Cape Malay Kitchen‘. I added my own twist of naartjie zest (in the dough) and naartjie zest (in the syrup) and doubled up on the spices as I love my koesisters extra spicy!
Will you be making koesisters for World Koesister Day this weekend?
Naartjie Koesisters
2019-08-29 13:13:06
Serves 24
A spiced Cape Malay doughnut soaked in syrup and covered with coconut.
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Amount Per Serving
Calories 0
Calories from Fat 0
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Total Carbohydrates 0g
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Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
- 1/4 cup (60ml) caster sugar
- 3 cups (750ml) cake flour
- 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5g (1/2 packet) instant yeast
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 4 tsp whole aniseed seeds
- zest of 2 naartjies
- 30g melted butter or margarine
- 1 large egg
- 375ml warm milk
- 1/2 cup (125ml) self-raising flour, for dusting
- Vegetable, sunflower or canola oil, for frying
- SYRUP
- 250ml white sugar
- 250ml naartjie juice
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup desiccated coconut, for sprinkling
- Combine the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Add the melted butter, eggs and just enough milk to form a sticky dough.
- Transfer the dough to a clean, well-oiled bowl, cover with clingwrap and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
- One the dough has risen, dust your work surface with self-raising flour and form the dough into a long log shape about 5cm wide. Use a knife to divide the log into 24 pieces - each piece of dough should the size of a small lime. Form the dough balls into oval shapes and stretch it gently so it's 5-6 cm long and 3cm wide.
- Place on well-floured baking tray, cover with greased clingwrap and allow to rise for about 30 minutes or until puffed up.
- Preheat the oil to 180 degrees celsius and fry the koesisters 3-4 at a time until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towel and set aside to cool while you make the syrup.
- To make the syrup, place the sugar, naartjie juice and spices in a saucepan and cook over high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Turn the heat down and simmer gently.
- While the syrup is simmering, place the koesisters in the syrup and cook for 1-2 minutes, turning over regularly.
- Remove from the syrup and sprinkle with coconut. They are best served hot!
By TheKateTin.com
Adapted from from Cariema Isaacs Koesisters from My Cape Malay Kitchen
Adapted from from Cariema Isaacs Koesisters from My Cape Malay Kitchen
The Kate Tin https://thekatetin.com/
by Kate | Apr 11, 2019 |
Yes, savoury hot cross buns are here and they’re about to change your life!
Take the same, spicy-sweet hot cross buns we all know and love, stuff them with mature cheddar and sage leaves, wrap them in bacon glazed with maple syrup and what do you have? Probably the best hot cross bun spin-off of all time. Introducing, the savoury hot cross bun!
Savoury Hot Cross Buns with Mature Cheddar, Sage and Sticky Maple Bacon
2019-04-10 17:02:29
Yields 12
A savoury twist on the classic Hot Cross Bun! Recipe originally created for Food & Home Entertaining Magazine
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Amount Per Serving
Calories 0
Calories from Fat 0
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Total Carbohydrates 0g
0%
Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
- 60g salted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- 420g bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 50ml soft brown sugar
- 1 tsp mixed spices
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed peel (optional)
- 10g Instant dry yeast
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 200ml warm water
- ½ cup raisins or sultanas (optional)
- 200g mature cheddar, grated
- 200g streaky bacon halved lengthways
- 60ml maple syrup, for brushing
- 30g fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish
- Grease and line a 20 x 30cm deep roasting tray.
- Rub the butter into the flour and mix in salt, sugar, spices and mixed peel, if using. Add the yeast and mix. Beat the egg and warm water together and add to the dough. Mix to form a soft dough then knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Mix in the raisins, if using.
- Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the grated cheddar cheese then wrap two slices of bacon loosely over the dough to form a cross. Place the balls in the tray, cover loosely with cling wrap and allow to proof until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C for fan-forced). Brush the bacon with the maple syrup and sprinkle the thyme leaves over the buns. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and the buns make a hollow sound when tapped. Serve warm with loads of butter for spreading.
- TIP If you'd prefer the more traditional 'crosses' instead of the bacon, simply omit the bacon then mix together: 60ml (¼ cup) cake flour, 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp water. Place in a piping bag and pipe a cross on top of each bun before baking.
By TheKateTin.com
The Kate Tin https://thekatetin.com/
by Kate | May 24, 2018 |
These baked doughnuts have a crunchy biscuit layer on the bottom and are coated in a glaze made with cereal milk
#SPONSORED
Have you ever wondered why it’s socially acceptable to eat a doughnut for breakfast (Thank you, America) but cake gets you a raised eyebrow? Well, I wonder this all the time. Which is why I love the cake doughnut – it’s cake disguised as a doughnut, making it totally okay. It doesn’t end there because now we can also have cookies for breakfast – BAKERS® has made Good Morning Breakfast Biscuits! What a time to be alive.
The recipe for these cake doughnuts is probably the easiest one you will ever make. Add all the ingredients to one bowl. Mix. Bake. Done. But what they lack in difficulty they make up for in ingenuity because THEY HAVE COOKIES INSIDE! Yup, I crammed the new BAKERS® Good Morning Breakfast Biscuits inside the batter to give it a crunch – why has no one thought of this before?!
Dip them in a glaze made with cereal milk and you’ve got a doughnut that’s not just a pretty face; bite into the light sponge and then BAM there’s some serious crunch going on because the breakfast biscuits stay crisp even after baking. It’s milk and cookies meets cake.
So, to sum up, these are a breakfast food because:
- They contain yoghurt.
- They contain BAKERS® Good Morning Breakfast Biscuits
- They contain cereal milk.
You’re welcome.
Glazed Cereal Milk Doughnuts
Ingredients
- 6 Good Morning Milk & Cereals Breakfast Biscuits, plus extra for garnish
-
DOUGHNUTS
- 60g yoghurt
- 60g (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
- 120g caster sugar
- 180g self-raising flour
- 1 large egg
- few drops vanilla extract
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GLAZE
- 60ml milk
- 60ml breakfast cereal of your choice
- 240g icing sugar, sifted
- Blue and purple gel food colouring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C (160 for fan-forced). Grease a 12-hole doughnut pan and crumble the biscuits into the bottom of each doughnut hole. To make the doughnuts, place all the ingredients into one bowl and beat well for 3 minutes. Pour the mix into a piping bag and pipe into the greased doughnut tray and bake in the oven at 180C for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire rack. To make the icing, combine the milk and breakfast cereal and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Strain the milk (discard the cereal) and stir it into the icing sugar to form a thick, spreadable consistency. Tint the glaze blue and purple and dip the doughnuts into the glaze. These doughnuts are best enjoyed on the day they're made.
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https://thekatetin.com/baked-cereal-milk-doughnuts/ 
by Kate | May 21, 2018 |
Light-as-air pull-apart brioche buns with pockets of tangy marmalade and melted white chocolate and a crunchy sugary crust.
These brioche buns are absolute heaven straight out the oven! I first created a Christmassy version stuffed with mince pie filling for the December issue of Food & Home Magazine, but decided to make them breakfasty. So I loaded them up with tangy-bitter marmalade and contrasted that with sweet white chocolate – but they would be equally amazing with different combos. Next time I make these I’ll definitely try a raspberry and white chocolate version.
Once you’ve made the buns and popped them into muffin trays, the dough balls can be frozen, stored in the freezer and then bagged for when you feel like a really special breakfast. Simply remove them from the freezer the night before to defrost, allow them to proof overnight and bake them when you wake up! If, like me, you love dessert for breakfast, try out these Sticky Toffee Pudding Pancakes or these Waffles with Honeyscotch Sauce.
White Chocolate Marmalade Brioche Buns
Ingredients
- 1 tsp dried yeast
- ½ tbsp lukewarm water
- 1 orange, zested
- 2 tbsp (25g) castor sugar
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp lukewarm milk
- 1 cup (120g) bread flour
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 75g butter, cubed and softened
- 100g Natura Sugars Demerara Sugar, for sprinkling
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- Marmalade, for spreading
- 200g good-quality white chocolate, chopped plus extra melted, for drizzling
- milk, for brushing
Instructions
- Combine the yeast and water in a bowl and set aside in a warm area for 5 minutes or until the surface forms bubbles. In a separate bowl, combine the orange zest and sugar by rubbing the two together with your fingers then add the salt and milk. Place the flour, yeast mixture and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using a dough hook, mix on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed to high, add the milk mixture and mix for 10 minutes or until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Keep the mixer running and gradually add the butter, mix for about 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 2–3 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. Spray a 12 hole muffin pan with cooking spray and preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Roll out the brioche dough until 1cm thick and use a medium cookie cutter to cut out rounds 5cm wide. Toss each round of brioche dough in the demerara sugar, coating each side. Spoon ½ a tsp of marmalade on each round then sprinkle with a few shards of white chocolate. Layer 5 rounds on top of each other and cut the stack in half horizontally. Place each half in its own muffin pan, cut side down*. Cover with a clean, damp cloth and set aside for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Once doubled in size, brush with the milk and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and cooked through - the bread should sound hollow when tapped. Serve warm drizzled with extra melted chocolate, if desired.
- *TIP The buns can be frozen at this point. To bake them simply remove from the freeze and thaw completely. Then follow the rest of the recipe.
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https://thekatetin.com/white-chocolate-marmalade-brioche-buns/ 
by Kate | Mar 27, 2018 |
#SPONSORED
If you love Hot Cross Buns, then brace yourself because Hot Cross Bun Doughnuts are even BETTER! I’m pretty sure I was the first person to create the Hot Cross Bun Doughnut. About 4 years ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with an idea; what if you DEEP-FRIED a hot cross bun?! I often think of deep-frying things, so this was not unusual but a quick google search confirmed that this did not yet exist. YES! Do you know how rare it is to come up with something completely new?!
That’s how these hot cross bun doughnuts ended up on Food24 and on the Expresso show (see I have proof I was the first!) BUT I’ve always regretted that I never filled them with something… I also don’t know what I was thinking making them miniature. Go big or go home, right?
The recipe is pretty simple; prepare a basic bread dough using Stork Bake (‘cos the doughnuts will stay fresher for longer) and load it up with spices, raisins and candied fruit. If you’re a raisin dodger, you can simply swop the fruit out for choc chips and nuts. Proof the dough as you would when making bread, but instead of baking them… you FRY them!
I like to grease the baking paper with a little Stork Bake to stop them sticking, and here’s the trick, when you’re ready to fry the doughnuts, simply cut the paper around the dough ball and pop the entire thing (dough ball with baking paper stuck to it) into the hot oil. As the doughnut browns, the paper will fall off.
Immediately give them a quick dip in a mountain of castor sugar. They are delicious as-is but filling them with an absurd amount of chocolate hazelnut spread (or custard!) really makes them special! These are best served still-warm on the day that you’ve made them. The dough will happily keep the in the fridge overnight so feel free to make that the day before. You could even shape them, place on a baking sheet, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, simply let them proof, pipe the crosses on and fry! Happy Easter!
Hot Cross Bun Doughnuts stuffed with Chocolate
Makes 12 large doughnuts
60g Stork Bake, cubed, at room temperature
420g cake flour
1 tsp salt
50ml soft brown sugar
1 tsp mixed spices
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp mixed peel (optional)
10g Instant dry yeast
1 large egg, beaten
200ml warm water
½ cup raisins
Crosses
¼ cup cake flour
1 tbsp melted Stork Bake
2 tbsp water
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Castor sugar, to dust
200g chocolate hazelnut spread, to fill
Rub the Stork Bake into the flour and mix in the salt, sugar, spices and mixed peel, if using. Add the yeast and mix. Beat the egg and warm water together and add to the dough. Mix to form a soft dough then knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Mix in the raisins. Divide into 12 pieces (or 24 if you’d prefer them to be a smaller bite-size) and roll into balls. Place on 2 x baking trays lined with baking paper, cover with cling wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size – the balls should feel puffy (see TIP). Mix the flour, Stork Bake and water together and place in a piping bag. Pipe crosses onto the buns. Heat a deep fryer or large pot of oil to 180C and fry the doughnuts, in batches until golden and puffed. Remove from the oil and immediately dust in castor sugar. Place the chocolate hazelnut spread in a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle. Pierce a hole in the side of the doughnut, insert the nozzle and fill each doughnut with chocolate hazelnut spread. Serve immediately.
TIP To speed up the proofing process, turn your oven into a proofer by preheating it to the lowest setting – about 50 degrees celsius and place a baking tray filled with water in the bottom of the oven. Place the buns in the oven, covered, then turn the oven off and leave them to proof in the hot and humid environment.
