Gluten-Free Luqaimat with Date Syrup

Gluten-Free Luqaimat with Date Syrup

by | May 12, 2020 | 0 comments

‘Luqaimat’, are crunchy and sweet deepfried doughballs, originally from the Middle East and is traditionally served during Ramadan. 

Even luqaimat are normally made during Ramadan, It’s the kind of treat you can make any time. But they absolutely need to be eaten on the day that they’re made, luckily they’re way too good to even consider saving any!

Gluten-free luqaimat

Because it’s me, I had to put my own little twist on it, my version are gluten-free, soaked in date syrup and topped with toasted walnuts. You can also swop out the date syrup for honey or maple syrup and the walnuts for any nut you prefer, you can make it your own!

Gluten-Free Luqaimat with Date Syrup and Walnuts
Serves 4
Print
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
40 min
0 calories
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
0g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 0
Calories from Fat 0
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g
0%
Saturated Fat 0g
0%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 0mg
0%
Total Carbohydrates 0g
0%
Dietary Fiber 0g
0%
Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A
0%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
0%
Iron
0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 130g (1 cup) gluten-free bread mix
  2. 10ml (2 tsp) xantham gum
  3. 5ml (1 tsp) instant yeast
  4. 125ml (½ cup) milk powder
  5. 45ml (3 tbsp) sugar
  6. 2,5ml (½ tsp) baking powder
  7. 5ml (1 tsp) cardamom powder
  8. 125ml (½ cup) lukewarm water
  9. Vegetable oil for deep frying
  10. Date syrup, to serve
  11. Toasted walnuts, to serve
Instructions
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, milk powder, sugar, cardamom powder and mix well.
  2. Slowly, pour in enough water into the bowl to get a sticky dough.
  3. Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel and allow it to rest for a couple of hours in a warm place until it has doubled in size
  4. Heat the oil to 180C.
  5. Wet your hands and roll a tablespoon of the dough to form it into small walnut-sized balls.
  6. Gently drop the dough balls into the hot oil and fry for about 5 minutes or until deep golden brown and crispy.
  7. Drain the balls on paper towel before serving warm drizzled with date syrup and toasted walnuts.
Notes
  1. TIP Instead of date syrup, a substitution of either honey or maple syrup will make this treat just as delicious!
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Giant Doughnut Cake with Homemade Sprinkles

Giant Doughnut Cake with Homemade Sprinkles

by | Feb 22, 2017 | 1 comment

Doesn’t this cake look like SO MUCH FUN?! That’s because I had a ridiculously good time putting it together! What’s not to love about pastel colours, cake, doughnuts, sugar and of course, sprinkles?

This cake was actually created for one of my dearest friends, Claire who is the ridiculously good looking foodie behind SA’s first YouTube cooking channel ‘Good Looking and Cooking‘. There is no one on this earth more obsessed with doughnuts than she is (except that she calls them ‘donuts’) but I love her anyway! ;). I was tasked with making her a cake for probably the most epic bachelorette party in the history of bachelorette parties. Guys, there was a candy floss bar, build your own freak shakes, inflatable unicorns, Private Chef Matt Manning, rainbow bagels – it was like every dream I’d ever had came true!

So of course, I had to dream up one seriously cool cake and this one is straight out of a Candy Land fantasy! I baked an easy one-bowl butter cake in 3 savarin moulds (those silicone microwave bundt cake moulds would also work well), and then stuffed each cake with a raspberry vanilla buttercream. I piped on the royal icing to get that cartoon-looking doughnut design but you could just go ahead and drizzle it over the cakes. And of course, giant doughnuts, deserve giant sprinkles so I’ve also included a fun, easy way for you to make your own using leftover royal icing – simply pipe colourful strips of icing, allow to dry and break them up! Clever, right?! *throws sprinkles on self*

Giant Doughnut Sprinkles Cake

Makes 1

 

250g butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups Natura Sugars Golden Caster Sugar

6 large eggs, at room temperature

3 cups cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 cup milk

 

Frosting

250g butter, softened

2 cups Natura Sugars Demerara Icing Sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

drop of milk, if necessary

1/4 cup of good-quality raspberry jam

 

Royal Icing

1 egg white

1 cup Natura Demerara Icing Sugar

Pastel gel food colourings

Sprinkles, to decorate

 

Preheat oven to 150° C (fan-forced) Grease 3 x 20 cm savarin or bundt cake tins. Place the butter, vanilla, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment). Beat on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to high and beat the mixture until it is just smooth. Spoon mixture into the baking tins and bake for 1 hour 5 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in cake tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn out onto the wire rack and cool completely.

For the buttercream, whip the butter in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment until very white and fluffy. Add the icing sugar and vanilla and whip for 5 minutes until almost white and the icing sugar is completely dissolved (add a drop or two of milk if necessary). Swirl through the raspberry jam – don’t mix it in completely. Place in a piping bag with a plain nozzle.

For the royal icing, whisk the egg whites and icing sugar together to form a firm icing then divide in three and tint each a different colour. Place in piping bags fitted with plain nozzles and set aside.

To assemble the cake, poke the bottom of each ring with the back of a wooden spoon and fill the holes with the raspberry buttercream. Pipe the icing onto each layer to create a dripped effect (TIP: Start with your royal icing very thick to pipe the outline, then thin it out slightly and fill in the lines). Decorate with sprinkles and allow to set completely then place the ‘doughnuts’ on top of each other.

 

TIP To make your own sprinkles, fill a piping bag fitted with small plain nozzle with coloured royal icing and pipe long strips of royal icing onto a piece of baking paper and allow to dry overnight or in a low oven (60 degrees). Once dry, break them up and mix the colours together. Store in an airtight jar.

The Best South African Koeksister Recipe

The Best South African Koeksister Recipe

by | Aug 20, 2013 | 92 comments

It was only about 3 hours into the drive along Route 62 when I realised what I was actually doing; I was travelling 400km into the middle of the Klein Karoo (aka nowhere) in search of ‘The Perfect Koeksister Recipe’. Those that know me, expect nothing less, but still, it was quite crazy. Even for me.

To catch you up to speed, a koeksister is a plaited, deep-fried doughnut drenched in a seriously sticky syrup. It’s a treat as South African as milk tart, biltong and beer. Like American’s and their doughnuts? Koeksisters are a big deal here – we take them as seriously as our rugby! We even have a monument dedicated to the treat! My search for sweetness led me all the way to the little town of Ladismith where rumour has it, I’d find the best. Although tuisnywerheid’s (little shops selling home-baked treats) have all but died out in the big cities, in a small town like Ladismith it is still the place to go for the best cakes, rusks and jams (and  also the latest skinner/gossip!)

Only the finest bakers get their goodies displayed on the shelves here. It was while scanning the fully-laden racks that I met Lallie Botha who tells me she was Ladismith’s first koeksister queen back in 1972 when she founded the tuisnywerheid. Back then, she would go through an 85L drum of oil each month! I was convinced I was in the right place – the people of Ladismith definitely love their koeksisters! After giving me some tips on what to look out for in the perfect koeksister, Lallie dished the dirt on who makes the best and sent me on my way (with 5 bottles of homemade jam). While walking through the town of Ladismith, I couldn’t resist stopping a few locals to ask about their favourite koeksisters. But it seemed the town was completely divided on who makes the best and I sensed a little competition between two particular bakers. It was definitely time for me to meet the koeksister contenders!

My first visit was to the home of Euradia Muller, who greeted me, voorskoot (apron) and all, before hurrying back into the kitchen while fretting that her koeksisters were now sitting in the syrup too long! Over a cup of milky rooibos tea brewed in a green teapot on the stove, Euradia caught her breath long enough to tell me that there are no secrets when it comes to making koeksisters! I could barely hide my disappointment. Had I come all this way for nothing?

Euradia wakes up at the crack of dawn to make the dough before the heat of the Klein Karoo sets in. She uses an heirloom ruler to measure her koeksisters – a lady after my own OCD heart! Her ‘sisters are cut into rectangles which are then halved and twisted before being deep-fried and plunged into ice cold syrup. She tells me that it is very important that the syrup is very cold. Finally! I had something to go on! My excitement was short-lived though as she then explained that the recipe was passed down to her by her mother who refused to give it to anyone. The recipe used to be kept under lock and key but is now engraved in her mind and she cooks it off by heart. My koeksister trek (mission) seemed more and more doomed. On leaving I was handed a neatly wrapped tray laden with freshly baked koeksisters and the instructions to store them in the fridge as soon as possible. But, as far as a recipe was concerned, I left empty-handed!

My disappointment was immediately forgotten though when I felt the warm Karoo hospitality the minute I was welcomed through the backdoor of Cynthia du Plessis’ farm kitchen. After I was shown photos of her 4 grandchildren, and told the long story of how her and her husband Willem moved from Pretoria to stay in Ladismith, I finally managed to sway the conversation back to her koeksisters. On hearing whose kitchen I’d just come from, Cynthia tells me she used to be a fan of Euradia’s but now bakes her own (I didn’t press the clearly sensitive matter!) But the big question was, would she share her secret recipe with an English girl from the big city?

I was in luck! Cynthia welcomed my enthusiasm with open arms and proceeded to run me through all her baking secrets like I was her granddaughter! I learnt to knead dough with my fists like a real Afrikaans tannie and mastered the trick to twisting the koeksisters just the right way so they don’t unravel while frying. And when it came to the syrup, I thought I was terribly clever when I eagerly offered my new-found knowledge from Euradia to use ice cold syrup, only to be told that it was actually the wrong way to make koeksisters! Ai. It seemed the only thing the two ladies did agree on, was that koeksisters need to be stored in the fridge to stay crisp. At least there was that!

As we finished deep-frying the twists, I stole a taste of Cynthia’s koeksisters. As to who’s were the best? I was undecided as they were equally delicious! But thankfully, this time, I left the kitchen (via the backdoor) with my mind filled with years of wisdom, a scribbled recipe in one hand, a packet full of fresh koeksisters in the other and two newly-adopted ouma’s who insist I come back to visit soon.

Cynthia’s Koeksisters

Recipe by Cynthia du Plessis

Note: While 165ml baking powder is a lot, Cynthia assured me it’s to keep the koeksisters crunchy in the syrup. Who am I to question the koeksister queen?! This recipe makes a large amount of koeksisters, so it’s safest to halve this recipe.

Makes 4 dozen

 

1250g cake flour

½ tbsp salt

165ml baking powder

1 ¼ cups milk

1 ½ cups water

5 large eggs

62g butter or margarine, softened

oil, for deep-frying

 

Syrup

12 cups sugar

6 cups water

2/3 cups lemon juice

1 ½ tbsp cream of tartar

1 tsp caramel essence (optional)

 

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Whisk the milk, water and eggs together and add to the dry ingredients. Mix to form a soft dough then knead thoroughly for 10 minutes, adding a little butter or margarine in every now and then.

Cover the dough with clingwrap and place in the fridge overnight. Make the syrup by combining the sugar, water, juice, cream of tartar and caramel essence in a large pot and stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Boil the syrup for 10 minutes then allow to cool to room temperature. Break off a fist-sized chunk of the dough and roll out into a long sausage on a lightly oil-greased surface, then using a rolling pin, roll out to about 10cm wide. Cut into 1cm strips.

Take each strip then roll into a sausage, twist the ends around each other to form a koeksister shape and pinch the ends closed. Heat the oil to 180C then deep-fry the koeksisters, a few at a time, turning often to brown on all sides, until golden and cooked through.

Drain from the oil and immediately plunge into the room-temperature syrup, making sure to keep the koeksisters submerged so they soak up the syrup.  Drain the koeksisters from the syrup and allow to cool. To keep your koeksisters crispy, store them in the freezer. Remove them from the freezer 15 minutes before you want to serve them. Enjoy with a lekker koppie rooibos tee!

WATCH MY ADVENTURE HERE AND SEE HOW CYNTHIA MAKES HER KOEKSISTERS:

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Copycat Cronuts with Orange Blossom Glaze

Copycat Cronuts with Orange Blossom Glaze

by | May 26, 2013 | 0 comments

If you’re in any way as obsessed with baking and desserts as I am, you will have already heard about all the fuss that’s being made over a trendy new confection that’s tipped to kick the cupcake off it’s pretty little throne (although, let’s be honest, the same thing was said about macarons, cake pops and whoopie pies and yet we still adore the good ol’ cupcake). Dubbed the ‘cronut’ (it’s already trademarked by the way) this hybrid dessert sensation has caused quite a stir. Half-croissant and half-doughnut, it sure does have a bit of an identity crisis but the New Yorkers queuing around the block at Dominique Ansel Bakery don’t seem to care as these deep-fried delicacies sell-out in minutes each day. There is even a limit as to how many you can buy! French pastry chef, Dominique apparently had to try 10 different recipes before getting the creation spot-on and his perseverance is clearly paying off. But since I draw the line at flying half way round the world to taste a dessert, I attempted to create my own cronuts. You know, so I could see what all the fuss was about.

If you’ve made croissants from scratch before, you’ll know that it takes an incredible amount of love, patience and muscle. And butter. Lots and lots of butter. But the problem with all that butter (incase you didn’t know, half the weight of a croissant is made up of it – eeeek!) is that if you were to deep-fry the dough just like that, as Dominique’s recipe (and name) suggests, it’s low melting point means it would just seep out into your oil when frying and you’d land up with a flat mess. So, I used margarine. First problem solved.

The second problem was the fact that, although the cronuts claim to be made from croissant dough, the texture in all the pictures resembles that of danish dough instead. Croissant dough, as I experienced, contains way too much fat, which makes it incredibly oily, as I discovered. So, that meant reducing the amount of fat in the dough.

There were a few more problems I encountered but I won’t go in to detail as by now I’m pretty sure you just want to see the recipe don’t you? Well, here it is, the recipe for Kronuts (my version of Cronuts).

P.S. My verdict? Personally, I think these things are not for the faint-hearted. Essentially it’s fat deep-fried in more fat and after just one my arteries were screaming. I baked a few rather than frying them (yes, I know that doesn’t really make them a ‘doughnut’) and they were delicious (and far more healthy!).

Copycat Cronuts with Vanilla Cream and Orange Blossom Glaze

Makes 50 small 

 

Roll-in

350g baking margarine (I used Stork Bake)

40g cake flour (or pastry flour)

15g cornstarch/cornflour

50g fresh yeast

400g lukewarm water

100g granulated sugar

100g margarine

20g salt

1kg cake flour

Oil, for deep-frying (I used vegetable oil but Dominique uses grapeseed oil)

 

Vanilla pastry cream

500ml milk

1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped

4 egg yolks

80g castor sugar

40g cornflour

500ml cream, whipped

 

Glaze

1 egg white

2 cups icing sugar, sifted (plus more, if necessary)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp orange blossom water

 

Start by making the roll-in. Mix the margarine and flours well then spread out onto a sheet of cling wrap. Spread out roughly then top with another sheet of cling wrap. Using a rolling pin, roll the fat out until 1/2cm thick to make 30 x 20cm rectangle. Close the ends of the cling wrap and place in the freezer until hard. In the meantime, prepare the dough by mixing the yeast and water in a mixing bowl. Cover and place in a warm place until frothy. Then add the rest of the ingredients in the bowl of a mixer using the dough hook attachment. Add the flour gradually to form a stiff dough (depending on the gluten content of your flour, you may use more or less, so adding it gradually is important.) Knead for about 4 minutes then allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 1cm thick then place the chilled butter roll-in on top. Do a simple 3-fold (like folding a business letter) and roll out again to 1cm thick. Cover and place in the freezer to rest for 20 minutes. Roll the dough out once again to 1cm thick then do another 3-fold. Rest again in the freezer for 20 minutes before doing the last fold and rest. Roll the dough out again to 1cm thick and cut out with a round cookie cutter and a smaller one, to create the hole in the centre. Place the pastry circles onto a lined and floured baking sheet, cover lightly and allow to proof in a warm place until doubled in size. Preheat the oil to 165C and deep-fry the cronuts in batches until golden and puffed. Drain on paper towel and allow to cool completely. If you would like to dredge them in sugar, do so while hot. If, like me, you would like to bake them, bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 10-15 minutes or until golden and puffed. To make the pastry cream, heat the milk and vanilla until just below boiling point. Cream yolks, sugar and flour then gradually pour in the hot milk while whisking. Return the mixture to the pot and cook, while stirring until thick. Place in a bowl, cover the surface with clingwrap and allow to cool completely before folding in the whipped cream. Place the cream in a piping bag with a small plain nozzle. To make the glaze, whisk the egg white slightly then add enough icing sugar to form a stiff paste. Add the lemon juice and orange blossom water. To assemble, poke 3 holes in the bottom of each cronut with a chopstick or knife then pipe pastry cream into the bottom of each. Dip the tops in the glaze and allow to set. Serve immediately.