Recipes · South African · Desserts
Koeksister (South African Plaited Syrup Pastry)
One serving has 741 kcal and 10 g protein, and at least a fifth of a woman's daily need of selenium (54%), phosphorus (53%), thiamin (52%), riboflavin (42%), vitamin K (38%) and folate (34%). Ready in 105 minutes.

- Preparation: 90 min
- Cooking: 15 min
- Makes: 1 serving (238 g)
- Difficulty: Medium
- Diets: Vegetarian
- Contains: dairy, egg, gluten
Ingredients
- 70 g Flour, all-purpose
- 2.5 g Baking powder
- 8 g Butter, unsalted
- 15 g Eggs, whole, raw
- 20 g Milk, whole
- 60 g Sugar
- 40 g Water
- 0.5 g Cinnamon
- 4 g Lemon juice
- 18 g Vegetable oil
Method
- Make the syrup first: dissolve the sugar in the water in a small saucepan with the cinnamon and lemon juice, bring to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes and chill thoroughly (ideally overnight) in the refrigerator.
- Rub the butter into the flour and baking powder until it resembles breadcrumbs, then mix in the egg and milk to form a firm dough.
- Knead briefly, then roll out to about 1 cm thick and cut into 2 strips about 8 cm long; slice each strip lengthways into 3 without cutting all the way through, and plait them, pinching the ends to seal.
- Cover and chill the plaited dough for 20 minutes to firm up.
- Heat the oil in a small, deep pan to 170°C (340°F) and fry the plait for 3-4 minutes, turning, until deep golden brown and cooked through.
- Immediately drop the hot pastry into the ice-cold syrup for 20-30 seconds, turning once, so it soaks in and sets into a crisp, syrupy shell.
- Lift out and let any excess syrup drip off; this recipe makes 1 serving of 2 koeksisters, so multiply by however many you need.
Nutrition per serving
| Nutrient | Per serving | Share of a day's need |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 741 kcal | 35% |
| Carbohydrates | 116 g | |
| Water | 82.5 mL | |
| Fiber | 2.2 g | 7% |
| Protein | 9.8 g | 21% |
| Tryptophan | 0.12 g | |
| Threonine | 0.31 g | |
| Isoleucine | 0.39 g | |
| Leucine | 0.73 g | |
| Lysine | 0.36 g | |
| Methionine | 0.2 g | |
| Cystine | 0.2 g | |
| Phenylalanine | 0.5 g | |
| Tyrosine | 0.33 g | |
| Valine | 0.47 g | |
| Histidine | 0.23 g | |
| Fat | 27.3 g | |
| Monounsaturated | 6.7 g | |
| Polyunsaturated | 11.2 g | |
| Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) | 0.01 g | |
| Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) | 0 g | |
| Omega-6 | 9.7 g | |
| Saturated | 7.7 g | |
| Trans-Fats | 0.13 g | |
| Cholesterol | 75 mg | |
| Calcium | 235 mg | 23% |
| Copper | 0.13 mg | 14% |
| Iron | 3.9 mg | 22% |
| Magnesium | 21.3 mg | 7% |
| Manganese | 0.57 mg | 32% |
| Phosphorus | 373 mg | 53% |
| Potassium | 132 mg | 3% |
| Selenium | 29.5 µg | 54% |
| Sodium | 232 mg | |
| Zinc | 0.79 mg | 10% |
| Thiamin (vitamin B1) | 0.57 mg | 52% |
| Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.46 mg | 42% |
| Niacin (vitamin B3) | 4.2 mg | 30% |
| Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) | 0.63 mg | 13% |
| Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) | 0.07 mg | 5% |
| Folate (vitamin B9) | 137 µg | 34% |
| Cobalamin (vitamin B12) | 0.24 µg | 10% |
| Choline | 48.7 mg | 11% |
| Vitamin A | 88 µg | 13% |
| Vitamin C | 1.6 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 22.5 IU | 4% |
| Vitamin E | 2 mg | 13% |
| Vitamin K | 34.1 µg | 38% |
Shares of a day's need are for a woman of 30, 165 cm, 60 kg, lightly active, by the US and Canadian Dietary Reference Intakes. SustainBite works out each person's own needs, by the standard where they live: the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations in Norway, the UK's, EFSA's in the EU.
Climate footprint
0.3 kg CO2e a serving: about average for breakfasts, sides, desserts and drinks on SustainBite. Source: ADEME, Agribalyse 3.2.
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