South African · Cape Malay · dessert
Cape Malay Koesisters
Cape Malay Koesisters reads sweetness 6.7, richness 5.5 and salinity 3.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a South African · Cape Malay dessert, about 2 hr 22 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 4.1 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 6.9 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 2.4 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 1.1 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 6.4 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 3.2 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Sweetness 6.7 · Richness 5.5 · Salinity 3.6 · Nutty 3.1 · Warm Spice 3.0 · Funk & Ferment 2.9 · Citrus 2.3 · Umami 2.3 · Floral 2.0 · Earthy 1.0 · Fruity 0.8 · Bitterness 0.8 · Herbaceous 0.7
What's in it (16)
- cake flour — 500 g
- yeast — 10 g
- white sugar — 100 g
- salt — 5 g
- ground cinnamon — 10 g
- ground ginger — 5 g
- anise seed — 5 g
- ground cardamom — 2 g
- dried naartjie peel — 5 g
- butter — 60 g
- egg — 100 g
- regular milk — 250 g
- sunflower oil — 920 g
- white sugar — 400 g
- water — 250 g
- unsweetened coconut flakes — 200 g
Time & effort: about 2 hr 22 min (52 min active) · effort: involved
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 309.4 kcal, 7.8 g protein, 6.2 g fat, 56.8 g carbs
Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (7 steps)
- Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, aniseed, cardamom and naartjie peel together in a large bowl so the spices are evenly through the flour.
- Add the melted butter, egg and lukewarm milk and knead 10 minutes to a soft, slightly tacky dough.
- Cover and prove 90 minutes in a warm place, until doubled.
- Knock down and shape into 20 ovals about 7 cm long, then prove a second time on a floured tray for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil to 170 C / 340 F and fry the koesisters in batches for 6 minutes, turning once, until deep brown right through to the centre.
- Meanwhile boil the sugar and water together for 5 minutes to a thin syrup, then keep it hot.
- Drop each hot koesister into the hot syrup for 30 seconds so it drinks up the sugar, lift it out draining, and roll it immediately in the desiccated coconut. Eat warm.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Dabo (Ethiopian Celebration Bread) — Ethiopian
- Borodinsky Bread (Бородинский хлеб) — Russian
- Mahamri (Cardamom Coconut Doughnuts) — Swahili Coast
- Cardamom Coffee Bread (Pulla) — Scandinavian
- Potica (Rolled Walnut Yeast Cake) — Slovenian
Keep reading: what sweetness, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.