Krakelinge South African Cookies Food

KRAKELINGE (SOUTH AFRICAN COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven 400°F.
• In bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg.
• Sift flour and baking powder together and stir into the butter mixture.
• Roll dough about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with the egg yolk, then sprinkle generously with sugar and then the almonds.
• Cut into narrow strips. Form each strip into a figure-8 shape.
• Bake on lightly greased baking sheet 8-10 minutes.

SUGAR COOKIES (SOUTH AFRICA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven 400°F.
• In bowl, cream butter and shortening. Add cloves, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and orange peel. Mix well.
• Beat in eggs, sugar, and almonds.
• In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add to butter mixture alternately with the brandy and wine.
• Chill dough for about 30 minutes to an hour, or until firm enough to roll.
• Turn chilled dough out on a floured board and roll until the dough is very thin.
• Using pastry cutters, cut the dough into desired shapes.
• Bake on greased cookie sheets for 10-15 minutes, or until nicely browned.

SOUTH AFRICAN KOEKSISTERS

Steps:

• Combine sugar, water, ginger, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Cool syrup to room temperature, transfer to a container, and refrigerate until flavors blend, 8 hours to overnight.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until mixture has a cornmeal texture. Add the milk; mix until a smooth dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 5x14-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough into twenty eight 1/2-inch wide strips. Twist pairs of strips together and pinch the ends together. Repeat for all of the strips. Cover strips with a clean cloth and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Heat about 2-inches of oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place a wire rack over a baking sheet.
• Pour some of the cold syrup into a bowl and return remaining syrup to the refrigerator.
• Working in batches, fry koeksister twists in hot oil until twists swell and are golden brown, 2 to 5 minutes. Remove koeksisters from hot oil with a slotted spoon and immediately immerse in cold syrup for 10 seconds. Transfer soaked koeksisters to prepared wire rack to cool. Replenish cold syrup as necessary.