Bring the water, sugar, and cream of tartar to a boil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Stir constantly so the sugar doesn’t burn. When the mixture comes to a boil, add the lemon juice. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. You can also add a pinch of cinnamon and dried ginger to the syrup at this point if you want to add a bit of spice. After simmering, remove the syrup from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Then divide the syrup into two separate bowls and chill overnight in the fridge.
You want to distribute the butter in the flour as evenly as possible. The texture will become slightly crumbly.
Continue stirring until everything comes together as a ball of dough. Then knead the dough until it becomes smooth and soft. Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap or a damp towel and set it aside for an hour to rest.
When the piece of dough begins to cook and sizzle, the oil is ready. If you have a candy thermometer, heat the oil to about 340 F (171 C).
Cut the dough into long thin strips that are about an inch (2. 5 cm) wide and six inches (15 cm) long. [2] X Research source
To braid the dough, lay the three strips out side by side. Take the left strip and lay it over the middle strip, so that the two switch positions. Then take the right strip and lay it over the middle strip. Go back to the left strip and lay it over the middle again. Repeat until you reach the end of the strips. Repeat this process with all the dough strips until you have assembled all the koeksisters. This recipe will make about a dozen doughnuts. If you have any strips of dough left, you can cut them in half lengthwise to make smaller koeksisters, or fry single strips of dough.
When the first batch of doughnuts is cooking in the oil, remove one of the bowls of syrup from the fridge and place the entire bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice. Keep the other bowl chilling in the fridge.
Remove the koeksisters from the syrup with a slotted spoon, allowing the excess syrup to drain off back into the bowl. Transfer the syrupy doughnuts to a wire rack to cool. When the bowl of syrup becomes warm from the hot doughnuts, return it to the fridge and start using the second chilled batch. Place the fresh batch into a bowl of ice as well. [5] X Research source
When the butter has melted, whisk in the milk.
Use a wooden spoon to mix all the ingredients together. Continue mixing until the ingredients come together to form a smooth dough. If mixing with the spoon becomes difficult, knead the dough with your hands instead.
A good warm place for the dough to rise is an oven that’s turned off, but with the oven light turned on.
Cut the dough cylinder into smaller pieces that are one to two inches (2. 5 to five cm) long. Arrange the dough pieces on two baking sheets and leave them to rise for another 30 to 40 minutes.
Combine the sugar, water, and spices in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent the sugar from burning. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat and continue simmering and stirring until the syrup becomes thick. Lower the heat again and keep the syrup warm over low heat until the doughnuts are ready.
Take a piece of dough and stretch it out slightly to get an oval shape. Repeat with every dough piece before frying. Drop a couple oval dough pieces into the oil, but don’t crowd them. Fry the dough until the koeksisters become golden brown, about one to two minutes.
Transfer the doughnuts to the warm syrup and roll them around to coat all sides.
Roll each doughnut in the shredded coconut to coat them completely. Transfer them to a serving plate and enjoy![7] X Research source
