Making Cook Sisters

Transcript from Nadine's video on making Cook Sisters, a traditional South African sweet treat.

Ingredients

For the Syrup

• 6 cups of water
• 2.5 kilograms of sugar
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon of syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon of tartaric acid
• 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar

For the Dough

• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 6 cups of flour
• 1 milliliter salt
• 6 teaspoons of baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of water
• 1.5 cups of milk

Instructions

Preparing the Syrup

1. Add all syrup ingredients together.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Let cook for 10 minutes.
4. Let the syrup rest overnight in the fridge.

Preparing the Dough

1. Rub butter into the flour.
2. Add salt and baking powder.
3. Mix 2 eggs.
4. Mix water and milk together.
5. Add the eggs to the wet ingredients.
6. Mix wet and dry ingredients together.
7. Knead the dough until smooth.
8. Cover with wrap and let it rest in the fridge overnight.

Shaping and Frying

1. To prevent sticking, use oil on the surface.
2. Roll out the dough (a quarter at a time) until it's 0.5 cm thick.
3. Cut into strips (15 cm by 1 cm). Using a ruler is recommended.
4. Fold the Cook Sisters - grandma shows 3 popular ways.
5. Place in a prepared baking tray and cover with a damp cloth.
6. Fill pot with oil to 3 cm depth and heat the oil.
7. Prepare a drying rack and a pan for dripping syrup.
8. Test oil heat with a small dough piece (should rise in 10 seconds).
9. Bake a few Cook Sisters at a time to avoid over-baking.
10. Turn them when golden brown.
11. Place fried Cook Sisters into syrup and press for a few seconds.
12. Take out the syrup-soaked Cook Sisters and let cool.
13. Properly made Cook Sisters will crackle when broken and be full of syrup.

Serving and Storing

• Serve cold.
• Store in freezer for a couple of months.

Final Notes

• Special thanks given to Nadine's grandma for the demonstration.
• Remember to like and subscribe to Nadine's channel.