Celebrating Heritage Day with the flavours of the Cape Malay Koesister

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Dessert, South African Flavours

23 September, 2026

Celebrating Heritage Day with the flavours of the Cape Malay Koesister

Approx. 26
10 Minutes
Approx. 5 min/batch
dessert
Confident Cook
1 hr + 15 min

Heritage Day is a celebration of the cultures, traditions and stories that have shaped South Africa — and few things tell those stories quite like food.

Heritage Day is a celebration of the cultures, traditions and flavours that make South Africa so unique, and food is one of the most special ways we can celebrate and share our heritage.

This Heritage Day, we are celebrating the flavours of the Cape Malay koesister and the contemporary dessert it has inspired on our Prue Leith Restaurant Spring Menu 2026, our Koesister Crêpes.

This dessert brings together delicate crêpes, Cape Malay koesister bites, fresh naartjie segments, aromatic spiced syrup, toasted coconut ice cream and naartjie dust. The crêpes and sauce are flambéed, adding warmth, flavour and a touch of theatre to the experience.

The combination of fragrant spices, citrus, coconut and syrup celebrates familiar South African flavours while presenting them in a contemporary fine dining setting.

To celebrate Heritage Day, we are sharing the recipes behind the dish so that you can recreate these flavours at home, including our Cape Malay koesisters, crêpes and flambé sauce.

At Prue Leith, Heritage Day is an opportunity to celebrate the incredible diversity of South African food and the flavours that continue to inspire our chefs and students.

Ingredients

For the koesisters

700 g all-purpose flour
60 ml sugar
5 ml baking powder
5 ml salt
10 g instant dry yeast
7 ml ground cinnamon
7 ml ground ginger
7 ml whole aniseed
2 ml ground cloves
2 ml finely ground cardamom
Zest of 2 naartjies
300 ml lukewarm water
250 ml lukewarm milk
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
Oil, for deep-frying
200 g desiccated coconut

For the spiced syrup

3 cups water
3 cups sugar
2 ml finely ground cardamom
6 cassia sticks

Naartjie & Cardamom Crêpes

170 g cake flour
42 g sugar
5 g fine salt
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
80 g unsalted butter
360 ml fresh milk
6 g ground cardamom
20 g grated naartjie zest

Method

1. Make the dough

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, yeast, cinnamon, ginger, aniseed, cloves, cardamom and naartjie zest in a large mixing bowl. Add the lukewarm water and milk, melted butter and lightly beaten egg. Mix thoroughly until a soft, wet dough forms.

2. Leave to rise

Cover the bowl and leave the dough in a warm place for approximately 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.

3. Shape the koesisters

Knock back the risen dough and turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Using floured hands, divide the dough into portions of approximately 50 g each and shape into small ovals. Place on a floured tray, leaving space between each one, and allow to proof for a further 15 minutes.

4. Fry until golden

Heat the oil for deep-frying. Fry the koesisters in batches until deep golden brown and cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

5. Prepare the spiced syrup

Combine the water, sugar, cardamom and cassia sticks in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Allow the syrup to reduce until it lightly coats the back of a spoon. Take care not to reduce it too far, as a thick syrup will not be absorbed as easily by the koesisters.

6. Soak and finish

Dip the fried koesisters into the hot syrup for approximately 1 minute, allowing them to absorb some of the aromatic syrup. Remove and coat generously with desiccated coconut. If the syrup becomes too thick between batches, add a little hot water to loosen it. Serve fresh and enjoy.

Method for Naartjie & Cardamom Crêpes

1. Combine the dry ingredients

Sift the cake flour, sugar, salt and ground cardamom together in a large mixing bowl.

2. Combine the eggs and milk

Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and fresh milk together until well combined.

3. Melt the butter

Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly.

4. Make the crêpe batter

Gradually add the egg and milk mixture to the dry ingredients, whisking until a smooth batter forms.

5. Add the butter and naartjie zest

Add the melted butter and grated naartjie zest to the batter and mix until well combined.

6. Strain and rest

Strain the batter to ensure a smooth consistency. Cover and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 60 minutes.

7. Cook the crêpes

Lightly oil a non-stick pan and heat over medium heat. Pour in enough batter to create a thin, even crêpe and cook until lightly golden. Turn and cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter.