• Sieve the dry ingredients together and rub in the butter.
• Add the liquid and mix to a soft dough. Knead thoroughly. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to stand for 15 minutes.
• Roll to a thickness of 5mm and cut into strips of 5mm width.
• Press together the ends of 3 strips and plait to a length of 7.5cm. Press ends firmly together again.
• Deep fry in hot oil until golden and well done. Drain on a kitchen towel for a moment, then dip in ice-cold syrup.

To make the syrup:

• Put all the ingredients into a saucepan; heat and stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Cover and boil for 1 minute.
• Remove the lid and boil for a further 5 minutes. Do not stir.
• Remove from the heat and chill.