Muesli rusks
Makes 15–20
Medium
20 minutes, plus 7 hours’ drying time
1 hour
Also known as “beskuit” in Afrikaans, rusks are dry, twice-baked biscuits. Originally made to last long distances across the country, today they are eaten dunked in hot tea or coffee and are the ultimate portable snack. This is my twist on the famous Sabi Sabi seeded and nutty rusks, which you get to enjoy each early morning on a game drive.
Ingredients
Method
- 500 g self-raising flour
- 1 t baking powder
- 1 t salt flakes
- 220 g raw or caster sugar
- 1 cup rolled oats
- crushed bran flakes
- 200 g sunflower seeds
- 100 g pecans, chopped
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
- 300 ml buttermilk, at room temperature
- 250 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Method
Ingredients
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix well.
2. In a separate jug combine the egg, buttermilk and melted butter, then add to the dry ingredients and work the mixture together until completely combined and you have formed a stiff dough.
3. Grease and line a deep 23 x 33 cm baking tray (or roasting dish) with baking paper then spread out the mixture and smooth over with the back of a spoon.
4. Bake for 1 hour until the top has darkened and the centre is cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool completely, then remove from the tray and slice into 3 cm-thick pieces using a serrated knife. Lay across a wire rack that will fit in the oven.
5. Reduce the oven’s temperature to 60–70°C on the fan setting and allow the rusks to dry out for at least 7 hours or overnight. Make sure they are spaced out so the air can move around them and dry them out properly. Cool completely, then store in airtight container. Enjoy dunked into hot tea or coffee!
Extracted with permission from Food Trail South African recipesby Warren Mendes and published by Penguin Random House South Africa.
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