I just love rusks! Most of you probably won't know what a rusk is. The Wikipedia definition for a rusk is a hard, dry, biscuit or a twice baked bread. I would say it is very similar to a biscotti, but not as sweet!
We eat our rusks after we have dipped it in a cup of hot tea or coffee! Rusks can be eaten for breakfast as a late morning or afternoon snack, or even when traveling when you stop for a coffee or tea break. There are quite a selection of rusk recipes out there but this one is my favorite recipe. For years my parents bought these rusks at a home industry shop in South Africa. My dad tried his best to get the recipe from the owner but she never wanted to share the recipe with anybody. However, one day, she told my dad that she has sold her business and was leaving town. She said she would give him her recipe! Today, I have the recipe neatly filed and I treasure it. My dad has since passed away and I have such great memories of us dipping rusks in a cup of hot tea and enjoying the moment!
Ingredients:
6 cups self-raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups wheat bran
3 eggs
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup raisins
four 4-oz sticks (16 OZ or 1 LB of butter)
2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups of sugar
Pre-heat the oven to 350*F. Butter a 11 x 16 inch baking pan. Sift the self-raising flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Add the wheat bran, coconut flakes, and raisins and mix.
Melt the butter and add it slowly to the mixture. Beat the eggs, buttermilk and sugar together and add to the wheat bran mixture. Mix well. Put the mixture in the baking pan and press gently to level it.
Cut into pieces before you bake it.
Bake it for 35 to 45 minutes. It should be a golden brown on top. Let it cool down and cut again and take the pieces apart. Put the pieces into two baking pans and put it in a 200*F oven to dry out. After two hours turn all the pieces around and dry out for another two hours. Let it cool down. Make some hot tea or coffee and dip the rusks in the tea or coffee. Enjoy!
All images taken by me
