Breakfast Rusks

Rusks are dry biscuits traditionally eaten by South Africans and dunked in their early morning tea or coffee. They were introduced by the Dutch as a long-lasting alternative to bread. Before departing on your morning game drive, you are offered a light breakfast to sustain you until your morning tea break or your late morning brunch. Rusks are something you might enjoy on your tea break in the bush.

Rusks

Makes 36

Adapted from 'The African Kitchen' by Josie Stow and Jan Baldwin

Ingredients

9 c self-rising flour

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

2 1/4 sticks butter, chopped

3 c light brown sugar

2 c sunflower seeds

3 c All-Bran cereal, crushed

A handful of raisins or dried currants

1 tbsp aniseed

2 1/4 c buttermilk

1/2 c sunflower or canola oil

2 eggs, beaten

Special Equipment

Shallow baking dishes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350

2. Mix together self-rising flour, baking powder, sald and butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

3. Add the sugar, sunflower seeds, crushed cereal, dried fruit and aniseed.

4. In a bowl, mix together the buttermilk, oil and eggs.

5. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir to form a dough.

6. User your hands to shape the dough into 36 balls and place them closely together in two rows on each baking dish.

7. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the dough comes out clean and the base sounds hollow when tapped.

8. Remove the dishes and set aside to cool on a wire rack.

9. Separate the rusks and leave them to dry out completely in a very low oven (250 degrees)

10. Allow rusks to cool before storing in an airtight container.

Serve with tea or coffee during your midmorning game drive break!

Photo courtesy Gretchen Healey