RECIPE | Make a batch of easy-peasy rusks

No surprise they are golden brown on the outside with neat ridges on the top, the inside an appealing caramel-coloured almost cakey texture, except this is hard and crunchy and waiting to be dunked in hot coffee.

This is the new Bakers Tennis (biscuit) Classic Coconut rusk and our tasting panel found them so good they almost devoured a box in one sitting.

It’s a clever idea taking the recipe, the makers say ‘inspired by’ the ever popular Tennis biscuits, and turning them into rusks and I’m sure their idea is to take other lines of their popular biscuits and do the same. Watch this space.

The panel found them similar in taste — there’s that lingering taste and texture of coconut, the appealing caramel flavour and some fans of tennis biscuits found they even preferred this rendition. They dunk beautifully, soaking up coffee without breaking or becoming soft, and are very moreish.

South Africans adore rusks, especially in winter when not a lot will beat an early morning coffee and rusk. The new rusks come in 450g boxes and cost just less than R52 — and beware they are addictive, so one box may not be enough.

For those who prefer homemade rusks this easy recipe makes a lot. It fills two very large biscuit containers when I make them.

EASY BUTTERMILK RUSKS

Makes a lot — number depends on the size

Ingredients:

1.5kg self-raising wheat flour

5ml (1 tsp) salt

375g butter or baking margarine, softened

1 ½ — 2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

5ml (1 tsp) vanilla or caramel essence

500ml (2 cups) buttermilk

Method:

1. Sift the flour and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter using your fingertips or in an electric mixer with the K beater until mixture has the texture of breadcrumbs.
2. Add the sugar and stir through.
3. Beat together the egg, essence and buttermilk. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the liquid, stirring the dough with a round-bladed knife until you form a soft dough. Knead together for a minute or two.
4. Press the dough into a large — or two smaller baking trays with deep sides. Even out the dough and, using a sharp knife and a ruler, mark the dough into equal rectangles. Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes to allow the dough to rise.
5. Bake in a preheated oven of 170°C for 60 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool before cutting into rectangles. Pack the rusks back in the baking trays and allow to dry out in a low oven for 2-3 hours. Cool and pack into containers with lids.

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