• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
What'sCookin'Chicago?
  • About
  • Recipe Index
    • By Cuisine
    • By Holiday
    • Collections
  • Recipe Videos
  • Vegetarian
  • Winter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
whatscookinchicago-logo

What'sCookin'Chicago?

  • About
  • Recipe Index
    • By Cuisine
    • By Holiday
    • Collections
  • Recipe Videos
  • Vegetarian
  • Winter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Home ยป Uncategorized ยป Rusks (South African Cookies)

Rusks (South African Cookies)

September 29, 2009 · WCC Administr@tr · 6 Comments

3960514704_9bcd27a60c-2200126
I really enjoy learning about other cultures through their cuisines. With the recent South African wine dinner I hosted this past weekend, I’ve learned how immigrants really influenced the South Africans, especially through food. This recipe is very much like Italian biscotti. An interesting point in this recipe is the use of buttermilk, whereas most biscotti recipes are made without any liquid aside from eggs. Oddly enough, even with the addition of nearly a cup of buttermilk, these cookies still had the same crispy consistency as biscotti. South Africans enjoy these rusks with a warm cup of Rooibos tea. Now that’s an afternoon snack anyone can enjoy, regardless of what part of the world you’re in…

Rusks
(South African Cookies)
recipe adapted from South African Recipes

2 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups whole wheat bread flour (coarsely ground if possible)
1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. pure almond extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the dry ingredients.

Combine all the wet ingredients, pour them into the dry ingredients, and stir until you have a soft dough, similar to biscuit dough.

Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and roll or pat it to about a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the dough into rectangles about 2 by 4 inches.

Bake the rusks about 2 inches apart on buttered baking sheet for about 25 minutes until the tops are crisping and browning a little.

Now, eat a few “soft” rusks warm from the oven. Loosely pile the rusks on a baking sheet and keep them in a 200 degree oven all day or all night (about 12 hours) to dry. The finished rusks should be very dry and hard.

Cool and store in an airtight container. Rusks will keep for weeks.

Variations

Oatmeal-Raisin Rusks: Reduce the white flour to 1 1/2 cups and add 2 cups rolled oats and 1/2 cup currants or chopped raisins.

Almond Rusks: Add 1 cup chopped almonds and omit the cinnamon.

Peanut Rusks: Add 1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts.

Anise Rusks: Omit the cinnamon and almond extract and add 2 tsp. pure anise extract or 1 Tbsp. anisette.

Uncategorized

Previous Post: « Chocolate Crunched Caramel Tart
Next Post: BBA: Pain l’Ancienne »

NEVER MISS A POST

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Kristin says

    September 29, 2009 at 9:00 pm

    Oooooh! I was looking for something different to do with my leftover buttermilk. These sound right up my alley. Thanks!

    Reply
  2. BMK says

    September 30, 2009 at 4:06 am

    Great post. I don't know anything about South African cooking. This recipe looks like it would pair perfectly with tea.

    Reply
  3. Snooky doodle says

    September 30, 2009 at 6:33 pm

    Interesting these look good. I wish to try these ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  4. Peabody says

    September 30, 2009 at 8:20 pm

    Those look like a great with tea cookie.

    Reply
  5. Pamela says

    October 1, 2009 at 7:49 pm

    I love how eating fresh rusks out of the oven are part of the recipe instructions! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  6. Anonymous says

    January 21, 2011 at 8:56 pm

    Thank you. Good content. Ended up being searching for a little while. Seeking more content of your stuff in the future.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

me
Hi, I'm Joelen! Welcome to What's Cookin, Chicago. My goal is to share my culinary adventures in hopes to inspire you to embrace life in a delicious way.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Footer

whatscookinchicago-logo
Welcome to What’s Cookin, Chicago. Our goal is to share our culinary adventures in hopes to inspire you to embrace life in a delicious way…

NEVER MISS A POST

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

SEARCH THIS SITE

  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Wine & Dine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 ยท What's Cookin' Chicago