South African Rusks

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached white flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (coarsely ground if possible)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. 2

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

3. 3

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

4. 4

   Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and roll or pat it to about a 1/2 inch thickness.

5. 5

   Cut the dough into rectangles about 2 by 4 inches.

6. 6

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

7. 7

   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.

8. 8

   The finished rusks should be very dry and hard.

9. 9

   Cool and store in an airtight container.

10. 10

    Rusks will keep for weeks.

11. 11

    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.

12. 12

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

13. 13

    Peanut Rusks: Add 1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts.