# Rusks



## JM (Feb 16, 2009)

Anyone have a good recipe for rusks? I tried a few found online and didn't like them.


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## Hamalas (Feb 16, 2009)

What is a rusk???


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## JM (Feb 16, 2009)

Wiki: In South Africa, rusk is a traditional biscuit (called beskuit in Afrikaans) that is eaten after having been dipped in coffee, tea, or rooibos tea.[1] Historically, rusks evolved (along with biltong) during the country's early pioneering days as a way to preserve bread in the dry climate. It was also extensively used during times of war[2] or when traveling long distances. Traditionally baked at home, but there are now several mass-market versions available, the most famous probably being Ouma Rusks. Many bakeries, dellis and home industries sell them, often using more exotic ingredients than their mass-market counterparts. In addition to plain and buttermilk flavours, there are aniseed, wholewheat, condensed milk, muesli, and lemon poppyseed versions.


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## PresbyDane (Feb 16, 2009)

JM I think you are cool, but you have some crazy posts sometimes


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## JM (Feb 16, 2009)

I would settle for an easy scone recipe...


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## Laura (Feb 16, 2009)

Huh. So it's sort of like biscotti? I have a great recipe for those, but never heard of rusks.


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## JM (Feb 16, 2009)

Laura said:


> Huh. So it's sort of like biscotti? I have a great recipe for those, but never heard of rusks.




I'll take it!


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## Laura (Feb 16, 2009)

Chocolate-Dipped Almond Biscotti
from _Gourmet's Casual Entertaining_
Yield: 18 cookies

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. orange zest, finely grated
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 large whole egg plus 1 white
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. whole almonds with skins, toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped (I just used slivered almonds straight from the bag and it worked fine)
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and adjust a rack to the middle position.

Whisk together dry ingredients and orange zest in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat together egg, egg white, and vanilla. Add flour mixture to this and beat just till combined. Stir in almonds.

With floured hands, form dough into a 12 x 2-inch log and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until pale golden. Cool 10 minutes, then carefully peel parchment from log and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the log diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices in a sawing motion with a serrated knife. Arrange the slices, cut sides down, back on the baking sheet and bake, turning slices once, until crisp, about 20 minutes.

Once cooled, dip the top (curved) edge of each cookie in melted chocolate, letting excess drip off; then transfer, cut sides down, to a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Chill until chocolate is set, about 5 minutes. These keep for a couple of weeks, theoretically. We finished them off a bit quicker than that.


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## Theognome (Feb 16, 2009)

*Buttermilk Rusks*

The recipe is African, and thus metric. Sorry.


Ingredients

* 1 kg flour
* 12 1/2 ml baking soda
* 25 ml cream of tartar
* 10 ml salt
* 250 ml sugar
* 250 g butter
* 350 ml buttermilk
* 1 egg
* oil, for greasing
* milk, for glaze

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 240°C. 
2. Sift the dry ingredients and stir til well mixed.
3. Cut in butter - the mixture should resemble corn meal when done.
4. Beat buttermilk and egg together and add to dry ingredients.
5. Mix to a firm dough.
6. Pinch off golf ball sized pieces of dough and press lightly into rectangular shape approx 2cm thick.
7. Place close together in two greased loaf pans (30cm x36cm x 7cm) and brush the sides of each row of balls with oil so that the rusks will break apart easily after being baked.
8. Brush with diluted milk.
9. Bake at 240C for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 190C and bake for further 50 minutes.
10. Turn out on cooling rack and break in two or three places so that the rusks will cool more quickly.
11. When cool, break neatly into individual rusks and allow to dry out in a very low oven (120C).


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## PresbyDane (Feb 16, 2009)

I will have to try this


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## JM (Feb 16, 2009)

Can I sub something in place of the cream of tartar?

-----Added 2/16/2009 at 07:40:09 EST-----

would this work?

How to Substitute Cream of Tartar - wikiHow


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## Theognome (Feb 16, 2009)

I was just gonna say lemon juice or white vinegar, but you seem to be quick with the Wiki. Also, use baking powder instead of soda.

Theognome


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## kvanlaan (Feb 16, 2009)

Dutch biscuit are available at the Dutch stores here - they should be out your way too, and they're not that expensive. I don't know that you can make a close fascimile on your own... (but don't let me discourage you).


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## JM (Feb 16, 2009)

I have this one in the oven : Biscotti - Allrecipes

I'm not giving up on the Rusks yet, I'll wait and pick up some cream of tartar.


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