bran and muesli buttermilk rusks with seeds

crunchy and a bit healthier

I have been stuck on one favourite rusk recipe forever (which I will do a post about because they are amazing and I have to share), but last week  I came across this recipe in ‘Home Bakes’ which seems to be my book ‘de jour’.  I had all the ingredients so thought it was high time to branch out.  I like to keep rusks in my cookie jar and tend to think of them as ‘less’ worse in this carb prohibitive world we live in.  Also these have lots of good stuff and I added more good stuff, so we are all good. They are also not that sweet which is what I like in a rusk.

This is what you need to make a big batch:

* on this point – I notice that most rusk recipes are for rather large quantities.  I have come to appreciate this in the effort to reward ratio.

• 1kg self raising flour (I didnt have so I added 1 tsp per cup – so 7 tsp baking powder to 1kg cake flour)
• 140g (1 cup) Krakley Wheat flour (or whole-wheat flour) – I really like the Golden Cloud Krakley wheat as it has nice little crunchy wheat kernels in it, making you feel more wholesome
• 100g (750ml) All Bran flakes
• 125 g (1 cup) toasted or plain muesli.  I didnt have muesli so added 90g oats and 50g raisins
• 1 cup of seeds- I added these to the recipe but you could leave it out  (I added half sunflower and half sesame)
• 200 g sugar
• 5ml salt
• 5ml baking powder (I added this extra spoon as well)
• 400g butter, melted gently in the microwave or on the stove
• 200ml sunflower oil
• 500ml buttermilk
• 3 eggs lightly beaten

How to make:

• preheat the oven to 180 C and grease 2 baking trays (I use Spray & Cook)
• in a very large bowl combine all the dry ingredients
• In a separate bowl lightly beat the eggs, add the sunflower oil and buttermilk and mix
• make a well in the dry mixture and pour in all the liquid and mix together with a wooden spoon until all combined (its a very sticky situation and you could use your hands but I persevere with the spoon)
• Spread the mixture into the 2 baking trays (with sides) and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown.
• allow to cool and remove from the pans and on a wooden board cut into fingers or squares, however you like your rusks * I use an electric carving knife to do this – So much easier!
• place to rusks back onto the baking trays, if you are short of space you can turn then sideways and stack next to each other.
• place them back into a low oven of 60 c for about 6 – 9 hours 
• Turn off the oven and leave them in over night 

The buttermilk gives these rusks a lovely creamy mouthfeel. Next time I may play around with the ratios of oat, whole wheat flour and flour and perhaps add more raisins or dried cranberries. This recipe will definitely find a home in my repetoire.

a good stash to nibble on over winter (and give away to special friends)