Delicious South African Buttermilk Rusks

 

This is a firm favorite for camping trips or for kids breakfasts when they have sleep overs!

This recipe is from the Snowflake Book of Baking (Available here)

Delicious South African Buttermilk Rusks

Ingredients:
1.5kg Self Raising Flour
3ml Salt
10ml Cream of Tartar
500g Butter
430ml Sugar
500ml Buttermilk

Method:
1. Sift dry ingredients together
2. Melt butter and sugar together and add with buttermilk to dry ingredients.
3. Mix well.
4. Spread the mixture over a baking sheet.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180*C for 1 hour.
6. Slice into fingers (3 x 9) and arrange onto a drying rack. Dry these overnight in a warming drawer or in a cool oven of 50*C.
7. Makes about 55 depending on size.

Day 8 Bonus! Survival Biscuits

This is such a simple recipe which produces the yummiest gooey-est Squares. They seem to go by many names. So much so that I couldn't even google an image of them to show you. This picture is of Date squares, which are similar in looks, but very different in taste!

photo credit: rainbowcooking.co.nz

Survival Biscuits

Ingredients:
125g  Margarine (DF: Use Wooden spoon margarine)
1/2 C Sugar
1/3 C Sultanas
1/3 C Cherries
1/3 C Chopped dates
1/3 C Pecan nuts
1 Jumbo egg
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 Pkt Marie biscuits

Method:
1. Melt margarine & sugar  in a medium sized saucepan.
2. Add sultanas, cherries, dates & pecan nuts, boil slowly for 10 minutes.
3. Add beaten egg & vanilla and mix carefully.
4. Boil for 1 more minute.
5. Add crushed Marie biscuits, Mix well.
6. Press down very firmly into a greased biscuit tray.
7. When cooled, cut into squares.

Day 2 - Scrumptious Oatmeal Cookies (WF, DF)

I found this recipe via pinterest and decided to give it a bash yesterday. Well these cookies are delicious!!! They are large, crispy, although chewy cookies with a delicious cinnamon-chocolate and raisin flavour. They make quite a large batch which is great, that way you still have some cookies left to put in your cookie tin after you’re done baking! (I must have gobbled at least 10 while baking) This is a Martha Stewart recipe which I have slightly altered. (Original here)

From Martha Stewart.com

Scrumptious Oatmeal Cookies (Wheat free, Dairy free)

Ingredients:
1 ½ C Oats plus 3C Oats
30ml Cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (250g) (DF: use Wooden Spoon Margarine + 10ml Oil)
3/4 cup Sugar (You could even use a little less)
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup chocolate chips (DF: Use dark chocolate chips)
3/4 cup raisins (or 1/2 of you don't want them as sweet)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees (350 F). 

2. In a blender, process 1 1/2 cups oats into a fine meal. Whisk together ground oats, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. 

4. Beat in eggs and vanilla. 

5. With mixer on low, gradually add oat mixture, beating until combined. 

6. Fold in chocolate chips, raisins, and remaining 3 cups oats.

7. In batches, drop balls of dough in 1 tablespoonful mounds onto a greased baking sheet, 12 per tray. 

8. Bake until cookies are golden brown at edges for about 18 minutes.

9. Allow them to cool for a minute and then transfer them to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. They will harden as they cool.

Makes about 50 large Cookies!

Easy 4 kids Peanut Butter Cookies (with Gluten + Dairy free instructions)

This is one of the recipes we learnt at school in Home Economics and has been a trusty standby ever since. My son Zack loves to make it and he's only 5 :) This is a lovely easy and tasty recipe for Children to try!

Easy 4 Kids Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2C Margarine   (DF: Wooden Spoon Margarine)
1/2C Peanut Butter
1/2C White Sugar
1/2C Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 Beaten Egg
1C Flour   (GF: Gluten free flour mix)
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
Optional: Add cup of Choc Chips

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180*
2. Cream together margarine & peanut butter in a large mixing bowl with a beater.
3. Gradually add sugar, cream until light and fluffy.
4. Add an egg, mix.
5. Gradually add sifted dry ingredients while mixing. Add vanilla essence. Mix into a smooth dough. If you'd like to add some choc chips do it now. Mix well.
6. Roll spoonfulls and place 5cm apart on a greased baking sheet. Press flat with a fork.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes until tops are golden.

Makes 80

(Photo by Stacy [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

German Lebkuchen

A friend of mine, Di van Eerden made these at Christmas time a couple of years ago and they are Delicious!!! She used small star shaped cookie cutters, a little bigger than a R5 coin and made them about 1cm thick (when baked).



German Lebkuchen

Ingredients:
4 t Bicarb
1 C Lukewarm Water
10 C Flour
3 C Sugar
1 C Ground Almonds

1 t Ground Cloves
1 T Cinnamon
1 C Mixed Peel (125g)

1 C Butter (250g)
2 Eggs
500g Honey

Method:
1. Dissolve the bicarb in lukewarm water.
2. Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter into this and add the mixed peel.
3. Now add beaten egg to the mixture.
4. Now add the honey.
5. Knead this into a firm dough.
6. Leave the dough to stand in the fridge overnight.
7. The next day roll the dough our and cut into shapes.
8. Bake on a baking sheet at 180* for 10 minutes.
9. These can be enjoyed as they are, or cut a hole with a straw before baking if you want to hang them on a tree, or they can be iced with icing sugar mixed with a drop of lemon juice.

Makes: an ENORMOUS batch. (I bake half a batch at a time)

Belinda's Health Rusks

Photo credit: biscuitbarrel.wordpress.com

This is another treasure, also from Belinda Buckland. Once you have tasted these fabulous, typical South African Rusks, you won't go back to buying rusks from your store. You'll be hooked! And guilt free!

Belinda's Health Rusks

Ingredients:
500g Margarine, melted (I use Stork bake)
#5 Cups Nutty Wheat
#2 Cups Sugar
#1 Cup Coconut
#3/4 Cup Sunflower seeds
#1/4 Cup Linseeds
#1/2 Cup Sesame Seeds
#8 tsp Baking Powder
#1/2 tsp Salt
2 Eggs, beaten
500ml Buttermilk
2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 tsp Baking Soda
5 Cups Flour

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180* C
2. In a LARGE bucket, combine all the # ingredients.
3. In a jug mix Buttermilk, cream of tartar, and baking soda.
4. Add the melted margarine to the bucket and mix.
5. Add the eggs to the buttermilk jug. mix.
6. Add the jug contents to the bucket contents and mix.
7. Add the 5 Cups flour and knead to form a stiff dough.
8. Spread the mixture onto 2 or 3 baking trays, using a rolling pin to flatten and smooth out.
9. Bake for 45 minutes, swap the trays around half way during baking time to ensure even baking.
10. As they come out the oven use a sharp knife to cut the rusks.
11. Gently lift them onto the oven shelves, leaving space between them so that the air can circulate.
12. Turn your oven down to between 60*C and 100*C and allow the rusks to dry. This may take up to a day and you might want to turn them over to ensure even browning.
13. Now reward yourself with the fruit of your labour! Make a cup of tea, sit back and relax as you sink your teeth into a gorgeous crunchy, healthy rusk! Well done!!!

Mamma's Choc-Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

The other day my brother Mat asked me for this recipe but I couldn't find it, much to his disappointment. Well, TA-DA! Here it is. If I don't publish it here NOW it might get lost for ever.
These cookies sure bring back many childhood memories! Enjoy Mat!
(You can make this Dairy and Wheat Free by following the notes in brackets.)

Mamma's Choc-Chip Peanut-Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
80g Smooth peanut butter
80g Butter (DF: Use Wooden Spoon Margarine)
120g Brown sugar
120g White sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
Pinch Salt
1 Jumbo egg
1/2 Tsp Baking powder
150g Flour (WF: Replace with Gluten free cake flour mix)
50ml Milk (DF: Use rice or soya milk)
80g Rolled oats
80g Chopped peanuts
80g Choc-Chips (DF: Use dark choc chips)

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180*C.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix Peanut Butter, Margarine, both sugars, vanilla and salt until creamy.
3. Add the egg and beat well.
4. Sift dry ingredients and add. Mix well.
5. Add the milk and mix well.
6. Stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed.
7. Drop teaspoon measures onto a well greased baking tray, 3cm between each.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
9. Cool on a wire rack.
10. Enjoy, but be advised to hide, they don't last very long!

Out of this World Choc-Chip Cookies

These are by far the most amazing Choc-Chip Cookies EVER! They are melt-in-your-mouth DELICIOUS! Be prepared to make a double batch as I suspect they won't even make it out of the kitchen. Follow the notes to make them Wheat/Gluten and Dairy free.

Out of this World Choc-Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
85g Margarine (DF: Wooden spoon Margarine)
85g Soft brown sugar
1 Jumbo egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla essence
175g Flour (G/WF: Replace with Gluten free flour mix)
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
100g Slab of Chocolate, cut into small chunks (DF: Use plain Dark Chocolate)

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180*C
2. Cream the margarine and sugar until soft and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla essence.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients.
5. Stir in the chopped Chocolate.
6. Roll teaspoons of the mixture into balls and press flat onto a greased baking tray.
7. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden.

ENJOY!!!

Melt-in-your-mouth Shortbread

The name says it all, actually just thinking about it makes my mouth water! This is the recipe my Mom used for many years. The smell of these treats cooking in my oven brings back such fond memories of Christmas-time at home. I miss you Mom!

Melt-in-your-mouth Shortbread

Ingredients:
270g Flour
120g Icing Sugar
250g Butter (don't be tempted to use margarine, it's just not the same!)
120g Maizena (Cornflour)
1/4 tsp Salt

Method:
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Sift flour, maizena and salt. Gradually add this to the butter mixture and mix well. It needs to resemble large breadcumbs.
3. Grease a biscuit tray and pour the crumb mixture into it.
4. Press the mixture down evenly and prick some holes in it using a fork.
5. Bake at 160* for 38-40 minutes.
6. Cut into fingers while still hot. Allow to cool before removing from the tin.

Quick 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter cookies - Gluten Free!

These cookies are so quick to throw together and they are really delicious hot, on ice cream. (They become super crunchy, but chewy on the inside!) Because they don't contain any flour, you don't really have to worry about eating them raw. They are also a real treat for those less fortunate folk who are gluten intolerant.

Quick 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1C Peanut Butter
1C Sugar
1 Jumbo egg

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180*.
2. Mix all 3 ingredients in a mixing bowl.
3. Grease a baking sheet.
4. Put teaspoon dollops on to the tray, about 3cm apart.
5. Flatten with the back of a fork.
6. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.
7. Serve hot cookies on a generous helping of ice-cream!

Makes +- 24 Cookies