THE CHERRY ON THE TOP

Traditional foods truly distinguish one country from the next - much like language and cultural dress. South Africa retains something of its "high tea" British heritage with a heavy Dutch accent. Or nibble. You won't find many homes in South Africa without coffee and Rusks. Eating Rusks has become more of a national sport. Once you have dunked your first Rusk you will probably never be the same again! To understand Rusks you need to eat one. And not merely eat it but savour the full dunking experience. A Rusk is not breakfast. It is also not a tea party. A Rusk - with tea or coffee - is the experience.

The idea behind a Rusk is that it is a "twice baked bread" and yet it isn't bread. Rusks are more likened to a savoury snack than a dried cake. Although most countries have their own version there is no equivalent in that it can be compared to say; biscotti or melba toast. There are any variety of recipes that fall into the category of Rusks; varying from plain Buttermilk to Health. And everything in between. My favourite recipe is a simple but wholesome Rusk, with a handful of cherries!

Spices really jazz up baking. Although not very sweet the addition of cherries adds a flavour that is the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea at any time of day! Or night.

CHERRY-ON-THE-TOP RUSKS:
4 Cups Stoneground Wholewheat flour
2 Cups Ground Oats
2 Cups Bran
1 Cup Dessicated Coconut
1 Cup Sunflower seeds (or any nut and seed mix)
1 Cup Chopped Cherries and Raisins
250g Butter
250ml Olive Oil
500ml Boiling Water
250ml Coconut Blossom
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
2 teaspoon Bicarbonate Soda (or baking powder)

Butter is an absolute must for Rusks. Many people use margarine as it is cheaper. The fact that margarine is not a real food and quite harmful to the body convinced me decades ago to avoid it like the plague. Instead I combine butter and olive oil.

As a concerned health citizen I generally keep sugar out of my house (yes....ok....I use it in kombucha and wine making). Dates and honey are my sweetener of choice. In baked items I like to use coconut blossom sugar.

Soak nuts and seeds overnight. Rinse and dry. Then grind your oats. And chunky chop the cherries.

To make these Rusks, it is as simple as lightly sieving together all the dried ingredients. Gently mix in the seeds, nuts and cherries. Pop the butter and coconut blossom into the hot water. Slowly heat. The butter needs to melt and the coconut blossom dissolve. Add in the olive oil and remove from the heat. Prepare your oiled and lined baking tray.

Carefully stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. You'll need to use your hands as this is a rather dense ball of dough. Press the dough into your tray.

Cut the Rusks into your desired sizes then pop them into the oven to bake at 160 C for about half an hour. Or until they smell baked.

Remove the Rusks from the oven and allow them to cool. Carefully break the Rusks apart. Dry the Rusks at about 80 C for about 7 hours. I use my solar powered dehydrator.

Once cool store your Rusks in a sealed container. They must be thoroughly dried and they can last for weeks. Maybe months but if they are as affectionately viewed in your home as they are in ours, these Cherry Rusks may have an early retirement!

So put on the kettle. Pick up a good book. And as the cherry on the top, dunk away!!