Sarf African Rusks

Rusks are really hard bread/cake that is usually dunked into tea or coffee.
Kak F made this for us during one of our picnics and the kids loved it so much. It was crunchy and deliciously creamy. Kak F got the recipe from one of her friends who is from Sarf Efrica. (I immediately thot of bloo somehow. :) )

The recipe she gave me stated 'All purpose flour' but she asked me to look for amer1can or br1tish flour. Somehow ar@bic flour doesnt work too well with the recipe, she said. Not being able to find any Amer1can or br1tish flour, I decided to use wholewheat flour after googling for the same recipe and finding out that most of them used that. The result was a fibrous, chewy rusks that I found to be very very delicious.
I also modified her recipe a bit by adding sliced almonds ( heh heh me and my nuts!) and some vanilla for added yumminess. I also made a second batch, but this time with cocoa powder, to make chocolate rusks. Yum yum yummeh.
This recipe is actually quite easy peasy, but it takes a little bit of work and time at the end, so I decided not to put the 'easy peasy' prefix on them coz some people might find it easier to spend a few minutes driving tot he store and picking up a bag of rusks than making it themselves.

Sarf African Almond Rusks

1.5 cups all purpose flour
1.5 cups wholewheat flour
3 heaped teaspoons baking powder
0.5 cups sugar
0.5 sliced almonds
a pinch of salt

125grams cold butter
1 egg beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
250ml (1 cup) Labneh or sour cream

Mix all the dry ingredients in a big bowl. Rub butter into the dry mix to form breadcrumbs.
Beat the vanilla into the eggs. Add eggs into the crumb mix bit by bit. Then add the Labneh/sour cream into the mix, a spoon at a time, making sure it is well mixed each time. Mix/Knead until the dough forms a ball and does not stick to the bowl.
Turn dough into a 5" by 8" cake tray and press to form a uniform flat shape.
Bake in a preheated oven @350F for 45 minutes.
Take out and let cool, then cut into finger sized pieces.
Arrange on a flat cookie sheet (or line your oven wire rack with aluminum foil and arrange right on the rack). Set oven to the lowest heat possible and let fingers dry out overnight.

yummy dunky crunchiness

To make the chocolate rusks, I omitted almonds and added 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and used only 1 teaspoon vanilla. Next time I'll leave the almonds even with chocolate because it added an extra crunch to the rusks.
I used my hands to mix everything and erkkk it took quite some work. I'm sure it's easier if you have a good mixer.
Izani just loves these rusks too, and now that he's very adamant of eating on his own, I am seriously thinking of making a savoury rusk.. maybe cheese or chicken flavoured. Would be interesting , eh?
I'm gonna save up for a proper mixer, then!

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In other news,
I will be travelling here and there starting tomorrow. Taufik has taken leave next week, so our holiday has officially started. We're going to riy@dh this evening, then we'll head for Q@tar on Sunday (Lolly Q, here I come!). I don't know if I will get a chance to blog in between.
In case I don't, See Ya!

p/s kak long, Anis tengok amerikan idol and cakap lakisha looks like Aiysha, cuma gemuk. I prodded further and she said she's got pretty eyes like aiysha. and kebetulan harini rambut dia pun straight macam aiysha.
:D