Vegan Almond Rusks (Beskuit)

(Original post from 27/01/2021 updated)

Vegan rusks with rich almond flavours. Perfect for dunking.

When I think about rusks I think of holidays on the game farm. We would devour them for breakfast, whilst sitting around what was left of the previous nights campfire, dipping them into a condense-milk sweetened coffee (It was insanely sweet! I don’t know how I was able to drink such a sweet coffee). This was especially nice sitting outside in the early morning, brisk air, a cup of coffee in the hand and all you hear are birds chirping and the crunching sounds from the rusks that have not been dunked into the coffee long enough.

WHAT ARE RUSKS?

If you are from or have been to South Africa, you have most likely eaten a few rusks. In Afrikaans they are called "beskuit" and in German "Zwieback". I would describe them as the South African version of a biscotti. They are basically very dry, hard “biscuits” which are baked in the oven on a very low heat until they are completely dried trough.

Originally they were made from a type of bread and drying them out was a method of preserving it. Nowadays rusks come a many different shapes and flavours.

Traditionally these delicious treats are enjoyed by dunking them into a hot cup of coffee, until they get a bit softer and are easier to eat. Then repeat the dunking process until the rusk piece is so small that you literally have to dip your fingers into the coffee for that last bite to soak up some coffee.

That coffee soaked rusk... Sooo good!

Eventually comes that last sip of coffee with the rusk crumbs sitting at the bottom of the cup, which is definitely a love it or hate it situation. Do you take that last sip or drain it?

THE FLAVOURS

The most common rusk flavour in South Africa is definitely buttermilk, followed by muesli or bran rusks.

Today, I went non-traditional and decided to use raw almonds, almond butter and almond extract to give that delicious almond flavour.

Why not replace the almonds and almond butter with macadamias and macadamia butter - delicious!

Add different seeds or dried fruit if you wish.

Traditionally rusks are made with buttermilk, butter and eggs, but to make them vegan friendly I made a vegan "buttermilk" using almond milk and lemon juice. The butter is replaced with coconut oil and instead of an egg I used a flax egg.

TO MAKE THESE YOU WILL NEED

Flour
Rolled oats
Baking soda
Baking powder
Raw almonds
Almond butter
Almond essence (optional)
Ground flaxseeds
Almond milk
Lemon juice
Seeds or dried fruit of choice
Castor sugar
Coconut oil
and a pinch of salt, to balance the flavours.

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

A scale
Mixing bowls
Baking tray
Oven
Aluminium foil
Time and patience

HERE IS WHY YOU WILL LOVE MAKING YOUR OWN RUSKS

You can control the sweetness of the rusks
No added preservatives
You can substitute the seeds, dried fruits and nuts depending on what you have available.
These are incredibly easy to make, it is just the drying out of the rusks that takes some time and patience.

Enjoy these as an easy breakfast or afternoon treat, with a cup of coffee or almond latte.

Make a batch for your next camping trip or holiday.

DRYING THE RUSKS

Please note all ovens vary, therefor the drying time might vary too. I recommend checking the rusks every two hours to make sure they don't get too dark as that can result in the rusks tasting burned.

Yields: about 20 medium sized rusks

Time: about 60 min, plus drying out time

INGREDIENTS

DRY INGREDIENTS

250g all-purpose flour
50g old fashioned rolled oats
30g raw almonds, roughly chopped
45g castor sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp sea salt
30g sunflower or pumpkin seeds or seeds of choice
30g raisins or dried fruit of choice (optional)

FOR THE FLAX EGG

1 tbsp ground flax seeds
2 ½ tbsp water

FOR THE ‘BUTTERMILK’

150g Almond or oat milk
½ tbsp lemon juice

WET INGREDIENTS

25g Almond butter, unsalted
25g melted coconut oil
½ tsp almond essence (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 180˚C
Line a deep-walled baking tray with baking paper (I used a 15 x 30 x 3cm tray)

TO MAKE THE FLAX EGG

In a small bowl combine the ground flax seeds and water together and set aside to thicken.

TO MAKE THE ‘BUTTERMILK’

In another small bowl combine the almond milk and lemon juice and set aside.

TO MAKE THE RUSKS

Using a food processor or blender, blend the rolled oats into a rough flour.
Transfer the oat flour into a large mixing bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients. Give a quick mix.
Add the flax egg, butter milk and the rest of the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and mix until completely combined. The batter might be a bit dry, but that is okay. Just make sure everything is well combined.
Put the mixture into your baking tray and press the mixture down with your hands until the mixture is evenly distributed.
Cover the tray with aluminium foil and bake for 40 minutes.
After 40 min, remove the foil and bake for another 5 – 8 minutes
Remove the tray from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before inverting the semi-cooked dough onto a chopping board
Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the dough into rectangles. The size is up to you. I manged to get about 20 good sized rusks.
Spread the rusks out on a larger baking tray and return to the oven and bake for another 15 min before turning down the heat to 50˚C
Leave the rusks in the oven for a minimum of 4 hours or until the are fully dried out. The best way to check is to break a rusk piece in half to see if it's dry in the centre. Mine took about 6 hours.
Once they are completely dry remove them from the oven and store them in an airtight container.

HAVE YOU MADE THIS?

If you made this, I would love to see your creations on Instagram.

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