High Bran Rusks (Ouma Rhoda se Gesondheidsbeskuit)

Growing up I used to visit my grandmother and grandfather on their farm near Odendaalsrus. The two things my grandmother always had in her house was five roses tea and high bran rusks, or as she called it "gesondheidsbeskuit". I still remember eating these rusks with my grandmother in their king size bed!

Serves: 140 rusks

Ingredients:

- 1 kg nutty wheat

- 6 cups wheat bran

- 3 cups brown sugar

- 2 cups sunflower oil

- 4 teaspoons cream of tartar

- 4 teaspoons baking soda

- 4 teaspoons baking powder

- 1 liter milk

- 4 eggs

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Grease two rusk pans with cook & spray. Size of my rusk pans: 35cm x 40.5cm

3. Mix nutty wheat, wheat bran and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.

4. In a separate mixing bowl, mix the oil, milk, eggs and sugar.

5. Use two cups to mix the cream of tartar with a splash of milk as well as the baking soda with a splash of milk and add to the oil mixture.

6. Add the oil mixture to the nutty wheat mixture and mix well.

7. Add the mixture to the rusk pans and bake for 1 hour.

8. When the rusks are baked, use a knife to cut them into a rusk shape and let it dry out for +- 4 hours at 90°C.

Useful tips:

Use a large mixing bowl. There is nothing worse than realising half way through that you need a bigger bowl, no one likes extra dishes!

Don't overload the rusk pans (speaking from experience). The mixture will rise as it bakes and can cause the batter to spill over the edge of the pans into the oven. Rather bake the left over batter in another oven proof dish.

Baking for one? This recipe can easily be divided into two if you want to make a smaller batch.

Nutritional information: