Vegan Tahini Rusks (Beskuit)

Vegan rusks with rich, nutty tahini flavours. Perfect for with a freshly bread cup of coffee.

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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.

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 tahini paste. The rich, nuttiness works wonderful in combination with the caramelisation of the not-too-sweet rusk.

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

• A good quality tahini paste

• Ground flaxseeds

• Almond milk

• Lemon juice

• Seeds 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.

TAHINI RUSKS (vegan)

A traditional South African dry ‘biscuit’ enjoyed best dunked into a cup of coffee.

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 sunflower or pumpkin seeds or seeds of choice

• 45g castor sugar

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp sea salt

  
  

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 Tahini

• 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

1. Using a food processor or blender, blend the rolled oats into a rough flour.

2. Transfer the oat flour into a large mixing bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients. Give a quick mix.

3. 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.

4. Transfer the mixture into your baking tray and press the mixture down with your hands until the mixture is evenly distributed. Smooth it out evenly. If required, wet your fingers to press it down evenly.

5. Cover the tray with aluminium foil and bake for 40 minutes.

6. After 40 min, remove the foil and bake for another 5 – 8 minutes

7. Remove the tray from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before inverting the semi-cooked dough onto a chopping board

8. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the dough into rectangles. The size is up to you. I managed to get about 20 good sized rusks.

9. 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

10. 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.

11. Once they are completely dry remove them from the oven and store them in an airtight container.