Knitwit bran rusks

Marietjie's mum enjoyed sewing and during the 80's she attended Knitwit classes for home dressmakers, which taught quick and easy ways to work with knit and stretch fabrics. They also exchanged fast and easy recipes, and this recipe was known as Knitwit Bran Rusks.

The first version of the recipe is for a very small batch of sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seed bran rusks, baked in a 200 mm square cake pan. Of course you can easily double the recipe (and bake it in a larger pan).

The second version is the original family-sized sunflower seed and bran rusk recipe, which is baked in a Swiss roll pan.

Ingredients

Marietjie’s small batch of seed and bran Knitwit rusks

  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sesame seeds
  • 125 gram butter
  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon (4 ml) salt
  • 250 ml ultra pasteurised cream (Ultramel cream in South-Africa, Anchor long life cream in NZ)
  • 3 cups (750 ml) wheat bran
  • 2 cups (500 ml) self-raising flour

Original Knitwit bran rusks

  • 6 cups (1.5 litre) wheat bran
  • 4 cups (1 litre) self-raising flour
  • 1½ cup (375 ml) brown sugar
  • 1½ teaspoon (7 ml) salt
  • 500 ml ultra pasteurised cream (Ultramel cream in South-Africa, 2 x 250 ml Anchor long life cream in NZ)
  • 1 cup (250 ml) sunflower seed
  • 250 gram butter or margarine

Method

  1. If you are using seeds, soak them in a cup filled almost to the brim with water, for 3 to 8 hours, at room temperature. Rinse well and drain.
  2. Melt butter (in the microwave oven is fine), add sugar, salt and long life cream and mix well.
  3. Add the wheat bran and self-raising flour and mix well. Knead lightly.
  4. Press into a lightly greased pan. Use a small pan (approximately 200 mm x 200 mm) for the smaller batch, or a Swiss roll or oven pan for the original recipe.
  5. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes in an oven preheated to 170°C.
  6. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into fingers and dry overnight in a slow oven, between 80°C to 100°C.

Notes

We pre-soak the seeds for 3 to 8 hours to release toxic enzyme inhibitors, making it healthier and more digestible. Ultra pasteurised cream tastes good, but you can also use fresh cream.