Orange juice rusks (lemoenbeskuit)

Orange juice rusks have a refreshing citrus flavour, and are ideal for people with lactose-intolerance when made with dairy free margarine.

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg self-raising flour
  • 2 cups (400 gram) sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon (7 ml) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
  • 500 gram butter or dairy free margarine
  • 2 ½ cups (625 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
  • Zest of at least 2 oranges
  • 2 extra large (number 7) eggs

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Grease oven pan.
  2. Sift together self-raising flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  3. Rub butter and lemon zest into the flour mixture.
  4. Whisk egg and orange juice together. Add to flour mixture and knead into a soft dough.
  5. Spoon the dough into the greased oven pan, or form into small balls which you can place tightly against each other.
  6. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until golden (you can use a skewer to test it; when it comes out clean, the rusks are done).
  7. Cool slightly before turning the tin out and let it cool down.
  8. Slice the bread into slices and cut into fingers (or break pieces
    apart).
  9. Place on a drying rack and dry in oven at 80°C until the rusks are dry.
  10. Let it cool completely and store in an air-tight container.