Norwegian Rusks Recipes

SWEDISH ALMOND RUSKS

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in extract. Sift together flour, cardamom and baking soda; add alternately with sour cream to creamed mixture. Fold in almonds. Divide dough into 6 parts; shape into logs (like refrigerated cookie dough). Place 3 each on 2 greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes or until light brown. , Remove logs to cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice logs diagonally 1/2 in. thick. Place cookies on sheets; return to oven and bake until light brown. Cool; store in tightly covered containers.

SCANDINAVIAN RUSKS

Steps:

• Proof the yeast in 1/2 cup of the lukewarm milk, with 1 teaspoon of the sugar.
• When you have a yeast sponge, add the rest of the milk, sugar, and soft butter. Stir in the flour, cup by cup, until you have a dough that you can knead. Work until smooth and shiny, then place in a large buttered bowl, cover with a towel and put in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
• Take the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, knead for a few minutes and roll into ropes, about 2" thick. Break off pieces, about the size of an egg, and shape into little round buns.
• Place these on buttered baking sheets, cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
• Bake in the oven until they are pale gold, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Cool on a rack.
• After they have cooled, use a big fork to slice the top half off each bun. Place both tops and bottoms on a baking sheet; they can be rather close together.
• Bake in a 400 degrees oven until light brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let them get crisp.
• Let cool completely before eating.
• These will keep crisp and fresh for a long time. If they do get soggy, put them back in a low oven and let them crisp again.

GRANDMA SALLY'S SWEDISH RUSKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• Beat sugar, shortening, and milk together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Mix flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt together in a bowl. Add to the wet ingredients in batches, mixing after each addition until incorporated. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Cut cake into three 3-inch strips lengthwise and thirteen 1-inch strips crosswise for a total of 39 pieces. Lay pieces on their sides on 2 cookie sheets. Sprinkle the top sides of the cookies with 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar.
• Bake rusks in the 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip rusks, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 more minutes.

SPICED INDIAN RUSKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Line a 8-in. square baking pan with parchment, letting ends extend up sides. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, whisk remaining ingredients; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Transfer to prepared pan., Bake until edges pull away from the sides, or a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30-32 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Lifting with parchment, remove from pan. Transfer to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut into fourteen 4x1-in. slices. Place on baking sheets, cut side down., Bake until golden brown, 8-10 minutes on each side. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

KAVRING (SMALL SUGAR RUSKS)

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar.
• Add slightly beaten egg, then the milk and lastly, the dry ingredients which have been sifted together- Stir as little as possible.
• turn dough out onto floured board, shape into small buns and bake about 10 minutes in a hot oven.
• When done, cut each roll in half and return to oven.
• Bake in a slow oven until brown.

SOUTH AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RUSKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line a high-rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, letting the paper overhang the sides for easy removal.
• Combine flour, ground All-Bran®, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and mix in cream. Add flour mixture and mix until well combined.
• Spread out batter into the prepared baking sheet and use a knife to cut into slices; this will make removing the rusks easier once baked.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes. Reduce heat to 160 degrees F (70 degrees C) and leave rusks in the low temperature oven for 4 hours to dry. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
• Cut into 80 slices.