If you grew up on a diet of your mom’s crunchies and rusks, you’ll love our ode to local treats with these delicious crunchie rusks!

MAKES 20 // COOKING TIME 20 min

INGREDIENTS
4 cups oats
3 cups desiccated coconut
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
250 g butter
1½ cups sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
¾ cup buttermilk
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 170°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Combine oats, coconut, flour, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the centre and set aside.
3. Place butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pot. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
4. Mix buttermilk and bicarb. Add this and the melted sugar mixture to the dry ingredients.
5. Spread out the mixture in the baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
6. Leave to cool slightly, then cut into triangles. Reduce the oven to 100°C. Place the rusks back in for 2 hours to dry out slightly.
7. Switch off the oven and leave the crunchie rusks in for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to dry out completely.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

With winter on its way, now is the perfect time to get into baking! And what better way to start than with homemade buttermilk rusks?