Muesli Rusks

I don't know where rusks originally came from - I think the Dutch brought them - or something similar -  to South Africa years ago. My memories of eating rusks involve crunching them on holiday in South Africa, eating them early in the morning in Nyanga, even trying Aunty Heather's rusks in Bindura when I was a kid. 

Here is my mom's recipe (with a few healthier substitutions) - the ones that taste like home, and it uses our homemade muesli recipe. . But you can use anything - oats, seeds, coconut, nuts, bran....be creative :)

Mix together:

1C melted marg/butter

1C applesauce

3/4C sugar

1 egg

1C lacto/buttermilk

In a separate bowl mix:

3 & 3/4C self-raising flour

1 tsp salt

2 1/2tsp baking powder

2 1/2 C muesli

Add the wet and dry mixture together - mixture will be sloppy.

Grease a 13x9" pan and plop the mixture into large balls in the pan (fit's about 12 balls).

Bake on 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until golden and a knife comes out clean.

Remove from oven and break or cut each ball into thin strips. Lay the strips on baking trays and place in the oven on low to become dry and crisp. (I usually leave them in the oven like this for a few hours and then turn the oven off, go to bed and let them dry in the oven)