Double pumpkin rusks
Unusual to use mashed pumpkin for making rusks, but with pumpkin seeds, these rusks are simply a winner! And it makes quite a healthy twist as well. To add the cinnamon, just provides a nice flavour and for stronger spice taste, add mixed spices.
Makes about 90 rusks
1 kg (7 cups) cake flour
45 ml (3 Tbsp) baking powder
5 ml (1 tsp) salt
10 ml (2 tsp) ground cinnamon
150 g (3 cups) All Bran flakes, slightly crushed
100 g sunflower seeds
80 g pumpkin seeds, slightly chopped
400 g (about 1½ cups) mashed pumpkin
300 g butter or margarine
300 g (1½ cups) light brown sugar
250 ml (1 cup) buttermilk or plain, unflavoured yoghurt
250 ml (1 cup) milk
2 extra-large eggs
1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the cinnamon, bran flakes and seeds. Add mashed pumpkin.
2. Melt the butter and sugar together. Whisk the buttermilk, milk and eggs and add, alternately with the melted butter to dry ingredients. Mix well.
3. Turn out into three greased 23 cm loaf pans. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 45 minutes, or until done. Leave in pans for a few minutes to cool. Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
4. Cut into loaf into ten thick slices and then divide each slice into three again (an electric carving knife works well to prevent breaking).
5. Dry out in a cool oven at about 70 °C for 6 – 8 hours, or overnight. Store in an airtight container.
Variation
As alternative to loaf pans, bake in a greased oven pan of about 24 x 34 cm.
Substitute All Bran flakes with digestive bran.
Substitute the light brown sugar with treacle, dark brown sugar.