The South African rusk vs the Italian biscotti

TimesLIVE

19-07-2025

RUSKS AND BISCOTTI
What's an Italian original, the biscotti, doing alongside a proudly South African classic, the rusk? Both, we know are the perfect antidote to the cold, savoured with a cup of coffee and are easy to make. While the foundations may be the same — flour, butter, baking powder, sugar and eggs — the rusks, a thicker cut, after baking take up to four hours to dry out in the oven whereas the slimmer biscotti dries out in 15 minutes.
Both are equally delicious; the rusk can definitely be made to last a mug of coffee taking a first place in dunkability test, whereas a biscotti can be wolfed down in a couple of mouthfuls. The beauty of both recipes is the versatility when it comes to making them. Apart from the basics you can add your fave extra ingredients such as raisins, nuts, coconut or dried cranberries.
MARMALADE RUSKS
As a marmalade maker these are my favourite for using up the jars of the breakfast spread left over from the previous season. If you don't fancy marmalade leave it out, replacing with the equivalent of extra muesli, bran cereal, raisins and seeds — and if too dry, add a little extra buttermilk.
Makes 60-90 depending on size
1kg stone-ground white cake wheat flour
30ml (2 tbsp) baking powder
10ml (2 tsp) salt
500g butter, cubed and at room temperature
165g toasted muesli or use same amount of bran cereal or digestive bran
130g sultanas or raisins or cake fruit mix
325ml (1 1/2 cups) mixed seeds — sunflower, linseed, sesame & pumpkin
40g desiccated coconut
300g brown sugar
2 oranges, finely zested
500ml (2 cups) buttermilk
500ml (2 cups) marmalade
3 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 170°C and grease a 32 x 42cm baking tray.
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it feels like coarse breadcrumbs. Mix in the muesli, sultanas, seeds and coconut.
Place the sugar in a separate bowl and rub in the orange zest. Stir in the buttermilk, marmalade and eggs. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the centre of the flour mixture and stir well using a wooden spoon. Spoon the mixture into the greased baking tray.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean and the sides of the rusks pull slightly away from the tray. They should be golden brown.
Leave to cool slightly, turn out onto a wire rack, then allow to cool completely. Cut into rusks 1-2 cm wide and 6-8 cm long, and spread across two baking trays, with space in between for air to move.
Dry in a 100-120°C oven for 4-6 hours until the rusks are hard. Near the end, watch out that they don't overbake and get too dark. Once they have cooled completely, store the rusks in airtight containers lined with paper towel.
Cook's note
You can also add your favourite nuts, seeds or dried fruit, as long as the overall amount of dry ingredients stays about the same.
Because the marmalade can make the inside of the rusks a bit sticky, it is important to check that the rusk mixture is well baked.
If the orange zest is too tangy for you, you could replace it with candied orange peel.
Recipe and picture credit: Recipes to Live For by Sally Andrews (Penguin Random House) was recently awarded the 2025 Gourmand World Cookbook Award in the Acknowledgements category
Cappuccino biscotti.
Image: Jenny Kay
CAPPUCCINO BISCOTTI
You can added chopped chocolate, dates or preserved ginger to this recipe. Or you can an replace the coffee, liqueur and cinnamon with another flavour like vanilla and add raisins, nuts or cranberries instead.
Makes about 36
125g butter, softened
375ml (1 ½ cups) white sugar
30ml (2 tbsp) strong instant coffee granules
7.5ml (1 ½ tsp) baking powder
5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 extra large eggs
30ml (2 tbsp) coffee liqueur
625ml (2 ½ cups) cake wheat flour
Extra egg, lightly beaten for glazing
Beat the butter in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer. Add the sugar, coffee granules, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Beat until well combined.
Beat in the eggs and liqueur. Add the sifted flour. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a log about 30cm long. Place the logs about 7cm apart on a large baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Brush each log with beaten egg. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Reduce oven temperature to 140°C.
Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet set on a wire rack. Transfer one log at a time to a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1cm thick slices.
Place the slices cut side down on the baking sheet. Return slices to the oven for another 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through the baking time.
Remove and cool on wire racks.