Biscuits and rusks to bake and donate

Bake todonate

Donating to a good cause doesn’t always have to be in the form of money. You can give some of your time and bake delicious biscuits and rusks to drop off at a care facility or organisation close to your heart . a small treat to show people a little love and appreciation will go a long way.

by TANI KIRSTEN photos ED OʼRILEY

CRUNCHIES THAT CARE

These biscuits are perfectly balanced to curb any craving for something sweet, without tons of sugar. And perfect to drop off or hand out as an unexpected gift.

Makes: about 80 Preparation time: 30 minutes Oven temperature: 180 oC Baking time: 8-10 minutes

♥ 4 x 250ml (400g) rolled oats ♥ 180ml (60g) desiccated coconut ♥ 250ml (230g) baking margarine or butter, softened ♥ 250ml (350g) golden syrup ♥ 250ml (140g) cake flour ♥ 10ml baking powder ♥ 10ml vanilla essence ♥ 1ml salt ♥ 80g milk chocolate, chopped

1 Combine all the ingredients except the chocolate in a food processor. Pulse to combine. For finer oats, pulse a few more times. If you donʼt have a food processor, simply mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. 2 Roll a teaspoonful of the mixture into a ball. Place onto a lined baking sheet and flatten with the palm of your hand. Do this with all the mixture. The dough doesnʼt spread, but it is best to leave a 1,5-2cm space between biscuits for even baking. 3 Bake in a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden. Cool completely on a wire cooling rack. 4 Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until melted, stirring between each 10-second burst. Spread a little chocolate onto the bottom of each biscuit and allow to set. Store in an airtight container.

CONDENSED MILK BISCUITS

A delicious, soft-eating biscuit that is perfect as is, or you can add your own flavours, if you prefer.

Makes: about 80 Preparation time: 30 minutes Oven temperature: 160 oC Baking time: 10-12 minutes

♥ 500g baking margarine or butter ♥ 135ml (150g) castor sugar ♥ 1 x 385g tin condensed milk ♥ 5ml vanilla essence ♥ 5 x 250ml (700g) self-raising flour

FLAVOURS TO ADD ♥ 100g choc chips ♥ 100g slivered almonds ♥ 120g chopped dried fruit ♥ 120g chopped soft toffee

1 Beat the margarine or butter and castor sugar until creamy. 2 Add the condensed milk and vanilla essence and beat slowly to combine. 3 Add half the flour and stir slowly to combine. Add the remaining flour and stir until just combined. 4 Add the flavour of your choice, or divide the dough into two or more parts and add a different flavour to each one, reducing the amount of flavourant accordingly. Stir through and put the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes. 5 Roll spoonfuls of dough into balls and flatten with the palm of your hand. Alternatively, roll the dough into a log with a 4-5cm diameter using wax paper. Freeze for at least 2 hours then cut into 0,5cm slices. 6 Place on a lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until just browning around the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before cooling on a wire rack.

BRAN AND COCONUT RUSKS

Everyone's favourite with their morning tea or coffee!

Makes: about 80 Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus drying time Oven temperature: 180 oC Baking time: 1 hour

♥ 500g baking margarine ♥ 375ml (315g) brown sugar ♥ 500ml buttermilk ♥ 3 large eggs ♥ 1kg self-raising flour ♥ 15ml baking powder ♥ 4 x 250ml (300g) bran flakes breakfast cereal, crushed ♥ 250ml (50g) coconut flakes ♥ 250ml (150g) sunflower seeds

1 Melt the margarine and sugar together. Set aside to cool slightly, then mix in the buttermilk and eggs. 2 Mix the remaining ingredients together and stir to combine well. 3 Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the buttermilk mixture. Stir the dry ingredients in from the sides until just combined. 4 Roll into golf ball size balls and place in 2 greased oven roasting dishes or large rectangular baking tins. Bake for 1 hour in a preheated oven. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 100 oC. 5 Remove from the baking dishes. Use two forks to pull the pieces apart, place onto 2 large baking sheets and dry, with the oven door slightly ajar, for 6 hours or overnight. Store in an airtight container.