In the Kitchen with Gram...Swedish Rusks!

Turns out this recipe is my grandma's grandma's...which makes it my Great-great Grandma's recipe! Cool, huh?

Let me tell you something...a rusk appears to be some sort of middle ground between a cookie and biscotti. Crisp and delicious, but not quite as dense as biscotti. And dunked in coffee?

I die.

Anyway, let me show you how it's done!

Slivered almonds, chopped up just a bit...you'll need this in a bit.

Butter and sugar, cream 'em together!

A couple of eggs. (Does it make anyone else gag when you first start to mix eggs into a creamed mixture? It's all slimy and chunky and *shudder*...let's move on.)

Now, the recipe called for sour cream...but Gram decided to sour some cream, whatever floats your boat will work!

Alternately mix in your dry ingredients with your wet. Flour:

Salt and soda:

Now a little cream:

And the almond extract, whose photo mysteriously disappeared from my camera.

When it's all incorporated, add in the almonds:

The dough will be thick and sticky:

Divide it into precisely 6 parts. Or, you know, roughly 6 parts. ;) And shape the dough into long, skinny logs about 15 inches long...ours were just shy of 15 inches.

Then, the first round of baking...when they're fresh out of the oven, slice them into 3/4 inch strips:

And spread them apart on the sheet,

Then back into the oven they go for about 20 minutes (up to 30, our first batch got a bit dark at 24 minutes, we found 20 to be about right.).

Before and after. Yum.

  
Serve 'em up with coffee, because coffee and Swedish Rusks go together like...um, like...nuts and bolts? Er...nevermind. Just trust me on this.

Now, trust me on this, also...have a little Nutella layin' around? Try this:

And then this:

And yes, you're welcome.

Enjoy!

Gram's Swedish Rusks

Printable Recipe

1 c. softened butter

1 3/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

5 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. almond extract

1 c. sour cream

1 c. slivered almonds, chopped coarsely

Preheat oven to 350*F. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Mix in remaining ingredients (except for almonds), alternating dry and wet ingredients. Lastly, mix in almonds. Divide dough into 6 parts, shape into 15" logs on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes. While still warm, diagonally slice logs into 3/4" slices, spread out on baking pan and bake for another 20-30 minutes (try 20 first).

Serve with hot coffee and a spread of Nutella! Or, just eat 'em as they are...sooooo delicious!