These vegan aniseed rusks use a rich, yeast-leavened dough that is flavoured with aniseed. They are delicious eaten fresh or dried.
I’ve already written about how much South Africans love rusks in my Buttermilk and Oat rusk recipe. Although the variety of rusks are nearly endless, most rusks fall into one of two broad categories. The first category uses baking powder and typically contains buttermilk. The consistency of the dough is thinner and more like a batter than a bread dough. These rusks are cut into fingers after baking.
The second category uses yeast for rising. They are formed into balls before baking in a loaf tin, and the loaves are torn into rusks after baking. The most common type of these rusks is aniseed rusks – and that is what we are making today.
Making the dough
The recipe starts with making an enriched dough. It is important to get the hydration (how wet the dough is) right. If it is too wet, it is difficult to shape. If it is too dry the texture of the final rusk will not be as delicate. Flours are different, so you may have to fine-tune the quantities I have given to suit what you are working with. You are looking to form a dough that is soft but not sticky. If you can form the dough into a smooth, glossy ball, you are on the right track. Knead the dough for 10-12 minutes to ensure that the gluten in the dough develops.
Once the dough is smooth and elastic, you will let the dough rise for the first time. You want to dough to roughly double. It should take about an hour if it is rising in a warm place.
Now is the fun part – shaping the rusks. First divide the dough in half – you will be making two loaves. Pinch off a piece of dough roughly the size of a golf ball, and roll it to form a cylinder. Stand up the cylinder in the loaf tin. Repeat this, placing the cylinders to form rows of three. Repeat with the second loaf tin. Cover the rusks and let them rise for the second time.
The rusks are then ready to bake. You are looking for a nice golden brown colour when they are done. The glazing is optional, but it does add a nice touch.
Ingredients and substitutions
Cashew nuts: The cashew nuts give a lovely rich, buttery flavour to the dough. Traditional recipes would use butter, and while the coconut oil does add the fat content, I feel the flavour of the cashews adds a lot of character. For a nut-free version, omit the cashews and increase the coconut oil.
Aniseed: Aniseed is a mediterranean spice with a mild, licorice flavour. While star anise is commonly recommended as a substitute, in this application I think your best bet for a substitute with a similar flavour is caraway seed. If you can’t find either of these spices – or if you don’t like the taste of aniseed – add some vanilla or even almond essence.
Aniseed Rusks
Equipment
- two loaf tins
Ingredients
- 100 g cashew nuts
- 100 g coconut oil
- 2 cups soy milk
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 packet yeast (10g per packet)
- 5 cups flour
- 2 tsp Anisseed
For the glaze
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp apricot jam
Instructions
- Soak the cashews for a hour in water to soften (or boil them for five minutes). Blend the cashews with half the soy milk until smooth
- In a small saucepan, heat the remaining soy milk, and add the coconut oil and sugar, and stir until the coconut oil is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Don't boil the mix (you don't want the dough to be too hot when adding the yeast)
- Remove the milk/sugar/oil mix from the heat and add the blended cashews. Check that the mixture is not too hot (it should be warm but not hot), and add the yeast.
- Add the flour to a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer). Add the salt and anisseed.
- Add the liquid to the flour mix and knead for 10 minutes. I use the dough hook of my stand mixer.
- The dough should be smooth, soft and elastic. Cover, and let the dough rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
- Prepare two small loaf tins (I spray them with cooking spray).
- Divide the dough into two (one half for each loaf tin)
- Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into a cylinder, and place into the loaf tin. Keep doing this, forming rows of three dough cylidners.
- Let the dough rise in the tins until doubled, again about 30-45 minutes.
- Bake the rusks at 180°C for 35-40 minutes. You want the tops to be a fairly dark golden brown
- Let the rusk loaves cool in the tins for a few minutes, then turn them out, and let them cool a little more. When the loaves are still warm, tear the loaves into rusks. You should at least have one or two fresh warm rusks.
- To dry the rusks, place them in a low oven, about 90°C/194°F for 3-4 hours, then turn of the oven and leave them in the warm oven overnight.
Vegan pannekoek
This vegan pannekoek (pancakes) recipe has a secret ingredient that gives it great flavour and a rich texture. The pancakes taste exactly like traditional South African pancakes but are dairy and egg-free. So what is the secret ingredient? Mung beans! At the moment I am borderline obsessed with how these magic lentils mimic eggs in certain recipes. I’ve tried other egg-free vegan pannekoek recipes, and they were just not the same. This recipe is not only a good vegan recipe, it is so good I would recommend it to anyone. The batter is much easier to work with. This version is an absolute joy and it is definitely worth getting your hands on the mung beans. I will be posting more recipes using these soon!
These pancakes are similar to English pancakes, crepes and Dutch pannenkoeken. However, I have formulated this recipe to give the thickness and consistency of South African pannekoek.
Pannekoek in South Africa
South African pannekoek are thin – much thinner than American pancakes. They are a little thicker than a crepe, and also contain baking powder, which traditional crepes don’t have.
Pannekoek on a rainy day is a common family tradition. It has to be actually raining, not just cold or overcast! Then it is time to make a big batch of batter, and start making pancakes. This often involved juggling multiple pans, and taking turns at the stove, while the family gathers in the kitchen, eating fresh pancakes as they are made. If you have more self-control, you can make a giant stack of these pancakes before sitting down for a treat.
They are also a traditional staple of church bazaars, school fairs, and other community events. You will often spot a little pannekoek stand outside a supermarket. A pannekoek, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and then rolled up, is very festival or street food friendly.
Key ingredients for vegan pannekoek
Ok, let’s first talk about the elephant in the room (bean in the batter?). The idea to use mung beans is from the US based egg replacer Just Egg, which is based on mung beans. This is not available in South Africa as far as I know, but why not go to the source? For this recipe, you want the yellow split mung beans. Look for these at an Asian grocer (I found them online). I have not tried these with the green bung beans. It may well work, but the colour will be a bit off. The yellow ones give a very egg like experience when blended.
The other ingredients are pretty standard. I replaced the milk with soy milk, but any plant milk will work. Most pancake recipes include a little vinegar. This is supposed to keep them from being rubbery. I think it probably also balances the flavour a bit.
Equipment
For this recipe, you will need a blender to blend the mung beans. You also need a good pan. My go to for this is a non-stick crepe pan (a crepe pan has a very shallow rim, making it easier to flip). This is not absolutely necessary, but it is nice. It is usually nice to have two pans on the go at a time, because it can take a while to bake a batch.
Tips
When making the batter, don’t add all the liquid at once. it is easier to get a lump free batter when the batter is thicker. Most recipes indicate that the batter should rest for about 30 minutes, although I have not found this to be necessary for this recipe. The final batter should be thin enough to easily coat the pan with a little tilting of the pan. Don’t be afraid to add a little water to the batter if it feels too thick. You want to very lightly oil the pan between pancakes. I use cooking spray, but you can keep an oiled paper towel handy, and give the pan a quick wipe. The lore says the first pancake will always flop, so don’t panic if it happens! The next one will work.
Serving pannekoek
The traditional way to serve pannekoek is to make a big stack on a plate, and then sprinkle the top one with cinnamon sugar, give it a little squeeze of lemon juice, and roll the pancake.
They can also be filled with savoury fillings, but I am definitely more of a sweet pannekoek person. Also, while other things like chocolate spreads, jam and sauces are great fillings, I feel that is more crepe territory.
Other South African recipes to try
Vegan buttermilk and oat rusks
Vegan pannekoek
Equipment
- crepe pan or other good shallow frying pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry mung beans
- 1 cup soy milk to blend with the mung beans
- 2 cup flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1¼ cup soy milk to thin the batter
- 2 tsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Soak the mung beans for at least an hour, or overnight
- In a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt and baking powder.
- Blend the mung beans with the soy milk until smooth (There are two quantities of soy milk in the recipe – the first one is to blend with the mung beans)
- Add the blended mung beans to the flour, and whisk until the batter is lump free.
- Slowly add the rest of the soy milk (listed separately in the ingredient list)
- Add the sugar, vinegar, and melted coconut oil.
- Slowly add the water, whisking to mix.
- You can let the batter rest for 30 minutes at this point, but I don't find that it is necessary with this recipe.
- Heat a pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray, or wipe with some paper towel soaked in oil.
- Add a ladleful of batter to the pan, and tilt the pan to allow the batter to cover the entire pan with a thin layer. It should be a little thicker than a crepe. If the pancakes seem too thick, add a little more water to the batter.
- Put the finished pancakes on a plate and keep warm. Keep stacking pancakes until the batter is finished. You may find that the pancakes dissappear while you bake. If that happens, make the eater take a turn at the pan and have a few yourself
- Serve with cinnamon sugar and lemon wedges.
Nutrition
Vegan Bobotie
This vegan bobotie recipe has all the flavor of the original South African bobotie. It is spicy, fragrant and delicious. It is a special dish, so if you are in the mood to try something unique, this is the dish for you.
What is Bobotie?
Bobotie is a traditional South African casserole. A few key elements define this dish: A sweet, savory, spicy filling that is bound with bread soaked in milk. Traditionally, this filling is made with ground beef or lamb. It is spiced with a generous amount of cinnamon, turmeric, and cloves. The spiciness is balanced with sweetness, The sweetness from jam or chutney, raisins, and even apples.
This filling is bound together with bread soaked in milk, giving it a slightly creamy texture and prevents the topping from soaking into the filling. Lastly, the dish traditionally topped with a savory custard and is decorated with bay leaves
How to make a healthy, plant based bobotie?
I found this dish pretty easy to adapt since there are so many components that add flavor to the dish that replacing the meat doesn’t affect the flavor that much. I’ve replaced the ground beef with a lentil and walnut combination. The topping was a bit trickier. I considered a blended tofu-based topping, but for this version I decided on a fluffy chickpea flour batter, flavored with turmeric. It is visually spot on, and it brings the dish together in terms of flavor and texture.
In my family, Bobotie is served with yellow rice, simple tomato and onion sambal, toasted desiccated coconut, fresh sliced banana, and chutney. I can really recommend going for the full spread. If you live outside South Africa, you may not be able to find the exact equivalent of the chutneys we enjoy here, but look for one that is sweet and fruity and you should be on the right track.
Yellow rice is simply rice cooked with turmeric, sticks of cinnamon, and raisins. While traditional recipes would add some butter and sugar. I add just a little brown sugar and rely on the raisins for sweetness.
Vegan Bobotie
Ingredients
- 1½ cup dry lentils
- 2 onions
- 3 carrots
- ¾ cup walnuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼-½ tsp ground cloves The upper range will give you a strong clove flavour, which I enjoy
- 1½ tsp allspice
- 2 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 apples grated
- 3 tablespoons apricot jam
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 slices wholewheat bread soaked in almond milk
- 1 lemon juice and zest
For the topping
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2-3 Bay leaves optional, for decoration
Instructions
- Boil the lentils for 20-25 minutes until cooked
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 360°F
- Finely chop the onion in a food processor.
- Saute the chopped onion until soft and translucent
- While the onions are cooking, process the walnuts and carrots to a breadcrumb texture
- Add the carrot mix to the pan with the onions. Saute for a few minutes.
- Add the spices and garlic.
- Process the cooked lentils. Don’t let them get too fine.
- Add the lentils to the pot.
- Add the grated apple, apricot jam, raisins and soy sauce. Cook the mixture over low heat for a few minutes. Add lemon juice and adjust seasoning.
- Meanwhile, soak the bread in a little almond milk. Mash the bread with a fork and add to the mixture. Yes, this seems weird but it is important to the texture of the dish.
- Put your lentil mixture in a casserole dish. You want to create a fairly smooth surface and pack things fairly tightly, or the topping will sink into the gaps.
- Now, make the topping. Mix all the dry ingredients, and then slowly mix in the almond milk to form a smooth batter.
- Pour on top of the lentil mix in the casserole
- Decorate with bay leaves or cloves
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until the topping is puffed and golden.