RUSKS - The-Scandinavian-Way

My Norwegian grandmother most always had rusks in a tin container on her cupboard. They tasted so good with a cup of tea or a glass of milk.

Several years back, during our phone conversation, my uncle Orin mentioned to me that he hadn't had a rusk for a long time; he said that he had memories of that tin container in his mom's kitchen that was most always filled with them. Well, I decided to bake some rusks and send them to him (he lived in Florida - I lived in South Dakota).

A few days after I mailed the package, he called me. The package had arrived! He was ecstatic! He and my Aunt Flo had eaten (and enjoyed) some rusks and they loved them! Their joy and appreciation made my efforts all worthwhile.

Lately I've been remembering and craving rusks myself, so I baked a batch. Sadly, both Orin and Flo have passed away, but I'll think of them when I have tea and rusks today.

If you'd like the recipe for rusks... here it is! I hope you enjoy them as much as we all do.

INGREDIENTS: 1 ¼ cups white sugar ½ cup milk ½ cup sour cream ½ cup butter 2 large eggs 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp salt 1 tsp almond extract ½ cup slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Combine sugar, shortening almond extract, sour cream and milk and mix in a large bowl until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, almonds, cinnamon and salt. Gradually mix with wet mixture stirring well after each addition. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven until 45 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean from center). Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Cut into 3-inch strips lengthwise and 1-inch crosswise. Run knife around the edges to loosen.

Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees.

Lay pieces on cookie sheets. Place in 250 degree oven for 22 minutes. Take out of oven, Turn pieces over and return to oven for another 22 minutes.

The green crock bowl and the tea pot belonged to my Mom. The demitasse spoons were Fern's (the lady Dad married after Mom passed).