Crunchies from South Africa

Along with buttermilk rusks, Crunchies are a classic South African sweet treat to enjoy with a cup of hot coffee or tea. This quick and easy recipe makes a healthy snack that is ideal to put in your kids’ school lunches.  You can leave out the dried apricot and raisins as that isn’t in the traditional recipe.  I just like to add it in to give my Crunchies something extra.  What I have also done in the past is add on a layer of melted chocolate after they’ve come out of the oven but that makes them too irresistible and not as healthy.

180g butter

2 cups oats

1 cup desiccated coconut

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch of salt

Handful of raisins or sultanas

Handful of chopped dried apricots

Preheat the oven to 180 ºC.

Melt the butter and honey together.  Add the bicarbonate of soda and stir until it froths.  Add in the cinnamon, ginger, salt, raisins and dried apricots.  Mix in the rest of the dry ingredients.

Use the heel of your hand to flatten the mixture out on a greased baking tray.  Press down firmly so that it is quite compacted.  (If you make them as individual cookies then you have created Anzac cookies.)

Cook at 180ºC for 20-30 minutes.  Allow to cool a little and then cut into squares.  Only remove when completely hardened.

Cindy Vine is a South African author and teacher currently living in Ukraine.  She is the author of Hush Baby, The Colorful Art of Pain, Defective and The Case of Billy B.  All her books are available on Amazon in both kindle and print format.