Sweet potato rusks

Preheat the oven to 180 ºC (350 ºF). Grease two 34 x 11 x 7 cm tins with margarine. Sift the cake flour and salt together, add the sugar, aniseed and instant yeast and mix. Rub in the margarine with your fingertips until well blended. Mix the eggs and sweet potato together with the lukewarm water. Add to the mixture and knead well for at least 15 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to your hands. (Add more water if necessary.) Cover the dish with a greased sheet of plastic and leave for about 10 minutes in a warm place. Shape into balls if desired, and arrange in the prepared tins. Alternatively, punch the dough down slightly, divide in two and place each half of the dough in the prepared tins. Cover with a sheet of greased plastic and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk. Bake for about 35-45 minutes or until done. Mix the 5 ml sugar with the 15 ml milk and brush the crust with the mixture. Return the rusks to the oven for another 5 minutes. Cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Break into balls or cut into fingers, arrange on baking trays and dry out at 100 ºC (200 ºF).
Makes 80 rusks.