Process the carrots and sweet potatoes (or zucchini, butternut and apples) in a food processor until very fine. This recipe makes quite a big batch and you will have to do it in sections, i.e. don’t try to chop all the vegetables at once. With the last batch processed, I add the spices and coconut oil AT THE END (otherwise it does not chop finely enough). If you are including the optional ingredients, also add these at the end and process lightly to make sure it mixes in properly.

Put the mixture in a large container (I use my 11 litre broth pot) and add the shredded coconut and mix well. It is often easier with big batches like this to mix everything together with your hands instead of a spoon.

Put the mixture in glass or ceramic oven dishes and flatten lightly. It must not be thicker than 1.5cm or thinner than 1cm.

Cut it into blocks or strips (for rusks) BEFORE you bake it. This ensures a neater square.

Bake at 150C for 2 hours or until slightly golden on top.

After the cookies have cooled down, use an egg lifter to remove it from the dish. It will look soggy, which is fine. Turn it over on your dehydrator sheets with the top, hard-baked side of the cookie facing down (this prevents it from sticking to your sheets). Dry at 65C for about 24 hours until crunchy. It can also be dried in the oven on 80C by putting your oven on the fan setting and leaving a knife or fork in the oven door to ensure that the moisture escapes.

Store in an airtight container.