I was unsure whether or not to go to the trouble of making marmalade this year. I have been trying to cut down on the amount of bread I eat, would need to go out of my way to buy Seville oranges and it can be a messy and time consuming business after all, for me anyway 😆. And yet, there is something about the whole process I find enjoyable, the finished product is absolutely delicious, and at least some of the jars could be gifted.
Last Saturday I had every intention of going out for a snowdrop walk but by mid-morning it was clear the wind and rain had set in for the day. It was then that I decided my initial plans would be best kept for another time. A quick trip out to the supermarket and I was soon in the kitchen slicing, juicing and shredding to my heart's content. As I lay the halved oranges on the chopping board I couldn't resist taking a photograph. The vibrant orange colour was in sharp contrast to the grey gloomy view from the window.
After juicing the oranges and scraping out the pith, the peel was shredded and added to the pan. The gently simmering mixture now filling the house with the most delicious aroma. Even Lily commented how nice it was, although you'd never catch her eating marmalade!
At the end of the process I added some brandy to the pan before ladling into eight sterilised jars to cool. The link to the recipe I use is here.
Am I glad I changed my mind and made some marmalade? Definitely. One of the jars has already been given away and I have enjoyed some of it myself, spread thickly on buttered toast. I also used some to bake this marmalade cake which is sooo good. It's deliciously light and sticky, and VERY moreish.
For this I used :
120g Butter
100g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
120g Plain Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
3 Tablespoons Marmalade
2 Tablespoons Milk
Beat together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring in flour and baking powder with each, finally adding the marmalade and milk. Mix well, then pour into a lined loaf tin.
Bake at 150° for around twenty minutes, then cover with foil and return to the oven for a further 30 minutes.
Allow to cool in the tin, then drizzle with a mixture of 60g icing sugar, 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of marmalade.
J. X
