When I discovered the theme for my recipe swap, I was grateful and relieved in equal measure. While this classic sweet-but-bitter citrus preserve always has a place at my breakfast table, the supply from my enthusiastic jam-making auntie often outstrips the demand. I’ve experimented to a certain degree (spreading it over a pork shoulder, layering in breakfast pots with creamy Greek yoghurt, swirling through brownie batter), but your suggestions have given me a renewed vigour.
In all cases, these recipes have proved to be so much more than the sum of their parts. That characteristic bitterness is just what an indulgent, chocolatey pudding needs to pull it back from the brink of sickly sweet; it pairs perfectly with robust, woody herbs while retaining its character, and, what’s more, a little spike of heat will mean you will be reaching for a spoon at breakfast, lunch and dinner. See this as a chance to think beyond tea and toast.
The winning recipe: Marmalade panna cotta with bay and bourbon
What I loved most about Detoutcoeur Limousin’s panna cotta is that it’s a collection of classic ingredients used to make a crowd-pleasing pudding, but somehow, it tastes exciting and new. It’s creamy, sharp, heady and rich, all in one mouthful, with the warming sweetness of the marmalade giving a good contrast to savoury bay. Using finely shredded marmalade will give a smoother texture.
Makes 6
3 gelatine leaves
250ml double cream
400ml creme fraiche
100ml whole milk
2 bay leaves
150g Seville orange marmalade
Juice and zest of 1 orange, plus extra zest to serve
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp bourbon (optional)
1 Put the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for around 5 minutes, or until they soften.
2 Heat the cream, creme fraiche and milk with the bay leaves and marmalade until it is all just starting to simmer. Remove from the heat and add the zest and juice of an orange and the lemon zest, then simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
3 Remove the gelatine from the water, squeezing to remove any excess, then take the cream mixture off the heat and whisk in the gelatine and bourbon, if using. Remove the bay leaves and leave to cool for about 20-30 minutes before pouring into 250ml ramekins, or other serving dishes. Refrigerate to set for about 3-5 hours, or overnight.
4 Garnish with a bit of extra orange zest on top of each dessert before serving.
Chocolate orange bread pudding
Faye Cooke says this recipe has won over both bread-and-butter pudding and marmalade haters. I’ve served it to both, and concur.
Serves 6
Butter, for greasing
250g stale brioche, sliced thickly
100g marmalade
50g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
2 eggs
2 tbsp caster sugar
Zest of 1 orange
150ml double cream
225ml whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp demerara sugar
Cream or custard, to serve
1 Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3 and grease an ovenproof dish.
2 Make sandwiches with the brioche and marmalade, cut them into triangles and arrange evenly in the dish. Sprinkle over the chocolate.
3 Whisk the eggs and caster sugar together, along with the orange zest, cream, milk and vanilla extract. Pour this over the bread and leave it to soak for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar.
4 Put in the centre of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the pudding has just set. Remove, let it cool slightly and divide into 6 slices. Serve with cream or custard.
Marmalade and turmeric co*cktail
I’ve filed away Fadime Tiskaya’s co*cktail recipe for Christmas; the sharpness of the tonic, lemon and marmalade has a palate-refreshing quality.
Serves 2
40g marmalade
10g fresh turmeric, finely grated
40g rum
200ml orange juice, freshly squeezed
100ml tonic water
4 tbsp lemon juice
6-8 ice cubes
1 Heat the marmalade in small pan with half of the turmeric. Let it cool.
2 Mix everything in a co*cktail shaker or blender really well until it is all combined, then serve. Feel free to sieve for a smoother finish, but I personally like the bits in.
Marmalade and chocolate tart
Look no further than Alice Shields’ gorgeously rich marmalade and chocolate tart for those times when you need a pudding as indulgent as it is fast to throw together.
Serves 8
For the base
400g milk chocolate digestives
100g unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
For the filling
5 tbsp rough cut marmalade
300ml double cream
200g milk chocolate, broken into small chunks
100g dark chocolate, broken into small chunks
1 Grease a 20cm loose bottomed tart tin with butter.
2 Put the biscuits into a food processor and blitz until they resemble breadcrumbs. Add the melted butter and blitz again, until the crumbs start to clump together.
3 Put the biscuit mixture into the greased tart tin. Press down the mixture with the back of a spoon, so that it evenly compacts in the tin and up the sides. Put the base in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour.
4 Once the base has set, spoon in 4 tbsp of the marmalade, and evenly spread it out.
5 Put the chocolate into a large, heat- proof bowl, then pour the cream into a pan and put on a medium heat until it starts to bubble. Remove the cream from the heat and pour gently and slowly over the chocolate. Whisk the cream and chocolate mixture, until all the chocolate has melted, and the mixture comes together.
6 Pour the mixture on top of the tart base, spooning over the last 1 tbsp of marmalade and swirling through when you are done.
7 Put the tart in the fridge to set, for at least 3 hours, before slicing and serving. This keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Chocolate jaffa oat bars
I will confess that one morning Mandy Mazliah’s ode to jaffa cakes were deemed healthy enough for a breakfast on the hoof. Dairy and refined-sugar free (if you buy vegan chocolate), they will be a hit with big kids and toddlers alike as a snack.
Makes 9-12
120g oats
50g nuts (I used hazelnuts)
100g dates, chopped
35ml sunflower oil
Juice and zest of 1 orange
3 tbsp orange marmalade
100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Grease and line the base of a 20cm-square cake tin.
2 Put the oats, nuts, dates, oil, orange juice and zest into a food processor, then pulse until well combined. Spread smoothly over the base of the tin and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until firm and golden brown. Remove and allow to cool completely.
3 Spread the marmalade over the top of the oat cake. Tip the chocolate into a glass bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, and gently melt. Pour the melted chocolate over the top, allow it to cool slightly then pop it in the fridge to set. If you want to avoid the chocolate cracking, remove the cake from the fridge after 30 minutes or so and cut into squares or bars.
Jalapeño lime marmalade
At first, I followed ColonialCravings’ advice and drizzled this over avocado on toast. Now every meal has become its vehicle.
Makes 1 standard jar (about 450g)
6 limes
1 jalapeño pepper
300g sugar
2 tbsp cider vinegar
900ml water
1 Put a small saucer in the freezer. Cut all the skin and pith away from the limes and remove the segments from their membranes. Put the segments and any juice that may have escaped into a large saucepan.
2 Halve the jalapeño pepper lengthways and finely slice it, seeds, membrane and all. Add it to the pan with the sugar, then give it a stir. Mix in the vinegar and water and set the pan, uncovered, over a moderate heat. Bring the mixture to the boil and then allow it to bubble away for 45-60 minutes. You can, very carefully, give it a stir every so often. By this time, the volume should have reduced by about half and the colour should have turned slightly more golden.
3 Test that it has reached setting point by dropping a teaspoonful on to the chilled saucer. Leave it for a minute and then push your finger through it. If it wrinkles then it has reached setting point. If not, let it bubble for a few minutes more before testing again. Pour the mixture into a warm, sterilised jar and seal.
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by noon on Wednesday 14 September. Selected recipes will appear in Cook and online on 24 Sep.
