Marmalade(2) - Seville Orange Marmalade using whole oranges

I still have a couple of batches of Marmalade to make and thought this method might help those new to Marmalade making, as it can be done  at a leisurely pace over a day or two.

I have frozen my remaining oranges, but believe that you can still purchase them.  Your local green grocer or market might be the best place to look, and there are some available from online food shops, the season is nearly at the end, so if you want to make marmalade, you need to get going this week.

I used the same quantities of ingredients as in the first batch, you can find the recipe here.

Please note I used preserving sugar, not jam sugar.  I accidentely bought some jam sugar, and used it in one batch.... the marmalade was horrible, gloopy and generally very unpleasant, as it looked really cloudy. (This is one reason to make small batches, I'd rather not throw anything away, but if I have to 1kg of oranges is less dreadful then 2kgs)

Rather then juicing and cutting up the oranges, I put them whole into 2 litres of water.  Once the boil was reached, I simmered them for just over 2 hours.  Then I turned the heat of and allowed them to cool. (At this stage  they could be left overnight.)

I took them out of the water, and then I sliced them as before, retaining the pips and pith.  Having run out of butter muslin I used a new j-cloth and wrapped the pip and pith in it.  I also kept the juice.  I added my cloth and the juice to the water and boiled for 15 minutes, reducing some more. (I was looking for about 1/2 my original liquid.)

In the meantime I chopped up the orange skin.

I then removed the j-cloth, squeezing as much juice as I could from the bundle.

Finally I added the peel and the sugar, reached a boil and tested for a set.  The marmalade is delicious, but as you can see the pieces of peel are slightly too long, so in the  next batch I will cut  them smaller.

Still, it makes  a very tasty breakfast, coffee, homemade bread , butter and a lovely layer of marmalade.

Home made Soda bread, butter and marmalade

I use a large preserving pan

The oranges boiling

They do look beautiful once they have boiled for a while

Half the oranges

Scoop out the insides

Chop up the skin

An 'emergency' butter muslin bag!

Adding the chopped peel

And sugar

Testing for a set

Just making sure!

Perfect

Breakfast, or an ideal day time snack

Mmmm!

NB  I believe Google Friends Connect is disappearing in the next few days.  Should this be the case, and you want to continue following my foodie musings,  then you can find me on Twitter.  Several of my friends have signed up for the email alerts, the link is on this page, and each time I post they get an email to let them know, which seems like a good idea.  I am going to sign up for this link on the blogs I follow, when the link goes.

St Valentine's Day Fairy Cakes

I made these with my little girl for her friends at school.  We were away for St Valentine's Day (here), and had taken these to school on the Friday before half term.  (I know it's a little late to post, but they are so jolly I thought you might like to see them.)

We baked the fairy cakes using a  simple Victoria Sandwich Mixture, and we added a lot of red food colouring!

We then made a simple glace icing, with even more red food colouring and covered the cakes.

All they then needed was a little heart on a chocolate disc, and a love token.

I packaged them each in an individual bag tied with ribbon.

The other little girls all enjoyed them.

I bought the cake cases in John Lewis, and in Waitrose

Very red icing

A mini decorating line

We put wrapped chocolate hearts on some

They looked very pretty wrapped and ready to go

I just love the little tokens,
and I'm looking out for some Easter themed ones.

Simple Salmon Steaks with Marmite! (and sweet chilli)

Occasionally I do try out a recipe from a supermarket recipe card.  This delicious Salmon steak came from a Waitrose card that I picked up in January.  You can find the recipe on line  here.

I was intrigued as Marmite was a key ingredient, and I do love Marmite.

The first time I cooked this I found that there was not enough sauce, so the second time I doubled all the ingredients in the marinade.  I served it on a bed of brown rice, with a layer of finely chopped leeks which I had cooked in a little butter and allowed to steam until soft.

I tried the sauce with white fish and prawns.  I'm not sure it was great with the white fish, but will certainly be cooking prawns like this in the future.

If you are stocking up on salmon steaks for the freezer, this is a great store cupboard standby "Simple Supper."

I used Alaskan wild salmon steaks

I doubled the ingredients to prepare three steaks

I'm not keen on lots of chilli, my husband and son
both said it could have benefited from more!

Mixing the marinade

I left the steaks for over 1/2 hour

This is the prawn and white fish version

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Goodness, I am sorry not to have posted for a week, but we were busy with family celebrations and a super foodie holiday in Devon, really wonderful and relaxing. I will post details soon.

Luckily, as I get slowly back into cooking I have a post that I "prepared earlier", which I do hope you enjoy.

Kate, of What Kate Baked..., mentioned back in January, as part of her forecast for 2012, that Ice Cream Sandwiches were going to be popular, and if these delectable puddings, that my daughter and I made,   are anything to go by, they certainly will be in my house.

My little girl had been looking at the Martha Stewart Cookies App, on my iPad, and was determined to make ice cream sandwiches, I think she thought that  the combination of a chewy cookie and vanilla ice cream was just too good to be true.

So  I told her we would make them.  Now if you look at Martha's sandwiches (here) and mine, you will see one substantial difference.  Her cookies are small and neat, mine are huge and irregular!  I followed the instructions which you can find on the app, but my cookie mixture spread somewhat!

We used shop bought vanilla ice cream and they were scrumptious and I expect them to be even better next time I make them, as I intend to use home made ice cream!

I just can't wait ;-)  Yum! Yum!

Thanks Kate for the inspiration, I'm going to be checking your list again for more ideas.

A Perfect Pudding

As I was making them with my five year old, I used dairy milk

The cookies were slightly larger then anticipated!

I put a cookie on a sheet of parchment paper

Then spread a good scoop of vanilla ice cream

We popped another cookie on top

Straightened the sandwich and then froze for an hour

The sandwiches were so large I halved them

Then quartered them,
Utterly Delicious.

Nutella Madeleines and Hot Chocolate perfect for your little Valentines

Always one step behind, I noticed lots of posts last Sunday featuring Nutella and discovered it was World Nutella Day.  Now that is a day I could really embrace!  And although I was  a little late to join the general hazelnut and chocolate spread celebration, I could still be inspired.

After lunch I beetled into the kitchen with my Nutella recipe  books! Please note the plural!

Yes, I do  have two Nutella recipe books, how many do you have?

I had bought these in France in the summer, after a quick perusal I opted for the Nutella Madeleines!  Now they were supposed to be mini, but I only have standard Madeleine tins, so bigger they would  have to be!

I followed the recipe, which included "2 grosses cuillerees a soupe de Nutella," which I interpreted as 2 huge dessert spoonfuls of Nutella.  Usually I butter and flour my madeleine tins, but to add to the chocolatey taste, I buttered and cocoaed them!

They were scrumptious, and my little girl had them as a tea time treat, with a lovely mug of hot chocolate, and a rather decadent teaspoonful of nutella to stir into her hot chocolate! Fantastic!

I think these would make a fabulous,  delectable treat for your loved one(s) on St Valentine's Day, so will be entering them into the Fabulously Romantic Teatime Treat event, run by those Lovely Ladies, Karen (at Lavender and Lovage)  and Kate (at What Kate Bakes).  It is being hosted by Kate this month.

Madeleines, Hot Chocolate and  a teaspoonful of Nutella
Chocolate Heaven!

My lovely Nutella recipe books

Mini madeleines!  But today they will just have to be bigger
Note to self, look for mini madeleine tins!

Butter and Cocoa, so much better then flour

Two huge spoonfuls of Nutella

I  always overfill the trays!

Yummy, all that is needed is a quick dust of icing sugar

Of course, this is a very healthy eating option!

I use Cocoa for my hot chocolate
(and sugar, cream and marshmallows, as well as milk!)

Make a paste of cocoa powder and sugar

Stir with milk until nearly boiling
(if you're making hot chocolate for children, as I was)

We did change mugs half way through tea!

Mmmmm!