Seville Orange Marmalade

The Sunday Post: When oranges are in season, i go crazy for the blood oranges, and have at least 1 a day, sometimes even two!! This year i decided to make marmalade, as we have it most weekend mornings, and knew it would get eaten super quickly, and as this post goes up, i can grantee that at least 1 of the large jars have been demolished, and a small dent will have been made in another.

The oranges are pretty easy to find in the supermarkets at this time of year, and easily spotted, as there often packaged quite differently to normal oranges. It might seem like a bit of faff, having to finely chop all the peel, when you can pick up a jar of marmalade for 50p, but i promise you its well worth the effort, any guests will try and sneak a jar away with them!!

Just make sure you have enough jars, to store the marmalade in, otherwise you might end up having to use a bowl like me, if you realise at the last minute. I also recommend sterilising your jars before use, so the marmalade will keep for longer unopened.

I also added 1/2 tbsp of black treacle for a more oxford marmalade taste, as this is what we usually have. If you want a full on oxford, add in 1 tbsp of treacle. I also added in the juice and pith of 1 lemon (with the orange pith), to add in more pectin and another element. If you wanted to create something a bit different for a gift, add in the juice, and pith of a couple of blood oranges, for a different colour and taste.

Ingredients

1kg Seville oranges
3.4L water
2kg sugar

1. juice all the oranges into a very large saucepan, along with the water
2. scoop out all the seeds and pulp into a muslin and tie it up, then place into the saucepan
3. finely julienne the rind, or blitz it up depending on how you like your marmalade, personally i prefer to hand cut it to get nice strips
4. add in the rind into the saucepan, and leave to soak overnight, to help extract the pectin
5. bring the pan up to a simmer, leave to cook uncovered for 1 1/2 hrs to 2 hrs, or until the peel is very soft. When the peel is ready it should look slightly see through and feel soft
6. remove the muslin, and squeeze at as much juice as possible. discard the muslin
7. bring to the boil until setting point 105c, without stirring. This may take about 10 mins.
8. leave to cool for 10mins, before filling the jars. Cover with wax disc, and seal. 

My Christmas Cake

As soon as it gets towards the end of November, you go into any supermarket, and i can almost grantee you, there will be no currants, marzipan or royal icing left on the shelves, as everyone rushes to make there Christmas cakes, and Christmas puddings. So, if you're super organised, and haven't left the hunt for currants until now, and just looking for a recipe: I'm obviously biased, but this is my favourite one (even better than my college's, because wow,how much more booze can you fit into a cake?!).

With just the right amount of alcohol for most taste buds, soaked into the fruit it will please most people. If you like a bit more alcohol; Simple, just soak it in a bit more, and feed it with a bit more! I added the almonds as i love the surprise crunch against all the plump fruit, plus i just generally love almonds, but if you don't swap with an extra 50g of currants. 

And yes, you did read the title correctly, I was super organised last year and photographed the Christmas cake on the day, and saved it. Not that I was organised in writing the post, and still manage to be still writing it the night before, and morning.Though i will praise myself, for writing it and putting it up before "Stir up Sunday", this Sunday on the 22nd, which is traditionally the day you make the Christmas cake, and the pudding, so they both have time to mature before Christmas.

This recipe is super adaptable, if you don't like alcohol soak the fruit in the juice of 1 orange. Feed the cake as little, or as often as you like. I also swapped glacé cherries, for an extra 25g of raisins, and an extra 25g of sultanas, but feel free  to put them in, or sometimes i add in sour cherries which I prefer.

Ingredients

450g currants
200g sultanas
200g raisins
50g mixed peel
3 tbsp brandy
225g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp mixed spice
50g chopped almonds
225g soft dark brown sugar
1 dtsp treacle
4 eggs
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon

apricot jam
royal icing
marzipan

1. the night before, mix the dried fruit and mixed peel, with the brandy and leave to soak overnight at least 12 hrs
2. cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
3. gradually add in the eggs
4. gently fold in sifted flour and spices
5. stir in the fruit and peel, nuts, treacle and the zest.
6. spoon into a prepared cake tin, and level the cake
7. tie a band of paper around the outside of the tin, and cover the cake with a double layer of greaseproof paper with a 50p sized hole in the middle.
8. bake the cake at 140°, gas 1, for 4 1/2 
9. remove from the tin and leave to cool
10. make holes with a cocktail stick and feed, repeat every 2 weeks or as wished, leading up to Christmas day
11. when ready glaze the cake with warm apricot jam, to help the marzipan stick and cover
12. decorate as wished

Orange and Poppy Seed Cake

I'm using the excuse that it wasn't my oven; As my defence, that the cake wasn't cooked enough; It obviously wasn't that, I didn't read the recipe properly, and the oven was supposed to be set at 160 instead of 180. That's also obviously, why the background has been occasionally changing recently, since I've been making full use of the house my mum house/dog sits for; by borrowing their kitchen of course! 

This is now the second citrus fruit, and poppy seed cake in a row, after this one. I do like them, I promise!(well it was my birthday cake) I'm not just trying to use the packet of poppy seeds up, like you all think. I love the slight crunch, and the nuttiness they give the cake. If your making the cake for a special occasion, then toasting the seeds will enhance their flavour.

If you don't like orange marmalade, then feel free to change it to a different marmalade, such as lime, or lemon. Also feel free to swap the marmalade top, with a sugar crust (just mix granulated sugar and orange juice together, use this recipe for it). If you don't like poppy seeds, then feel free to take them out.

Ingredients 
3 tbsp thick cut marmalade
150g plain yogurt
3 eggs
175g caster sugar
200g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
175g butter
zest of orange
5 tsp poppy seeds

for the sticky top:
juice 1/2 orange
5 tbsp marmalade

1. preheat the oven to 160°c. 
2. butter and line a loaf tin 
3. melt the marmalade into a small pan or microwave, then beat in the yogurt and leave to cool
4. put the remaining cake ingredients into a bowl and beat until smooth
5. quickly beat in the yogurt and marmalade mix, and pour into the tin( it will be quite runny).Don' smooth and level the top to encourage a crack in the middle.
6. bake for 1hr- 1hr 10mins, until golden and well risen, loosely cover if its getting too brown
7. meanwhile, while heat the orange juice and marmalade in a small pan, until combined and thick, but still runny glaze
8. spoon over the topping, while it's still warm