(cliccate qui per la versione italiana)
Happy Monday everyone!
I’ve always had (and still have) issues with jams and marmalade, for two reasons: they are too sweet, and I prefer eating fresh fruit. It’s ok if I can’t eat peaches in December, it means I’ll have apples and pears. It’s very rare I find jams that I like, I’ve never bought any, sometimes if I find one at home I’ll try a little bit but only if it’s figs, berries or peaches. Plums or citrus fruits are the ones I dislike the most, as I find them too sweet and bitter at the same time. I swear if I had to choose between eating store-bought jam on toast or starve, I’d starve.
But since, sadly, orange season is nearly over – and especially because they are my favorite fruit, as you’ve probably figured out already – I decided to try and make my own marmalade, the way I like it, super quick, exactly the quantity I need, no need to sterilize jars (also preventing any risk of explosions…ahem).
These shortbread cookies are really good and soft, not too sweet – the slightly sweet orange and the peculiarity of the aniseed compensate for that – and it’s seriously hard not to eat all of them in one sitting. I managed to let mine last for 4 whole days. I mean…
Of course feel free to use any homemade or store-bought jam of your choice. Let me know if you try them out by leaving a comment here or tagging #martasplants on IG!
SHORTBREAD COOKIES FILLED WITH QUICK HOMEMADE ORANGE MARMALADE {vegan}
by Marta Giaccone
Recipe
about 30 cookies
prep time: 30 mins, cooking time: 1 hr, total time: 1 hr 30 mins (including 30 mins rest time)
Cookie dough
¾ cup / 125 gr flour of choice
1 tbsp / 4gr baking powder
1/3 cup / 60 gr sugar (I used coconut)
pinch salt
pinch vanilla seeds/extract/paste
pinch cinnamon
slightly less than 3 tbsp / 40 ml light vegetable oil
2 tbsp / 30 ml plant-based milk or water
Method
- In a large bowl sift flour and baking powder, add salt, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla (if using extract/paste, add to liquid ingredients) and mix.
- Pour oil and milk over the dry ingredients and mix to incorporate. Now the dough will probably be quite crumbly, that’s great! If it’s slightly more velvety, that’s great as well. I’ve had both and they worked perfectly.
- Transfer dough to a floured work surface and knead until soft, just a minute. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic and let rest in the fridge for 30 mins or more. You can make the filling in the meantime.
Orange marmalade
3 navel oranges
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp sugar (I used brown)
2 cups / 500 ml water
small handful cloves
3-4 star aniseeds
Method
- Peel oranges. Remove as much pith (the white part) from inside the skin as possible (it’s quite bitter). Now either add pulp and skin to a blender or finely chop them, depending on your desired final result. I prefer marmalade with a few chunks so I chopped instead of processing.
- Add blended/chopped orange pulp and skins to a medium saucepan along with all other ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low heat, stirring every few minutes, until nearly all liquid has evaporated, about 30-40 mins.
- Remove from stove and let cool. I left it by the open window.
- When 30 or more minutes have passed, transfer the dough back onto the floured work surface and roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper to about 3mm thick.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/375°F.
- With a cookie cutter or glass cut out as many discs as you can. Since you will need to bake two batches, I divided my dough in two and kept the second one wrapped in plastic while I worked the first, so as not to dry it.
- Spoon about 1 and ½ or 2 tsp of marmalade in the center of the discs, then carefully fold over the 2 edges. You can shape them any way you’d like! Be careful, the dough is quite delicate.
- Bake for 15 minutes (my oven is old, powerful and static so I always put them on the top rack or else they’ll burn quickly). The cookies are ready when the bottom starts browning (lift one and check after about 13 minutes!). The top will still be quite soft and that’s ok, it will firm up after cooling. Let cool completely and enjoy! Store cookies and in an airtight container. Store any leftover marmalade in an airtight container in the fridge and use within a few days. I didn’t sterilize any glass jar, for that reason I made a small batch and actually used it all up for the cookies!
