I think we have all known someone with a cumquat tree. I remember biking around my home town as a kid and casually plucking a cumquat or two as I’d ride by a tree. Would you believe though, I actually bought these cumquats? I haven’t seen a tree in years and when my local fruit and veg place were selling huge punnets for $2, I knew they would be perfect for a Friday Foodie Flashback.
After an instagram callout, I decided to turn the lovely cumquats into marmalade. I am not a huge fan of marmalade, but this one turned out deliciously tangy and aromatic with the addition vanilla bean and ginger.
After I made the marmalade, I saw these beautiful gluten free jam drops from my darling lemon thyme, and I knew that a buttery cookie would be perfect to go with my marmalade. So, there are TWO whole recipes today. I know. I am feeling smug.
Cumquat and Ginger Marmalade
Ingredients
- 500 grams of cumquats sliced
- 2.5 cups of sugar
- 2.5 cups of water
- 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped out
- 4 slices of fresh ginger
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a heavy based saucepan (the whole vanilla bean too!) I left the pips in the cumquats and removed as many as I could when the marmalade was done as the pectin assists in the setting of the marmalade.
- Bring the ingredients to the boil then reduce heat to low. Place a saucer in the freezer.
- Allow the mixture to simmer for about 45 minutes until thick.
- Test the jam on the frozen saucer. It should set and “crinkle” when you run your finger through it.
- Sterilise a clean jar with boiling water for 1 minute. Remove the bean and slices of ginger then carefully ladle the marmalade into the jar.
- Seal and allow to cool.
Cumquat and Ginger Marmalade Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of cumquat and ginger marmalade or any other jam, jelly or marmalade
- 170 gr of unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup of caster sugar
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
Instructions
- Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer
- Turn the mixer to a low speed and add the sugar.
- Once the mix if light and fluffy, add the egg.
- Now add the flour and baking powder and mix until a dough forms.
- Cling wrap the dough and place in the fridge for 20 minutes or so.
- Line two flat trays with baking paper and preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
- Take tablespoons full of the dough and roll into a ball and place on a tray.
- Dip your thumb into flour and make a dent in each dough ball.
- Fill the hole with the marmalade.
- Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes or until slightly brown and cooked through.
