Marmalade Cocktails Recipes

GIN MARMALADE COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Combine the gin, lemon juice and sugar in the almost-empty marmalade jar. Cover tightly with the lid and shake well. Pour the cocktail in a glass and garnish with a strip of orange peel.

SCOTCH BONNET MARMALADE COCKTAIL

Steps:

• For the Scotch: Cut the pepper in half and add it to a jar with the Scotch, infusing for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pepper (don't touch your eyes when handling the peppers, lest you end up like us, typing with one eye swollen, on fire with pepper oil). Trust us, this gets hot.
• For the cocktail: In a shaker with ice, add 4 ounces infused Scotch, lemon juice, marmalade and bitters, and shake vigorously. Strain into an up glass. Garnish with the tiniest slice of pepper. Sip slowly and keep a fire extinguisher on hand.

MARMALADE COCKTAILS

Steps:

• For each drink, combine 3 ounces gin, 1 ounce dry vermouth, 1/2 ounce lemon juice and 1 tablespoon orange marmalade in a cocktail shaker with ice; shake well, then pour into a glass.

CLEMENTINE & COINTREAU MARMALADE

Steps:

• Scrub clementines in warm soapy water, rinse, then halve and squeeze juice into a large pan. Scoop out the pulp and any seeds, then tie in the muslin, as before. Shred the peel. Add both to the pan with the lemon juice and water, then leave to steep overnight.
• Put the pan over a medium heat and bring up to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the peel is soft, about 30-45 mins. Squeeze as much liquid from the muslin bag as possible. Discard the bag. Weigh the mixture - you should have around 1.15kg.
• Put the pan over a low heat, then add the sugar. Heat gently until sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally, then bring up to a good rolling boil. Cook for 15 mins, then check for a set (see Step 5). If not at setting point, boil (see Know how) for a further 2 mins and check again. Repeat until setting point has been reached.
• Add Cointreau, taking care, as marmalade will bubble up. Allow to stand for 15 mins or until beginning to thicken. Transfer to sterilised jars, then seal.
• To test the setting point: take the pan off the heat and allow the bubbles to subside. Take a plate from the freezer and spoon a little liquid onto the plate, then return to the freezer for 1 min. Push the marmalade along the plate with your finger. If setting point has been reached then the marmalade surface will wrinkle slightly and the marmalade won't run back straight away. If it's not at setting point, return to the heat and boil again for 2 mins before re-testing. Repeat until setting point is reached. If you have a sugar thermometer, setting point is reached at 105C, but it's good to do the plate test as well.

MARMALADE VODKA

Steps:

• Pour the vodka into a sterilised 1-litre sealable flip-top jar. Stir in the marmalade and the vanilla pod and seeds until the marmalade has mostly dissolved, and just the peel is left. Seal and leave in a cool, dark place for 48 hrs, or longer if you prefer a more bitter flavour.
• Strain through a fine mesh sieve, then bottle. Will keep for several months in a cool, dark place. Use in a cosmopolitan or breakfast martini with vermouth, or top up with sparkling water and a dash of bitters.

CITRUS MARMALADE

Steps:

• Cut the citrus: Using a sharp knife, slice off the top and bottom of the citrus so it sits sturdily on the cutting board. Slice off the peel and white pith in sections, starting at the top and following the curve of the fruit. (You should have a pile of peels and a few naked fruit.)
• Thinly slice the peels (with the pith) no thinner than 1/8 inch and no thicker than 1/4 inch, place them in a large bowl and set aside.
• Halve the fruit and remove any visible seeds. Thinly slice about 1/4-inch thick (white membrane and all), removing any seeds you might have missed. Add the fruit to the peels, and cover with 3 to 5 cups of water, taking note of how much water you used. Let this sit for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. (This will help extract the pectin slowly as well as soften the peels.)
• Make the marmalade: Place a small plate in the refrigerator to chill. (You'll use this later.)
• Place the peels, fruit and water in a large pot. Add enough water to bring the total to 6 cups and bring to a strong simmer over medium-high heat.
• Cook the citrus until the peels have begun to soften and turn translucent, and the liquid has reduced by about three-fourths, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Add sugar and any add-ins and continue to cook, stirring occasionally at first, then more frequently as the marmalade cooks and the juices thicken. Continue until most of the liquid has evaporated and the peels are totally softened and almost completely translucent, another 40 to 50 minutes.
• As the marmalade cooks, the liquid reduces, the sugars thicken and the natural pectins activate. You'll notice the liquid go from a rapid, rolling boil with smaller bubbles to a slow, thick, tarlike boil with larger bubbles: This is the stage at which it's most important to stir constantly along the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching and sticking. (Sugar is heavier than water and will concentrate at the bottom of the pot, making the fruit more likely to burn.) It's also the stage at which splattering may occur, so take care in stirring.
• When the marmalade reaches this point, add lemon juice and continue to cook, stirring constantly until the jam has returned to its previously thickened state, about another 5 minutes. At this stage, the mixture should look thick and viscous with bits of the peel floating around. The peels will never break into the liquid as with a jam: This is O.K.
• To test the jam's thickness, spoon a bit onto the chilled plate, return it to the refrigerator and chill for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through it: It should hold its shape on either side without appearing watery or runny. If it's not there yet, cook it for a few more minutes.
• Remove from heat and discard the vanilla bean, if used. Divide among jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top, and seal immediately. Can the marmalade (our How to Make Jam guide has detailed instruction), or store in the refrigerator.