Paddington's Marmalade

There is one huge thing is dislike about English author Jane Brocket -- that she isn't my best friend living three doors down. Oh. And that I didn't write her books myself.

In 2007, I left behind a somewhat high profile and successful job as an archivist to get married and write full time, knowing that a distant move and becoming a mother could very well follow. (They did.) Brocket's The Gentle Art of Domesticity was the right book at the right time, encouraging me not just to follow my dreams but also to follow my own creativity no matter what lofty or downright goofy form it may take. I still love rereading that book as well as following Brocket's blog.

When Brocket wrote a cookbook based on treats from classic children's books, I jumped to buy a copy. A short time later my friend Jenny, who knows me quite well, sent me Brocket's companion book that also includes games and pastimes. Cherry Cake & Ginger Beer and Turkish Delight & Treasure Hunts have become beloved favorites. (Thanks, Jane! And thanks, Jenny!)

I love to do cooking and craft projects with Eli, but notice we're both more interested if these endeavors are related to the current season or books we've been reading. Eli's bedtime reading for the last few weeks has been a few pages from Michael Bond's Paddington Treasury. The tales of a bear left alone in a London train station and soon adopted by a family have great appeal to a four year-old. Paddington, you see, is quite trouble-prone -- a cross between Pooh and Curious George.

One of Paddington's greatest delights is sucking on pawfuls of marmalade. Naturally, the first question from an American preschooler was, "What's marmalade?" Brocket's Cherry Cakes & Ginger Beer has a recipe for Paddington Bear's Favourite Marmalade Buns, but we decided to go all the way and make the marmalade from scratch too. I found a marmalade recipe by another favorite cookbook author, Alton Brown. (Click HERE for that recipe.)

Five innocent oranges, unaware of what this winter afternoon will hold...

I didn't have a mandolin, but sliced them as thinly as possible.

Thin enough, I think!

Slices quartered and into the pot. Aside from the oranges and one lemon, all that is needed is water and sugar. The oranges themselves have a great deal of natural pectin to help firm the finished product.

Wemon duce...

Bubble, bubble, toil and really no trouble at all...

A candy thermometer takes the guesswork out of the boil time.

We canned the finished jars so they would last longer. Many were Christmas gifts from Eli to friends and family. The librarians who do storytime for us each week seemed glad to get a thank you gift connected to children's literature. We took them a jar accompanied by a nice, crusty loaf of fresh bakery bread.

Ta dah! The finished marmalade is good on toast, but can also be added to salad dressing or marinades. And so glowingly lovely on a winter morning!

A few days later, we used our own marmalade to bake Paddington Bear's Favourite Marmalade Buns. (A birthday crown is not necessary, but it does make for a dapper chef.)

Eli tasted Paddington's sticky treat for the first time. The bitter taste from the peel hit him first. This is the stuff Paddington craves?!

After a moment, Eli announced that he liked it. "But I don't want to eat it everyday."

The Marmalade Buns, however, were a big hit! They are soft, fragrant muffins with a pleasing buttery texture.

Both recipes were easy to follow, although I should point out that Brocket's ingredient amounts are in metrics. I have an electronic baking scale that can calculate grams, so I used that. There are, however, conversion calculators availble for free on the Internet. Both the marmalade and the buns were perfect for winter, making the house smell good and useful as gifts.

At first I thought I'd just try making marmalade once, but now I find myself craving it a bit. Maybe Paddington is on to something.

For more about the British Reading Adventure including previous posts and a book list, click HERE.

Comments

Aw, Eli saw the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile? I'm so jealous! :)

I'm so glad you've enjoyed the book. What a fun (and tasty!) project this was!

Posted by: Jenny | 07 January 2013 at 03:01 PM

I remember being so excited when my mom bought me store bought marmalade just like Paddington liked, I have so say I agreed with Eli, in small doses its okay, yours sure looks pretty though! I wonder if I would enjoy it more now that I am an adult.

Posted by: Cynthia | 11 January 2013 at 06:09 PM