Great British Food Magazine: Chocolate & Mackays Marmalade Devil's Food Cake

   I really enjoy Mackay's baking challenges and more so seeing what all the other food bloggers come up with. Although I've taken a strictly sweet approach to my recipes, other bloggers have come up with some fantastic ways of using jams and preserves in savoury dishes. Including a lemon and lime curd marinade for turkey from Lullabella's Kitchen.

Whiskey Marmalade & Pecan Brownies

   Here's my recipe for Mackays #christmaswithmackays challenge. Super fudgey brownies with a whiskey marmalade kick and topped with pecans to give a little crunch.

   I used Smitten Kitchen's cocoa brownie recipe for two reasons; it's cold outside and I wasn't feeling brave enough to walk in the rain to the shops to get lots of chocolate bars and because Huffington Post deems it as 'the only brownie recipe you'll ever need'. With my addition of marmalade and some stray chocolate chunks I found in the cupboard, I can confirm that this is the ONLY brownie recipe you'll ever need.

Whiskey marmalade & pecan brownies
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, Makes 16)
     140g unsalted butter
     250g caster sugar
     65g unsweetened cocoa powder
     1/4 tsp salt
     1/2 tsp vanilla extract
     2 large eggs
     65g plain flour
     4tbsp Mackays Orange Marmalade with Whiskey
     100g milk chocolate chunks
     75g walnut pieces, lightly chopped

• Heat the oven to 160 degrees and line an 8x8 inch square baking tin with baking paper.
• Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Melt either in the microwave or over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot. Set the bowl aside to cool.
• Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter is thick, shiny and well blended, add the flour and mix well. Smitten Kitchen then advises to beat vigorously again for 40 strokes.
• Stir in the marmalade and chocolate chunks before filling the prepared tray with the batter. Smooth out the top with a knife and scatter over the chopped pecan pieces.
• Bake for 30 - 35 minutes until the top is shiny. Leave to cool completely in the tin before removing and cutting into 16 squares.

Great British Food Magazine: Mulled Wine, Cranberry & Marmalade Tea Bread

Following on from my last post, you'll now know why I've been in such a festive mood recently. In September I started working on a Christmas recipe for Mackays to be published in this month's Christmas edition of Great British Food Magazine. The magazine is now out so I thought I'd share to recipe here too.

 My festive take on a classic tea bread uses Mackays Dundee orange marmalade paired with cranberries, spices and mulled wine. All my favourite festive flavours!

Mulled wine, cranberry & marmalade tea bread

     500ml mulled wine

     75g dried cranberries

     75g chopped mixed peel

     75g currants

     175g butter, softened,

     3 eggs

     160g Mackays Dundee Orange Marmalade

     250g self raising flour

     1tsp baking powder

     2tsp ground ginger

For the topping (optional)

     75g dried cranberries

     2tbsp icing sugar

     1 large orange, juiced, plus zest

• Leave the fruit to soak in the mulled wine for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and lightly grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line with baking paper.
• Beat together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and creamy. Gradually add in the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
• Stir through the marmalade before folding in the flour, baking powder and ginger. Drain the fruit and gently fold into the batter.
• Transfer into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
• Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Then removed and leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the topping, mix the icing sugar with enough orange juice to make a smooth, runny icing. Drizzle over the cake and top with the dried cranberries and a sprinkle of orange zest.

Boy Loves Food and I bought 4 copies of the magazine this morning for family. I think the lady who served us was a bit confused!

Find Great British Food Magazine here.

And, Mackay's marvellous marmalade here.