Honey Chai Orange Marmalade

Orange season is done here, but I was able to get some good pickings off the trees and try the next thing on my list... marmalade.

I never liked orange marmalade… until I made it myself.

I have grown to love the tingling flavor and beautiful golden color. It is especially delicious with almond butter and raw honey on sourdough bread.

I am now hooked.

Last year and this year I've been on a mission to use these beautiful balls of sunshine as much as I could.

I've made Crispy Orange Chips, Tangy Orange Powder, Candied Orange Spice Peels, Homemade Orange Extract, Honey-sweetened Orange Curd & Orange Curd Bars, Honey-sweetened Almond Orange Shortbread Cookies and some fantastic Honey Orange Marmalade Rolls using my homemade marmalade.

I still have a looong list of recipes and ideas to try, but they will have to wait until next season.

Oh, before I go on about the marmalade. I want to do cover two things... 1) announce the 3 winners of the Safe Harvest Seed Bank Giveaway and 2) talk a little more about the 7-Day Real Food Challenge.

First, thank you everybody for participating in the giveaway and please give a round of applause to... Julie Cox (Liked Just Making Noise on Facebook), Krissa Jeldy (Liked Just Making Noise on Facebook) & Esther DeWaters (Liked Just Making Noise on Facebook).

Congratulations ladies!! I know you will enjoy the seeds. I have not planted mine yet, but making plans to do that in the next couple months. Woohoo!

Next, the 7-Day Real Food Challenge... I am really looking forward to it.

Why? Because it's something new and a change of pace for my family.

I've been cooking and preparing real food for several years now, but every once in a while I get into a runt. If you are finding yourself in a runt too... come join us!

Or... maybe you are wondering how you can prepare more wholesome meals for you and your family. Wondering what you should or shouldn't eat. Wondering if there's something out there that is simple enough to get you started... 

That's where the 7-Day Real Food Challenge comes in to help! With 29 bloggers (including me!) on the support team, along with a full grocery list already prepared and recipes for all the meals for the week all done and ready for you.

Gosh, how many of you have had your grocery list done by someone else for once? Me, never! Nice having the week off from making my grocery list!

Anyway, I really hope you all will seriously think about it and join us! It will be great, PLUS there are several awesome giveaways for for those who join.

Okay, now... let's talk about marmalade.

When I was googling around to find a good recipe for orange marmalade... I was inspired to try chai spices to give the marmalade some depth and character.

The end result was amazingly delicious...

I used Black Chai Tea from Bulk Herb Store, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Honey Chai Orange Marmalade

6 large sour oranges
3 cups water

4 Tbsp Black Chai Tea

1-2 cups honey (use less if you want it tart or more if you want it sweeter)

1. Wash the oranges. It is best to use organic, if possible.

2. Cut 5 oranges in half. Cut out the center white meat (the part that runs down the middle of the orange) and remove seeds.  Do this over a bowl to catch the juice that will drip out. Discard the center white meat and seeds.

3. Set your cutting board on a large plate or flat bowl to catch the juice while slicing the oranges.

4. Slice the oranges into very thin or chunky slices.

5. Put the sliced oranges and all the juice into a large stainless steel pot. Add water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often.

6. Put 4 Tbsp of Black Chai Tea into a tea ball or bag and add into the mixture. Allow the mixture to a gentle boil and cook down for several minutes. Stir it a few times to prevent burning.

7. Add the honey and stir well. Bring the mixture down to a high simmer or keep at a low boil. Allow it to simmer (or boil) for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring it often to prevent burning.

8. After the mixture has been cooking for 15 minutes, stay close and start stirring the mixture more frequently. It will start to thicken pretty quickly, so keep a close eye on it.

9. There is two ways to test if the mixture is done...

Scoop a small amount of marmalade onto a cold plate, let it cool completely. Rub the  marmalade to test for thickness.

- If watery, continue cooking it.

- If too thick or hard, add more water or tea and cook gently.

- If firm (neither watery or hard), it is done. Turn off heat.

OR

Use a rubber spatula and draw it through the mixture. If the mixture fills in the space created by the spatula very quickly, it’s not done. When the mixture is almost ready it will fill the space more slowly, leaving an space for a few seconds before filling in.

Keep in mind that the mixture will thicken even more after it cools. So, don’t over do it!

10. Once the marmalade is done, move the pot away from the heat. Juice the last remaining orange and add it to the marmalade. Stir, pull the chai tea out and let it cool. If you think that you overcooked the marmalade and its too thick, simply add more water, chai tea or orange juice into the mixture.

11. When cooled, spoon the marmalade into jars and put them in the fridge overnight to cool and set completely.

The marmalade can be store in the fridge up to several weeks or store in the freezer for up to a year. I’ve had a jar of marmalade sit in my fridge for almost 3 months and it still tasted great!

What do you think? Would you make this? I am thinking I want to try making lime marmalade... never seen or heard of that, but why not?!

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Honey-sweetened Orange Curd Bars (gluten-free & dairy-free)

We are finishing up a great week with a mission team from one of our supporting churches. I am always exhausted when the teams leave, but feel spiritual full from being able to fellowship with other believers & friends!

The last few weeks have been emotionally draining for me. A lot has been happening and God is opening new doors and closing old doors, but...

it's all good.

Basically, we are heading for a new adventure soon. I'm sure you will know soon enough (or you can go to our ministry blog and subscribe to stay updated) Please keep us in your prayers, thanks!

Now, these bars...

I really don't need to say much about these bars. I think the pictures speak for themselves. A thousand words, right?

These guys are so good and totally guilt-free. We even enjoyed it for breakfast one morning!

I didn’t think of this until after I took the pictures, but I think some homemade chocolate syrup would be the “cherry on top” for these delicious curd bars!!

Honey-sweetened Orange Curd Bars

(Gluten-free & Dairy-free)

1 3/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup butter (or coconut oil for a diary-free option)

1/4 - 1/3 cup honey

1 - 2 Tbsp orange zest

2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 recipe of orange curd

Make the orange curd (if you haven’t) and let it cool in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease an 8 x 8 square or circle pan. Set aside.

Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix together wet ingredients and pour over the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.

Evenly spread the batter into the greased pan. Place in the middle of the oven and let it bake 15-20 minutes or until the top and edges are lightly brown. It may puff up a little, but no worries.

When done, test the middle with a toothpick or knife. It should come out clean. Set it aside and allow it to cool completely.

When cooled, spread the orange curd evenly on top and let it firm up in the fridge, if needed. We think it tastes better cold than room-temperature!

Before serving, sprinkle some orange zest and coconut flakes on top.

Also, don't forget the chocolate syrup... I know it will be amazing!

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Honey-sweetened Orange Curd (with dairy-free option)

I love curd, even though the name doesn't sound appealing... the delicious creamy texture will have you eating it by the spoonfuls straight out of the jar!

Making curd is a great way to use up lots of eggs and enjoy a protein-rich dessert. It is so simple to make and only requires a handful of ingredients... eggs, honey, zest, butter (or coconut oil) and orange juice.

You can even try different fruit juices... I hope to try mango and passionfruit soon. I'm sure they will be so good!

I love that I don't have to spend a lot of money & time to create this nourishing treat and you can use it to dress up just about anything... layer cakes, cookies, tarts and more.

My two favorite ways to enjoy this yummy curd is over ice cream (of course!) and spread over a crust to make bars.

Simple, yet fancy!

Honey-sweetened Orange Curd (with dairy-free option)

3 large eggs or 6 egg yolks

1/4 - 1/3 cup honey

fresh zest of one orange

6 Tbsp butter (or coconut oil for a dairy-free option)

½ cup orange juice

In a medium saucepan, whisk together eggs, honey & zest until smooth.

Add in butter (or coconut oil) and orange juice. Cook over medium heat and whisk until smooth.

Continue to cook & whisk until the mixture thickens and you start to see bubbles popping on the surface.

Remove from heat and pour into a fine sieve set over a bowl. Gently stir the curd through the sieve.

Cover the bowl and store in the fridge for several hours to thicken.  Should keep for about one week in the fridge.

Make the Orange Curd Bars or top it over some homemade ice cream!

Have you made curd before? What flavors?

Linked up at Simple Lives Thursday

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Honey Sweetened, Almond Orange Shortbread Cookies

I am over at A Little Bit of Spain today with an easy & delicious recipe for buttery shortbread cookies. 

These amazing cookies are sweetened with honey, flavored with orange extract & zest and jazzed up with chocolate topped with more orange zest!

Head on over and get the recipe. Your family will love them and you will want to make several batches of these yummy cookies to give away as gifts!

Have a great Christmas!

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Make it Yourself: Homemade Orange Extract

It is now orange season around here and my trees are simply overflowing with delicious balls of sunshine!

Last season I dehydrated orange slices and made some orange powder, both are fantastic for baking and flavoring your tea! I also made some orange extract, which I just opened and strained a few days ago.

After I got over the "hurdle" of making my own Homemade Perpetual Vanilla Extract last year... I became obsessed with making my own extracts.

I did some research and decided to try making extracts from orange, lemon, cacao and almonds.

All you need is vodka and a jar. So easy!

I planned to leave them for only 3 months, but then decided to leave it for another 3 months. Then basically forgot about them. I don't recommend doing that.

Now it has been almost a year (the date on the jar is Jan. 25th, 2012!) and thankfully extracts are pretty forgivable. I spied them after coming home from our USA furlough & decided to open up the orange extract to see if I can use it. I had the vision of using it in my shortbread cookies.

When I first opened the jar... a warm, sharp smell of orange tingled my nose. I had a little taste and the flavor was nice & smooth with a hint of bitterness.

Success!

I made some delicious almond orange shortbread cookies (recipe coming!) using the orange extract and it was simply delicious! The orange flavor stood out nicely without it being overpowering... just the way I like it.

Homemade Orange Extract

• 2 large oranges (preferably organic)
• Vodka (higher proof is better)
• 1/4 cup filtered water (will extract more flavor)
• Pint-size glass jar

You can do it one of the two ways with the oranges... Peel them or zest them. I peeled them because it was easier, but some like to zest the oranges to avoid the white part because of its bitterness. Either way, you will get a wonderful orange flavor.

Put the orange peels or zest in a clean jar, add water, cover with vodka and seal it tight. Store in a dark, cool place and shake it whenever you think of it.

The extract will be ready in about 6 weeks. You can leave it longer for a slightly stronger flavor, but no longer than a year!  ;o)

I am going to open up my other extracts and see how they turned out. Hopefully I will be sharing recipes with you in the near future!

Have you made your own extracts yet? What flavors have you made? If you haven't, try making vanilla extract or orange extract and experience how easy it is! 

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Make It Yourself ~Tangy Orange Powder

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I am having too much fun taking pictures of these gorgeous orange chips and powder! The rich, sunny colors and beautiful, deep details just makes me want to keep clicking away!


Anyway...


I've already used this beautiful powder for a few things and have many more delicious plans for it! It smells like sunshine every time I open up the jar... hmm, must remember that when we have dark, rainy & cloudy days!


After dehydrating all those sunshine {orange} slices and enjoying them like chips and steeped in tea... I began to wonder if there were other ways to enjoy these yummy orange chips.


I googled around and came across this site that suggested to chop or grind the orange chips into powder, which can be used to flavor soup, fish, sauces or use has a garnish.


hmmm... interesting.


So, I threw in enough orange chips to fill my Blendtec and gave it a whirl... well, several whirls until it was powdery and smooth. It looks a little crumbly because of the natural oils from the rinds... simply wonderful!

I pour the powder into an airtight quart mason jar and kept throwing in more orange chips until I had almost 2 quarts full of tangy orange powder. And I still have about 1 1/2 gallons of orange chips to enjoy!


Ahh, lovely!

I have already used it to spice up cinnamon rolls, make drinks, give a tangy crunch to our favorite snack and more. I will {hopefully} be sharing these recipes soon!!


When you make these, make sure you store them out of direct light to protect the natural oils. They should last a long time  ;o)

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Crispy Orange Chips (a.k.a - Dehydrated Orange Slices)

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These orange chips look like the sun... with beautiful details of fire going out from the center.

Whenever you open up the jar, a sweet & bright smell frolics through your senses... giving you a burst of energy and happiness.

We are nearing the end of our orange season here. This year I've started to appreciate my citrus trees more, especially the oranges... last year I hardly did anything with them because I didn't know what to do with it all! It was easy to grow tired of eating them and the juice was simply too sour to enjoy a glassful.

With some planning... I made candied orange spice peels and save the juice to make creamy popsicles & smoothies. I've used more orange zest in my baked goods then I ever have in my life!

With more oranges coming off the trees, I googled around and found this great site sharing all the different ways you can use the peels. One suggestion was to simply dehydrate the peels for later use, but I decided to use the whole orange instead...

Because I remember seeing a post somewhere with some chai tea and a whole dried orange slice added in for some fun flavor... I saved and filed that in the back of my mind.

So glad I did!

Now I have almost 3 gallons of dried orange chips. I've already enjoyed several slices in my Rooibos tea and the girls love nibbling on them... they are actually a yummy snack! 

Thinking these sunshines would be great to break up and mix into some trail mix or oatmeal. Hmm!

You can use any kind of citrus fruit you have... I had some lemons (didn't get very much this year, sad!) and made a quart of dried lemon chips. Haven't tried using them yet. I am dehydrated some grapefruit right now and have plans to use them for a homemade cleaner.

It is super easy...

Simply wash 'em, slice 'em (about a quarter-inch thick), seed 'em and laid 'em on sheets.

Slide them in or sack them on your dehydrator of choice and turn on to 115 - 135 degrees (I prefer the lower temps to preserve the natural oils). Dry them for 5 - 12 hours... they need to be brittle. Store them in airtight jars and out of light.

What to Do With Them?

• Add some slices in a container of water or tea and leave in the fridge. The oranges will leave a nice flavor in the water. So refreshing!
• Add a slice to your favorite tea. The longer you leave it, the stronger the flavor and it will not turn bitter.
• Chop it up and create your own tea mixes. I already have some ideas!
• Chop it up and use it to flavor dishes or simply garnish your salad. I'm thinking...
• Throw some in your blender or coffee grinder and make some powder. 
• Use for decorating and get some color into your home! Check out what I posted on my board at Pinterest.

Want some?

linked up at Friday Food Flicks, Simple Lives Thursday, Make-Ahead Mondays, Superfood Sunday.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but I will receive a small commission. The commissions I receive goes to support my family, our ministry and helps keep my blog going. Thank you for your willingness to use the links to support us & help me keep Just Making Noise going!

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Candied Orange Spice Peels

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Since last week I've been going through several pounds (at least 30 lbs, if not more!) of oranges... washing, cutting, peeling, slicing and blending.

My kitchen has been full of sunshine and wonderful smells of delicious oranges! Yummm!

Can't get enough of the smells and beautiful colors, but I've had enough of all that work! LOL! 

You may be wondering when I'm going to get to the point. Right?

Well, we have several citrus trees giving us more than enough oranges and I was wondering what to do with it all! Especially the peels. One day I was browsing through my Facebook and saw one of my friends posted that she was making candied orange peels. Of course, that grabbed my attention.

Candied orange peels?! Honestly, never heard of that!

I quickly googled for a recipe and found one at use real butter (Beautiful photography!). Honestly, I was very surprised to find out that making candied peels is so easy... just a little time consuming  ;o)

Seriously, the work was well worth it... for Christmas we will be giving away small bags of these treats to all our Honduran neighbors & friends, the kids we work with and missionaries we know. I've already had a few kids taste the candied peels and they LOVE them!

While I was waiting for the raw sugar water to get hot... a great idea popped into my head. I  threw in some cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and chunks of ginger to bring about a spicy flavor. Success! Delicious, warm spices drifted up to my nose... oh yum!

After pouring the peels in and simmering them for forever... they came out golden, glazed and sticky. Dropped them in a pan of cane sugar and they separated beautifully. 

When Jon took his first bite of the sugar covered peel... he said the texture and flavor reminded him of those old classic sugar-crusted gumdrops!

I rolled some batches with cane sugar and some without. I am thinking the ones without the sugar crust would be fabulous in some oatmeal cookies. Hmmm, maybe I'll have a recipe coming on that idea!

I made my first batch for a Christmas party for the missionary women. They were a hit! I put the orange peels in small plastic bags and tied them up with a cute ribbon along with the recipe & suggestions... simple and easy. I would rather packet the orange peels in parchment paper or glass jars, but I am in a country where those are not easily found and often expensive. Boohoo. At least they looked cute in the plastic bags!

I am doing the same when passing them out to our Honduran neighbors and kids. I put on different tags that say, "Feliz Navidad!! Bendiciones! Familia de Jon & Marillyn Beard".

Can you believe how much I've made?! LOL! Next year I would like to plan ahead and have some girls help me.

Wish the picture of the gift bag looked a little better, but its good enough and you get the idea!

So, after all that glorious work.... I was left with 6 1/2 quarts of dark, dark brown, orange flavored syrupy sweetness! So, now I have plans for those!! Caramel popcorn, granola, candied nuts, hot chocolate, pancakes and more.

*Sigh*

Candied Orange Spice Peels

4 oranges (or any thick skinned citrus fruit)
3 cups sugar (rapadura, coconut sugar or unrefined cane sugar)
1 cup water
1-2 cinnamon sticks (optional)
5-10 whole cloves (optinoal)
1 chunk of ginger (optional)
cane sugar for rolling

Quarter oranges into wedges. Carefully slice or peel the flesh away from the orange peels (I generally don’t like to remove too much pith, only if it is really thick). Slice the peel of each wedge lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips.

Place peels in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Heat on high until water comes to a boil. Pour off the water. Repeat two more times.

Meanwhile, mix 1 cup water with 3 cups of sugar in a large saucepan or pot. Add optional spices. Bring to boil over high heat until temps reaches about 230F. Stir it to make sure sugar is dissolved. Add peels and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until peels are translucent (30 minutes or longer - about 50 mintues at my 6,500 ft. elevation). You will want to stir the peels every so often.

Drain peels in a colander (catch all the syrup in a bowl!). Add sugar into a deep, wide bowl. Use tongs to move peels into the bowl and roll in sugar, if desired. Set on a rack or wax covered cookie sheet to dry for 4-5 hours OR 2 days (best results). I put my peels in my dehydrator and set it on low heat (95-115F). They came out great!

You can now eat the candied peels! If you won’t be eating them within a week, store them packed in sugar in an airtight container.

Suggestions:

• Don't throw out the sugar! Use it to sweeten your morning coffee or drink for some yummy orange-flavored sweetness.
• Chopped up your orange peels and mix it with some nuts.
• Don't throw out the syrup! Use it over your pancakes, sweeten drinks, make caramel popcorn and more.
• Instead of rolling the peels in sugar. Allow them to dry for up to 2 days and dip each peel into some dark chocolate! Allow it to harden before storing in an airtight container.

Don't forget you can order Just Making Ice Cream ebook for $8 through this month! Also, enter for chances to win gluten-free & savory cookbooks!!

Have a wonderful Christmas!

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