Orange marmalade and coconut squares

I know what most of you are thinking ! Why marmalade ?! … Yes I never liked it either,as a child. Would’ve never thought in a million years that would change , but it has !  My tastebuds have done a fair bit of growing up too. Alongside the sweet I enjoy a bite of the bitter. My dad always liked orange marmalade , that’s how I got to taste it as a child. You have to admit though , it looks beautiful. Like blobs of soft glass with flecks the colour of a glorious sun rise ,it demands a lick !

But I agree , it is an accquired taste , not really everyone’s cup of tea ! That’s why when I was gifted this beautiful bottle of the famous Seville orange marmalade, I put it away inside my ‘condiments and others’ cabinet before I figured out what to do with it…Because I knew I couldn’t very well eat up that whole quantity all by myself . Well ! I promptly forgot about it until today and who should remind me but my hungry snack monster who is forever on a food hunt instead of studying for his exams !!!!

I must let you in on the plan by which he got me to discover this forgotten bottle. You’d think he would’ve walked up to me and ask me to make him something…..must’ve figured by now what works and what doesn’t , so we followed an alternate route. when I entered my kitchen intent on making one of my favourite salads for lunch ,my eyes spied two bottles neatly lined up , one lemon curd and the other our gleaming orange marmalade.

I’m a big sucker for anything with a citrus bite during summer. More than just eating it , I love it when the fresh aromas waft in my kitchen ,truly feels like I can deal with the summer heat better that way ! Anyway , the recipe for my mother’s coconut squares popped into my head after heaven only knows how long ! I was overjoyed because the person who thoughtfully sent me this preserve is an absolute darling and I thought of her the whole time !

Not only did I have the time to make it but I was excited at using this lovely orange marmalade in a way that was befitting of it…. not to mention the joy of surprising my husband unexpectedly with a treat 😉

So , I got down to it right away…yes made my salad too ! The brat wandered in and let me in on his little plan. I was completely gobsmacked at  how well he knew me ! In his glee he wanted to taste it right away, before lunch but his luck didn’t stretch that far….Today !  😀 .

I just had to post this recipe because I was so happy having made it and more so that it turned out all warm and toasty with the marmalade poking out it’s sun kissed orange strands as if it was directed to do so!

The coconuty topping lends the crunch and sweetness to offset the bitter after taste of the marmalade. This is a recipe which uses white sugar for the simple reason that I couldn’t quite get the combo of jaggery and marmalade together in my head…didn’t sound that great. The men in my life did complete justice to my impromptu morning baking. They both resisted seconds promising to indulge themselves extra at dinner time !

After all that high praise , it was time for the camera to come out. The sun helped elevate the sandwiched bursts of radiance to a higher level . I hope you reach for that bottle of marmalade after reading this post….if you don’t have any , Fab India sells them at all their outlets. Do let me in on what you think of this recipe. If you’re sharing it or adding it to your own page ,do add a link back to Pink Lemon Tree.

Until next time…happy baking !