These Orange Marmalade Cookies are old-fashioned soft biscuits, more like a rock cake than the flatter and crispier things we usually call cookies or biscuits in Australia.
Old-fashioned cookies
Nana Ling had marked these cookies with crosses, a sign that it was a recipe she used or enjoyed a lot.
As expected, they are lovely – though they were not in the form I expected. More like a scone or rock cake, these are softer and rounder than what we call “biscuits” or “cookies” in Australia today.
The key ingredient is, of course, the marmalade. Ideally, you could make up a batch of your own Orange Marmalade. Because you just can’t beat the flavours of homemade jams and marmalades. Store-bought marmalade will, however, work perfectly well with this recipe.
Better with chocolate
Though they are lovely just as Nana Ling made them 80 years ago, these little cookies are even lovelier with some choc chips thrown in for good measure.
The chocolate highlights the zesty orange flavours in the marmalade.
Nana Ling’s Orange Marmalade Cookies recipe
Keep scrolling for the tested and tweaked version.
Orange Marmalade Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (125 grams)
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 2 well-beaten eggs (90-100mls)
- 3 cups plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup marmalade
- 1 cup choc chips (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to moderately hot (190 degrees celsius, fan-forced).
- Cream butter, sugar and eggs. If you're using a stand mixer, beat on medium-high speed for 5 minutes.
- Sift flour, salt and baking powder and fold into mixture. Add marmalade and, if you're adding the optional choc chips, add those too and stir well to combine.
- Place tablespoonfuls on a greased tray and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from tray once cooked and allow to cool.