Is there anything better than warm, fluffy brioche bread on a cold fall morning? The richness, texture, and softness - brioche bread is always a good reason to have a slow breakfast. With pumpkin season in full swing, I have been making a lot of pumpkin puree. It has become my go-to ingredient for both sweet and savory recipes, and this time I wanted to make a fall version of regular brioche bread. With notes of cinnamon, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup, this brioche bread is sweet, soft, and delicious.

Did I mention it's completely vegan?

Whereas regular brioche recipes call for eggs and butter, this version is egg and butter-free, completely vegan, and has a light, airy texture. It can be prepared in a few hours (including the rising time) and savored for many days after the baking. After 2-3 days, it becomes perfect for making french toast, and today I will reveal to you how to make the perfect, most delicious French toast without using any eggs.

how to prepare vegan brioche bread

You will need a few essential ingredients - flour, yeast, salt, a dash of cinnamon, plant-based milk, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup for this recipe.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, cinnamon, and salt. Add in the dairy-free milk, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree. Using a spatula, fold until mostly combined. Sprinkle a little more flour if needed and knead the dough for about 10 minutes, until elastic and smooth.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let sit for 60-90 minutes in a warm, draft-free place until doubled. Once the dough has doubled, divide it into three parts and make balls from each part. Gently knead every dough ball until elastic and smooth.
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Prepare a rectangular loaf baking pan by greasing the loaf or covering it with parchment paper. Place the three dough pieces in a row and cover them with a kitchen towel. Keep them in a warm place until doubled in size, about 20-30 minutes. Brush with maple syrup and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden.

how to make homemade pumpkin puree

I prefer making my own pumpkin puree instead of buying canned one, as it is a much healthier and tastier option to add to your sweet and savory dishes. Making a homemade version is very simple and straightforward, and all you have to do is:

• Wash the pumpkin and cut it in half. If your pumpkin is too big, try cutting them into four or six pieces.

• Preheat your oven at 200 C or 395 F. Place the halves cut-side-down onto a baking sheet and roast until the flesh is soft and coming away from the skin (About 40 to 50 minutes). Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then take a spoon and gently transfer the pumpkin flesh to a food processor.

• Blend for 30 seconds or until completely smooth. Pour the mixture into the glass jars and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.

how to eat pumpkin brioche bread?

Right out of the oven, toasted, alone, or with some hazelnut spread, this pumpkin brioche is a perfect way to start your morning. If you forgot to put it away correctly or had it for a few days and it dried out, don't throw it away but instead prepare French toast, the vegan way.

French toast is one of my favorite breakfast options as it reminds me of a lot of Saturdays at home, my childhood, and the beautiful aroma filling up the house. Any bread can be used for french toast, but regular white bread or brioche bread brings the best results. And where you would need eggs and milk for a regular recipe, today we will be making a vegan kind, superb in taste that you can not even tell it is completely made without eggs.

For this recipe, you will need some plant milk of your choice, maple syrup, flour, nutritional yeast (it will give that egg flavor to your toast), ground flaxseeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and some coconut oil for the pan. Gently whisk the ingredients and soak every piece of bread on both sides. Transfer to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden. Drizzle with maple syrup, add cinnamon, whipped cream, and enjoy. You can omit the spices if you don't have them, but I like the cozy, cinnamon aroma this french toast has. This vegan french toast recipe is so easy to make and perfect for the cozy weekend breakfast at home.

CAN i FREEZE BRIOCHE BREAD?

If you have leftover brioche bread, let it cool completely, then slice it and place the slices into freezer ziplock bags and freeze. They can last up to 3 months in the freezer; make sure to take them a few hours before consuming and heat in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 180 C (350 F) until warm and tender. I don't recommend freezing the french toast. Instead, freeze only brioche bread and make french toast the same day.

TIPS FOR MAKING A PERFECTLY SOFT BRIOCHE BREAD

1. Do I have to use bread flour? 

No, you don't have to. I mix it with all-purpose flour for better rising, but you will have a perfect result if you use only all-purpose flour as well.

2. Can I use a store-bought pumpkin puree? 

Of course, just make sure it's 100% pumpkin and not a pumpkin pie mixture.

3. Can I use fresh yeast instead of dry yeast? 

Yes, use 7g of dry yeast or 25g of fresh yeast. However, make sure to use it properly. Dry, instant yeast is added directly to the rest of the ingredients without leaving it to bloom. Fresh yeast should be melted in some warm milk before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. Also, it is very important to have your milk mild, not hot ( 37 C or 100 F), so you don't kill the yeast.

4. Can I omit the maple syrup?

Yes, but the bread won't be sweet. In case you don't have it, add 3-4 tablespoons of sugar to the dry ingredients.

VEGAN PUMPKIN BRIOCHE BREAD
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6 

300g all-purpose flour

200g bread flour

320ml dairy-free milk

50ml maple syrup + more for brushing

7g yeast

Pinch of salt

130g pumpkin puree

1 tsp cinnamon

METHOD

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, cinnamon, and salt. Add in the dairy-free milk, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree. Using a spatula, fold until mostly combined. Sprinkle a little more flour if needed and knead the dough for about 10 minutes, until elastic and smooth.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let sit for 60-90 minutes in a warm, draft-free place until doubled. Once the dough has doubled, divide it into three parts and make balls from each part. Gently knead every dough ball until elastic and smooth.

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Prepare a rectangular loaf baking pan by greasing the loaf or covering it with parchment paper. Place the three dough pieces in a row and cover with a kitchen towel. Keep them in a warm place until doubled in size, about 20-30 minutes. Brush with maple syrup and bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden. Serve warm. The dough can remain fresh for 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container. 

VEGAN PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST

INGREDIENTS

Yields 6 slices
1 cup (240ml) plant-based milk
1 tbsp maple syrup plus some more for serving
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (gives that egg-flavor)
1 tsp cinnamon
 ¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground flax seeds
Pinch of salt
Coconut oil for pan

METHOD

In a deep bowl, whisk together milk, maple syrup, flour, nutritional yeast, cinnamon, nutmeg, flaxseed meal, and salt.
Heat the pan with some coconut oil on medium heat. Dip each slice of bread in the batter for a couple of seconds on each side (If your batter is too thick, thin with a bit of dairy-free milk). If your bread is dry, leave it in a little longer.  Transfer to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden. Drizzle with maple syrup, add cinnamon, and some whipped cream. Enjoy!

It's St. Valentine's day and of course, we are talking about chocolate. Is there any better way of celebrating love than with delicious chocolate desserts? Or celebrating life in general (big chocolate fan over here).

Today I am sharing with you a delicious, yet so easy chocolate dessert perfect to surprise your loved ones. These Chocolate Doughnuts are very cake-like, baked in the oven (so much better than fried) and covered in naturally colored pink glaze and glossy chocolate.

I will admit that I am not a big fan of fried desserts in general, so doughnuts were not on my primary dessert list. However, I decided to bake them instead of frying, and let me tell you the result was spectacular! Just look at those perfect chocolate doughnuts!

I recently bought a doughnut baking pan that I was dying to try and is there a more perfect occasion to bake dozens of chocolate doughnuts than for Valentine's?

The procedure for baking the mixture is very simple and they are ready in less than 10 minutes. It is important to have a good non-stick pan (find mine here) and you will be good to go!

As it's Valentine's day I decided to step up my decorations and do two different glazes - glossy chocolate and naturally-colored berry glaze. I sprinkled them with chocolate nibs and rose petals but you can leave them plain or decorate with your favorite sprinkles.

Both types of glaze are very easy to prepare and give amazing results. Both glaze recipes require few, simple ingredients and make your doughnuts super shiny and pretty!

Are you ready to give a try and bake some this week? If you decide to bake them, make sure to tag me on Instagram @thehungryapron or comment below - I am very excited to hear your feedback!

Happy weekend and happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Chocolate cake doughnuts (oven-baked)
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 12
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 8 minutes

For the chocolate doughnuts

250g all-purpose flour

130g sugar

60g dark cocoa powder

2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

180ml buttermilk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp butter, melted

FOR THE chocolate glaze

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

80ml heavy cream

2 tbsp water

75g bittersweet chocolate

FOR THE RASPBERRY GLAZE 

100g icing sugar

2 tbsp whole milk

a handful of fresh or frozen raspberries

2 tbsp granulated sugar

METHOD

Prepare the chocolate batter:

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Spray your doughnut pan with the cooking spray or cover with some melted butter and flour. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Add buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Beat until just combined. Fill each pan cavity approximately with 2/3 of the cake batter. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the doughnuts spring back when touched. Let cool in the pan for 4-5 minutes before removing. Cover them with your favorite glaze and serve.

Prepare the chocolate glaze:
In a small saucepan combine sugar, cocoa, heavy cream, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour the sugar mixture over the chocolate and let stand for about a minute. Using a heat proof spatula, stir until chocolate is completely smooth. Strain the glaze through a fine-mesh sieve and use it immediately. The chocolate glaze can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks. Warm to desired consistency before use.
Prepare the pink raspberry glaze:
Blend raspberries with 2 tbsp granulated sugar starting at low speed and increasing to high. Blend for two minutes on high or until the mixture is completely smooth. Strain the raspberry puree and conserve only the liquid part. In a small bowl mix milk with icing sugar. Start adding raspberry puree 1 tsp at a time. In this way, you can regulate the color. The more puree you add, the pinker is the glaze.

Notes: If you don't have buttermilk you can also use 180ml milk + 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice. Mix well and leave it aside for 5 minutes before adding to the cake batter.

NECESSARY OBJECTS
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When winter mornings are foggy and cold, we light the fireplace, stay in our pajamas, and eat pancakes. During the week, we don’t have as much time for a proper breakfast together, but when the weekend vibes kick in, we are all about slow morning, cups of coffee, and homemade pancakes.

Even though we love traditional pancakes, from time to time, we try new flavors, always trying to eat more healthy but not giving up great taste, and when it comes to pancakes, their softness.

Today I am sharing with you a very easy recipe, totally gluten-free, and vegan! Yes, this pancake mix has no eggs, regular milk, or butter and still is superb!

Even if you are not vegan, you have probably been in that situation where you wake up craving fluffy pancakes but you don’t have eggs at home. This recipe will be a perfect substitute for your regular pancakes and is totally worth trying.

I am using aquafaba (chickpea water) as an egg substitute and it performs as a perfect binder of all your dry ingredients. Aquafaba is vegan-friendly and suitable for those who are allergic or intolerant to eggs. Even if it is not the most attractive ingredient, you will definitely not taste it once the pancakes are ready! I would recommend always buying chickpeas that come in a glass container instead of the ones in a metal can, so you can preserve both chickpeas and aquafaba for your recipes.

For this recipe I am using rice and almond flour, but if you would like to use regular wheat flour, substitute the amount in 1:1 ratio (use a total of 140g wheat flour for the recipe).

A combination of rice and almond flour makes these pancakes more airy and light, and I must say that I prefer them for breakfast over the ones made with regular white flour. Almond flour gives extra nutty taste to the pancakes, which goes so well with chocolate chunks that will melt with each bite!

A generous amount of maple syrup and your day will start off amazingly! Healthy, nutritious and tasteful, why should you resist them? 

Try baking a batch this weekend and let me know what you think! Tag me on Instagram or use #makingordinarymagical and show me your slow weekend breakfast! 

Fluffy Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes   
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 2
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

70g almond flour

70g white rice flour

1 tsp maple syrup or brown sugar

 ½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp gluten-free baking powder

Pinch of salt

5 tbsp aquafaba, lightly whisked until foamy

5-7 tbsp plant-based milk

30g dark chocolate chips

METHOD

Whisk aquafaba until foamy, then add milk and maple syrup. Add all dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in gently chocolate chips and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat and pour about 1 tbsp for one pancake. Brown on both sides and serve warm with maple syrup or topping of your choice.

Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices and I use it in my kitchen all the time, especially when baking desserts. It gives so much aroma to my meals, so when the recipe calls for a generous cinnamon sugar layer, I am definitely in! And where there is cinnamon, there are also cinnamon rolls. Soft, fluffy and buttery, who can resist them? 

The first time I tried a cinnamon roll was back in high school. As a senior high school student, I used to live in Ohio for a year, where my host mom would often make cinnamon rolls. I hadn't tried them before that, so imagine how in love I was when taking the first bite of this delicious, fluffy treat. From then on, I could eat cinnamon rolls for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

Ten years later, I find myself in the kitchen, kneading the dough for the most delicious Fall recipe there is. Soft buttery dough, covered with a cinnamony  brown sugar layer, green apple chunks, and a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce to make it more exciting. The house feels like a little bakery and beautiful cinnamon aroma is everywhere. I take a sip of my coffee and patiently wait that they rise, just enough for the baking. 

Making homemade cinnamon rolls is actually pretty easy. This dough has essential ingredients that you all have at home, and all you need to do is follow the recipe and let it rest for some time. I know, resting time can be pretty difficult as all you think is the final result - that gorgeous, fluffy cinnamon roll filled with apples and caramel.

However, as we are using dry, instant yeast for this recipe, the rising process is pretty quick, and you can make these cinnamon rolls the same morning for your breakfast or brunch with friends. Trust me, once you bake them, they will be all gone in 10 minutes!

You can keep your stuffing simple and only go for cinnamon and brown sugar, but I highly recommend to add apple chunks and caramel to it. These ingredients go so well together and are worth a try! You can make your own caramel sauce (I am sharing the recipe in the instructions) or you can use the store-bought version, the choice is yours. I prefer making my own and using it throughout the fall for many recipes.

These soft, cinnamon rolls have made it to the top of our favorite Fall breakfast list, and now is your turn to try them and share this recipe with your family and friends. If you have time, take a picture before they are all gone and tag me on Instagram or use #thehungryapron so I can find you! I would love to see how they turned out!

Let’s be honest, is there a better way than starting your morning with these buttery, fluffy rolls?

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 12

Prep. time: 40 Minutes

Cooking time: 20 Minutes

For the dough

4 tablespoons salted butter

180 ml of milk

60 ml water

390 - 450g all-purpose flour

50g granulated sugar

A pinch of salt

7g dry instant yeast

1 egg, room temperature

FOR THE filling

125g brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

5 tablespoons salted butter, softened

1 large granny smith, cored and finely chopped

5 tbsp caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought)

FOR HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE

Makes 1 small jar

240 g granulated Sugar
115ml water
225ml Heavy Whipping Cream or Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp Salt

METHOD

In a small cooking pan, combine the milk, water, and butter. Heat on low for 1 minute, remove and stir. The butter should be melted and the milk warm. If the mixture is too hot, let it sit for a few minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, add 360g flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add the warm milk mixture and the egg. With a hand or stand mixer, beat on medium-low speed to combine. When the dough starts sticking to the sides of the bowl, start adding the remaining flour, 30g at a time until the dough stops sticking and forms a nice ball. I needed all the 450 grams of flour for my dough. Knead the dough with your hands for another 5 minutes, then cover with the plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare cinnamon brown sugar by whisking together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until combined.

When the dough has risen nicely (at least doubled in size), put it on a lightly floured work surface, and with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle (approx. 35 by 25cm).

Using a small spatula, spread the softened butter out evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon brown sugar mixture. Top with apple chunks and drizzle caramel sauce on top. Roll up the dough tightly, cut it into 12 even pieces, and place it in a lightly greased round pan (I used a 28 cm round pan, but you can also use a rectangular one).

Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and allow them to rise in a warm, dark place for 40 minutes or an hour. If you don't have this time, you can also preheat the oven to 100 degrees Celsius, turned it off, and place the rolls to rise there. The warm oven will make them rise in 20 minutes or so.

When the dough has risen, uncover the dish. Bake, the caramel apple cinnamon rolls for 15-18 minutes or until the rolls are golden and cooked through. Remove and let cool on a wire cooling rack for 5 – 10 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce and serve warm.

How to make your homemade caramel sauce

 If you are making homemade caramel, combine water, sugar, and salt into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, continually stirring as this will help the sugar dissolve faster. When the syrup comes to a boil, stop stirring until syrup is honey-colored, about 6-7 minutes. Continue cooking until syrup is light to medium amber, a minute more. Immediately add cream and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir constantly until you get a creamy caramel texture, another 3 minutes or so. Leave to cool before transferring it to a jar. Caramel will be runny while warm, but thicken as it cools. Keep it in the fridge for up to 1 month. 

Weekend mornings are the ones I enjoy the most. Waking slowly to the scent of coffee, going through the journals, and enjoying morning silence. I am a breakfast person, and my mornings always start with drinking coffee, and for fifteen minutes not thinking about anything, just enjoying that precise moment. Then, when everyone else is awake, I can start preparing breakfast. These little weekend rituals have been around my whole life, and are really something I don't give up easily.

But why limit these beautiful rituals only to one or two days a week? Can’t we have 30 minutes for ourselves every day? Preparing a slow breakfast at home and enjoying a mug of coffee or tea should not be that hard. We give our time easily to others, can't we save some time for ourselves as well? 

I can not go out without my breakfast, and as I love this meal the most, I make sure it’s also delicious. Taking the time for a proper breakfast is my way of preparing for a busy day ahead, and where I love making porridge during autumn days, homemade toasted bread and a few spoons of delicious homemade marmalade is definitely my favorite. 

Ok, I must confess. I LOVE bread, and sometimes I eat it too much. I could live without pasta and other carbs, just don’t take my bread away. Especially if it's sourdough and made with whole-grain flours and seeds. Those are my favorite! Baking homemade bread is really something I want to master. This time I am sharing a recipe for whole-grain bread that is without any yeast, easy to make and ready to mix up the night before or bake immediately. 

This no yeast bread is packed with good grains and lots of seeds. It’s more compact than the usual bread (as there is no yeast to help in rising the dough), but if you are like me, you will love this type of bread. Perfect for spreads such as marmalade, hummus, or avocado toast. 

Now let’s talk about this delicious, plum marmalade. Those of you who follow me for some time now, know that I am a huge fan of homemade jams and preserves. It’s just something that goes way back and is embedded in our family traditions. If this is the first time you make your marmalade, make sure to read my post on How to store marmalade for winter.

Whereas other types of marmalade have a long cooking process, our plum marmalade is baked. Yes, you heard me. And let me tell you - this process is way easier, especially for those of you who don’t want to stand in the kitchen and mix it continuously. All you have to do is slice your plums the night before, cover them with sugar and leave to soak. The next day put them in the preheated oven and occasionally stir every 15-20 minutes until you reach the desired texture. Sounds like a dream, right? You can also add some spices to it - such as cinnamon or nutmeg. I like my plain and with chunks of fruit in it. 

These two recipes really make my perfect morning and we enjoy it throughout the whole year. Try making them and enjoying them with your favorite warm drink. If you decide to make it make sure to comment below or tag me on Instagram @thehungryapron. I would love to see how it turned out! 

Healthy no yeast whole-grain bread WITH homemade plum jam

Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

For the whole-grain bread  
( 1 loaf makes around 12 slices )

200g rye flour

200g wholegrain spelt flour

1 tbsp sesame seeds + more for decoration

1 tbsp ground flax seeds + flax seeds for decoration

3 tbsp sunflower seeds + more for decoration

1 tbsp oat flakes + more for decoration

1 tbsp maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

Mineral sparkling water, just enough to bind all the ingredients

FOR THE plum marmalade

( makes around 8 medium jars )

5kg fresh plums, ripe and sweet

500g sugar

METHOD

Prepare the bread:
In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Add maple syrup, olive oil and start adding water. You will need a bit more than 1 glass of water to mix all ingredients well.  Cover the dough with a clean table cloth and leave for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven at 180°C (350°F). Line a plum cake pan with parchment paper. Spread the bread dough equally and cover with a mixture of seeds and flakes. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Let it cool before cutting.

Prepare the plum marmalade:
Wash the plums and cut in quarters, removing the seeds. Add sugar, mix and cover with a clean tablecloth. Leave overnight or for at least 8 hours.
Preheat your oven at 180°C. Place the plums in a large pan and bake for around 2 hours. Check your jam every 20 minutes, and stir for a moment. The final result should have jam consistency but not too firm as the marmalade will get thicker after cooling.

How to store marmalade:

Once the marmalade is ready, turn off the oven and take it out. Prepare clean glass jars and put them in the oven until it’s still warm. Once the jars got warm, fill them with hot marmalade, close well, and turn upside down. Let them cool completely. Store them in a cool, dry place away from direct light. In this way, your marmalade won’t go bad, and you can enjoy it throughout the whole winter. Once opened, the jar should be stored in the refrigerator.

I used nectarines for this specific recipe as they were very ripe and sweet, but you can also use yellow or white regular peaches. Also, the same method can be used for apricots too. The process is the same, they just might need different cooking time. I find that my apricot marmalade cooks more quickly and is already ready in 20 minutes, whereas peaches need a few minutes more. 

For making a good marmalade you want that your fruit is ripe enough as the sweeter the fruit, the less sugar we will be adding to it. The original recipe calls for 2:1 fruit sugar ratio (on 1kg of fruit we add 500g sugar), but as peaches are particularly sweet, 350 to 400 grams is enough. If you want you can add a dash of cinnamon or a splash of vanilla extract for an extra taste. I like mine plain as I use it also in my cakes and tarts. 

How to preserve summer in a jar?

a few tips on keeping your marmalade fresh until winter

The method of storing jams and preserves described below is how my mom has been preserving them for years now.

Gear needed for the canning process:

• Clean jars ready to use and fitting lids - get new jars or recycle glass jars from things you have already bought. Just make sure you have all the lids too.

• Baking tray or oven-safe dish where we will warm up the jars

When preparing jams and marmalades, it is important to get all your jars ready to go. Find the ones you want to use - I recommend using smaller/medium jars as in that way you can store more smaller portions of marmalade and don't have to worry about wasting it (once opened the jars are stored in the fridge and should be consumed in a month or so).

If you've already searched this topic, you have probably found different methods of using pots with warm water and finishing cooking your marmalade in that way. The way we will use is much simpler and faster. All you need to do is wash your jars well, place them on a baking tray or an oven-safe dish and put them in a cold oven. We will be heating them on a low temperature to keep them warm, so they don't break when you start filling them with hot marmalade. Usually, I turned the oven on a minimum (150 degrees Celsius) 10 minutes before the jam is ready for canning. In that way, they are warm enough and ready as soon as marmalade has thickened. 

Make sure to have a kitchen cloth near as those jars will be very hot, so don't burn yourself when taking them out. Make sure they are warm enough before filling with marmalade. This is very important as if you put hot marmalade in a regular, not preheated jar, the glass jar will actually break! 

Fill up your jars and leave a centimeter of space until the top. Close with a lid carefully and turn upside down. Repeat the process for all the jars and place them again on a baking tray (in an upside-down position). Leave them to cool down on a dry place or put them back in the oven that you turned off. Let them cool completely before turning them up.

Once cooled down, turn them so the lids are up again and store in a dark, cool place. 

HOW CAN i KNOW WHEN MY MARMALADE IS READY?

Easy! With this "spoon trick," you will never get a runny or overcooked marmalade. All you need to do is to start checking for your marmalade texture after 15 minutes of cooking. With a clean spoon, take a little of your marmalade and place it on a small plate. Go through the marmalade with a top of the spoon and see how it reacts. If it returns quickly, then the marmalade needs a bit more cooking. Repeat your test until the texture is right (remember that marmalade will thicken more during the cooling period so make sure not to overcook it).

This preparing method has been around for years in my family and I assure you it has never failed us. Try preparing a peach marmalade until they are still in season and let me know how it went! I will be sharing my plum marmalade recipe soon, which we will be baking instead of cooking so make sure to subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram in order to stay up to date with new delicious recipes!

Easy peach marmalade (no pectin)
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Makes 6 jars
Prep. time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 1 hour

3kg ripe peaches
1,2kg sugar

METHOD

Wash and peel peaches. Remove the pits, and slice up the peaches.
Place them in a large cooking pan and cover them with sugar. Mix well. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen cloth and leave them overnight or for at least 8 hours. In this way, the fruit will release all the juice and will be easier to cook. 
Wash the jars you are planning to use, find all lids, and prepare them for canning. 
On medium heat, place the cooking pan with fruit and mix continuously. With the back of your wooden spoon, smash your peaches a bit so they break easier. Turn down the heat and stir until the marmalade thickens. Usually, it takes about 20 to 30 minutes.  You will know that the jam is ready when the mixture is thick enough to leave a trail behind the spoon. Once the marmalade starts thickening, remove from heat and stir for another 10 minutes consistently.  This will keep the color of your jam very peachy and bright.
In the meantime, place all your washed jars in an oven-safe dish, put them in the oven, and turn them on at 150 degrees Celsius. Your jars should be hot, as, in that way, we will prevent them from cracking once the hot marmalade is poured in.
Once ready, fill up your jar and leave a centimeter of space until the top. Close with a lid carefully and turn upside down. Repeat the process for all the jars and place them again on a baking tray (in an upside-down position). Leave them to cool down in a dry place or put them back in the oven you turned off. Let them cool completely before turning them.
Once cooled down, turn them so the lids are up again and store them in a dark, cool place or enjoy them immediately. Once opened, the jar should be stored in the fridge and consumed within a month.

Note: The quantity of 3kg should be enough for 6 medium glass jars. Quantity may differ from the size of the jars you are using. Note that marmalade will thicken more during the cooling time so make sure not to overcook it.

You need some baking ideas that include marmalade? Try these delicious Soft cookies or bake a batch of good old Linzer cookies. Make sure to follow me on Instagram and tag me when you prepare one of my recipes! I would love to see them!