Saltbush scones and desert lime marmalade

Ingredients

For the desert lime marmalade

• 8 Seville (or bitter) oranges, boiled whole until tender
• 2 lemons, boiled whole until tender
• Juice of 4 Seville (or bitter) oranges
• 1.75 kg caster sugar
• 200 g fresh or frozen desert limes

For the scones

• 600 g self-raising flour
• 18 g ground dried saltbush
• 360 g thickened cream
• 240 g lemonade
• Plain flour, for dusting

To serve

• Whipped cream, freeze-dried desert lime or sunrise lime powder

Standing time: 10 minutes.

Instructions

1. To make the desert lime marmalade, halve the boiled citrus fruit, scooping out the flesh (removing pips) and roughly chop. Thinly slice the rinds.
2. Combine the juice with 400 g caster sugar in a medium saucepan and cook over high heat until it forms a thick syrup. Remove from the heat.
3. Add the remaining sugar to a large saucepan with 360 g water. Brush the side of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals. Bring to the boil over a high heat and cook to 116°C. Add the orange syrup and bring to 112°C. Add the chopped fruit and rinds and cook for 10 minutes, until translucent. Stir through the desert limes and remove from the heat. Leave to sit for 10 minutes to allow the syrup to really penetrate without overly candying the fruit.
4. Place a saucer in the freezer (you’ll use this to test the marmalade’s setting point). Return to the boil for about 2 minutes, then test the setting point by placing a teaspoon of marmalade on the cold saucer from the freezer and running your finger through it. If your finger leaves a clean line without the marmalade running into the middle, it’s ready. If it’s still loose, continue cooking until you reach the right texture. Remove from the heat and transfer to a jar and keep refrigerated.
5. To make the scones, sift the flour into a large bowl, then stir through the saltbush. Pour over the cream and lemonade and gently fold using a spatula to a thick, sticky dough.
6. Preheat the oven to 195°C (175°C fan-forced). Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
7. Generously dust a clean working surface with plain flour and dust the top of your dough. Turn the scone dough out onto your bench, flour the dough again, then gently press out to a rectangle, around 2.5 cm thick.
8. Dip a 7.5 cm round biscuit cutter into the plain flour before using to cut out the scones, then transfer to the prepared tray, ensuring the scones are lightly touching. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
9. Serve the scones with desert lime marmalade, whipped cream and a dusting of lime powder.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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