I am never without a jar of Stephanie Alexander’s mum’s kumquat marmalade. Its presence in my fridge,with its gorgeous golden hue,is endlessly cheering in the depths of winter:I’ve been known to eat it straight from the jar or with thick Greek yoghurt spooned alongside.

A teaspoonful of it,as I recently discovered while tinkering in the kitchen,baked into shortbread,provides a lovely,bittersweet and chewy counterpoint to the crumbly biscuit. Of course,you can use any kind of jam here,but do give this excellent marmalade a go;the recipe is in Stephanie’sThe Cook’s Companion. Just remember you need to slice the kumquats instead of quartering them if you’re making these biscuits.