Marmite - as the slogan goes - you either love it, or you hate it ! 
These Cheese & Marmite balls melt in the mouth with salty, buttery deliciousness !This recipe is one I’ve been making since I was a teenager (don’t ask how many years ago that was !) It’s quite unusual, I think – I haven’t ever come across the recipe in a book or anywhere else (my Mum got it from a friend of hers in South Africa).
I know that some readers may not be familiar with Marmite. It’s something that you truly either love or hate – I imagine that if you haven’t grown up eating it, you’ll probably dislike it as it does take some getting used to. It originates in the UK and is basically a sticky dark brown (savoury) paste that you use as a spread on sandwiches, toast etc and can also be used to flavour soups, stews and gravies. It is very salty & is described as a ‘yeast extract’ (the method of making it, aswell as the exact ingredients, are one of those closely guarded culinary secrets !)
I believe that Vegemite is the New Zealand alternative to Marmite – I’ve tasted Vegemite before and it is not as strong tasting as Marmite.
This recipe uses Marmite as a filling – and also offers the alternative of Apricot jam. The apricot jam works well, and I imagine that fig jam would, too.
I’ve made these for both an afternoon tea party and as snacks served with sundowners & both times they’ve gone down well - the cheese/butter combination makes them ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ delicious !
Cheese & Marmite Balls
250 gm (9 oz) Butter
250 gm (9 oz) Cheddar Cheese, grated
375 gm (13 oz) Flour, sifted
1 tsp (5 ml) Baking Powder
½ tsp (2,5 ml) Salt
For filling : Marmite; Apricot Jam
Mix all the ingredients together and shape into small (walnut sized) balls. Make a hollow in the top of each ball (the end of a wooden spoon works well for this) & into this, spoon your choice of filling – Marmite or Apricot jam (you can fill half the batch with Marmite, and the other half with Apricot jam). Bake at Gas Mark 4/350’F/180’C for 15 minutes. (Allow to cool down completely before eating as the filling will be piping hot !)
I know that some readers may not be familiar with Marmite. It’s something that you truly either love or hate – I imagine that if you haven’t grown up eating it, you’ll probably dislike it as it does take some getting used to. It originates in the UK and is basically a sticky dark brown (savoury) paste that you use as a spread on sandwiches, toast etc and can also be used to flavour soups, stews and gravies. It is very salty & is described as a ‘yeast extract’ (the method of making it, aswell as the exact ingredients, are one of those closely guarded culinary secrets !)
I believe that Vegemite is the New Zealand alternative to Marmite – I’ve tasted Vegemite before and it is not as strong tasting as Marmite.
This recipe uses Marmite as a filling – and also offers the alternative of Apricot jam. The apricot jam works well, and I imagine that fig jam would, too.
I’ve made these for both an afternoon tea party and as snacks served with sundowners & both times they’ve gone down well - the cheese/butter combination makes them ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ delicious !
Cheese & Marmite Balls
250 gm (9 oz) Butter
250 gm (9 oz) Cheddar Cheese, grated
375 gm (13 oz) Flour, sifted
1 tsp (5 ml) Baking Powder
½ tsp (2,5 ml) Salt
For filling : Marmite; Apricot Jam
Mix all the ingredients together and shape into small (walnut sized) balls. Make a hollow in the top of each ball (the end of a wooden spoon works well for this) & into this, spoon your choice of filling – Marmite or Apricot jam (you can fill half the batch with Marmite, and the other half with Apricot jam). Bake at Gas Mark 4/350’F/180’C for 15 minutes. (Allow to cool down completely before eating as the filling will be piping hot !)
