I made 1.6kg of marzipan tonight! Proper almond paste, not that almond flavoured muck. It's absolutely wonderful, the oil from the almonds is starting to move now. By tomorrow it'll have softened the almond into the egg and sugar mix. I have three cakes to cover ready to ice and some spare, which I'll be sharing with a friend and a neighbour. Despite common misconceptions, marzipan, properly made, is nowhere near as sweet as the fondant stuff nor is the home produced version as sickly as bought imported types! I can't wait to get it on the cakes! They smell amazing, having been made 2 months ago, so this truly will be the icing on the cake! xx :)
shop-a-holic,
Dec 14, 10:00am
I want a pic when complete! Congrats!
fec2003,
Dec 14, 10:15am
I don't do fancy icing. They're just traditional Christmas cakes, with the marzipan layer under the icing. Not sure they're worth taking photos of!
fogs,
Dec 14, 11:08am
I make my own marzipan for xmas stollens the commercial almond paste melts and disolves yummy stuff
cookessentials,
Dec 14, 5:30pm
Home made is always lovely. I do, however, buy the "Odense" marziapan which is the real deal, it is pretty dear now though.
dreamers,
Dec 14, 6:54pm
When we lived in Belgium I used to buy it to take to the rellies in the UK. It was about50 per cent almonds,where the Waitrose one in Nosh is only 25. The replies said there was no comparison.
fec2003,
Dec 14, 8:38pm
My recipe calls for 60% almond, 40% sugar. And it really is good. Really good as a contrast to the sweetness of the icing and the rich fruit cake. My cake is about 80% fruit, 20% cake - so again, different to the norm!
Place into a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Whisk for TWELVE minutes, continuously, until the sugar has all dissolved. After 12 minutes, take from the heat and plunge into iced water, whisking all the time. Take care NOT to get any water into the mixture. It should be pale and creamy. Once cooled - Add:
A few drops of lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
350g ground almonds (almond meal)
Stir briskly, then when it has all 'come together', tip it onto a clean surface, lightly dusted with icing sugar and knead it well. It needs to be kept, well wrapped in clingfilm, in an airtight container, for a minimum of 36 hours prior to use, for the almond oils to develop. When ready to use warm in the microwave for a few seconds, then knead well and roll as usual.
This makes enough for fully cover one 12 inch cake or the tops only of two.
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