I read somewhere that when icing your Christmas cake you need to leave your marzipan to dry out for a 3-4 days before putting the white icing on top. Does this also apply to the almond icing you buy in packets or just for home made marzipan? Thanks.
kiwitrish,
Dec 3, 6:31pm
The packaged almond icing should be dried out before adding the top icing. Just as you would home made marzipan.
joey2221,
Dec 3, 7:46pm
My friend iced my xmas cakes last year with Pettinice icings and she did both the same day.Tasted ok to me .Loved it .
nauru,
Dec 3, 11:48pm
The reason for drying out first is so the oil from the almonds in the marzipan doesn't bleed through the top coating. I make my own marzipan and have always done this before top coating .
uli,
Dec 4, 1:23am
You can use that stuff of course - however it is not marzipan. it is a sugar and chemical concoction with colourings, flavourings and preservatives. No almond in sight even though it is called "Almond Icing" .
Almond Icing, ready to roll for use as and when needed. Ingredients: Sugar, Glucose, Water, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Maize Starch, Flavour, Stabiliser (413, 466), Modified Starch (1422), Preservative (202), Colour (171), Acidity Regulator (260), Antioxidant (330,306-soy).
nauru,
Dec 4, 4:14am
This is the marzipan recipe that I have used for years as did my Mum, Aunties and Gran. It's from my very old UK Bero book and is still in current editions and on their website. http://www.be-ro.co.uk/recipe/showrec149.html Rich Almond Paste 350 g (12 oz) ground almonds 175 g (6 oz) caster sugar 175 g (6 oz) icing sugar 1 medium egg, beaten ½ lemon, juice only
Sufficient for top of 20-23 cm (8-9 inch) cake. Place dry ingredients in a bowl. Add lemon juice, then just enough beaten egg to make a pliable paste.
pony_girl,
Dec 4, 4:31am
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe - I have been wanting to make my own marzipan and it is nice to have a tried and true recipe to use.
jen69,
Dec 4, 10:22am
Thanks you for the advice and recipes. I would prefer to make marzipan and did last year which tasted so much better, but it was just the sheer cost of the ground almonds that made it prohibitive this time around.
nauru,
Dec 4, 9:32pm
You can grind your own as I do if you have a coffee grinder. It works out way cheaper than shop bought. I also make my own LSA so keep a grinder just for nuts & seeds.
nauru,
Dec 4, 9:36pm
You are welcome pony_girl. I just made a batch this afternoon, some of which will be rolled into balls and choc dipped and some stuffed into dates and all hidden away.
uli,
May 10, 4:19am
I usually just use an egg white, not the yolk to bind it together, as do most of my Dutch friends, saying it is not going to spoil as fast (apparently the yolk will spoil faster).
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