Marchepane

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 pounds Skinned, blanched whole almonds
Ice water
4 Egg whites
2⅔ cup Confectioners sugar
½ cup Orange juice

Directions

Colors: Natural, or, if necessary, artificial parsley or mallow for green sandalwood or alkanet for red saffron or dandelion for yellow blue turnsole for light blue violets for lavender 1. In a mortar and pestal or a blender, grind the almonds to a thick paste. Add small amounts of ice water, about ½ tsp. at a time, to prevent the almonds from becoming to oily. Place almond paste in a large mixing bowl. 2. In another bowl, beat egg whites until they peak. Gradually beat in the sugar. 3. Add the sweetened egg whites to the almond paste. With fingers wet in orange juice, knead the resulting mixture. If the mixture is too sticky to handle, add small amounts of orange juice, 1 tsp. at a time. Thoroughly knead for about 10 minutes. 4. Separate the marzipan into several sections, on for every color required for your sculpture. 5. In a separate small mixing bowl for each color, place the marzipan portions and cover the bowl tightly with a clean cloth tied securely or with aluminum foil.

Allow these to ripen or "age" in refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

(One old recipe recommends aging for a fortnight). Two days ought to suffice. 6. Mix the natural coloring agents, into the aged marzipan.

The stiff confection will be easier to knead if allowed to return to room temp. 7. Sculpture the paste according to your wildest fancy.

Wet fingers, preferably in ice water.

From: Fabulous Feasts, Medieval Cookery and Ceremony Shared By: Pat Stockett

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