Gold Marzipan Pumpkins Acorns And Leaves Recipes

MARZIPAN PUMPKINS

Steps:

• Place marzipan on a clean work surface. Cut in half. Add a few drops of orange food coloring to one half; knead with your hands until uniform in color. Add more food coloring as needed to achieve desired color. Shape into 3/4-inch balls. Use a toothpick to make indents in tops of balls for stems and press creases along outer edges from top to bottom for pumpkin ribs.
• Divide remaining marzipan half into two pieces. Add a few drops of brown food coloring to one piece; knead with your hands until uniform in color. Add more food coloring as needed. Roll into small ropes to use as stems.
• Add a few drops of green food coloring to remaining piece of marzipan; knead with your hands until uniform in color. Add more food coloring as needed. Roll out to a 1/8-inch-thick round. Cut out leaves using a small leaf-shaped cutter. Attach stems and leaves to tops of balls, pressing with a toothpick to adhere.

MARZIPAN FRUITS

Steps:

• Combine confectioners' sugar, almonds, egg whites, and brandy in a blender; blend until all ingredients are sticking together and marzipan is formed. Press into a ball, cover in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours to get firm. Chill for an additional 6 to 12 hours if marzipan is not hard yet.
• Remove marzipan from fridge. Coat your hands slightly in confectioners' sugar and knead marzipan for about 1 minute. Separate marzipan into different portions, depending on how many and which fruits you'd like to make, and knead in food coloring to the different portions. To make the different fruits, start with a 1-inch ball of marzipan and give it the shape, details, and texture depending on the fruit you are shaping.

MARZIPAN PUMPKINS

Steps:

• Place almond paste and fondant in a mixing bowl with the dough hook attachment, set on first speed, beat until soft. Gradually add the syrups, then the powdered sugar to form a nice clay-like dough. Add food coloring by kneading it into the paste, by hand, on a board with a little powdered sugar. Shape into a 1-inch diameter log. Cut into 1-inch pieces and roll into a ball. Take a paring knife and gently make the indentations of the pumpkin.

CARAMELIZED-APPLE SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Put 1/2 stick butter into a large nonstick skillet. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into skillet, and toss in pod. Cook over medium heat until butter is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in apples, cider, and 1 cup granulated sugar. Raise heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and cook until apples are golden and translucent and liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Discard vanilla pod. Let cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Dust with flour, and tap out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Reserve 1/4 cup flour mixture.
• Beat remaining 2 sticks butter, remaining 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, and the brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low. Beat in flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the sour cream and scraping bowl as needed. Add remaining 1/4 cup flour mixture to apple mixture, and toss. Fold in apple mixture and pecans.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until tops are dark golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen. Unmold cakes, and let cool, right side up, on rack.
• Assemble cake: Trim each cake so it's 1 3/4 inches high. Place 1 cake, cut side up, on a cake stand. Spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream over top. Place remaining cake, cut side down, on top. Spread 1 cup buttercream over entire cake. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. Spread remaining frosting over cake. (Cake can be refrigerated, uncovered, overnight.)
• Before serving, decorate with marzipan pumpkins, acorns, and leaves.

GOLD MARZIPAN PUMPKINS, ACORNS, AND LEAVES

Steps:

• For Pumpkins 1. Roll room-temperature marzipan into 1 1/2-inch spheres (squat or rotund). With a flat toothpick dipped in vegetable oil, draw lines from top to bottom of each pumpkin. 2. With wide end of toothpick, create an indentation in top of pumpkin for a stem. Create stems by rolling bits of marzipan, and press into top of each pumpkin. 3. Brush pumpkins lightly with gold-pearl luster dust and stems with gold-sparkle luster dust. Let dry overnight. For Leaves 1. On a surface lightly coated with confectioners' sugar or cornstarch, roll room-temperature marzipan to 1/4-inch thickness. Using leaf-shape cutters, create leaves. 2. Use a toothpick or paring knife to create veins. If desired, twist and curl leaves slightly. Brush lightly with gold-sparkle luster dust. Let dry overnight. For Acorns 1. Roll room-temperature marzipan into 1/2-inch spheres for the acorn body. Roll one end into a point. Roll about 1/3 of the amount of marzipan used for the acorn into a sphere for the cap. With the clean eraser of a pencil or a gumpaste tool, such as an embosser, press a hole on underside of cap. Gently press cap onto acorn. 2. With a flat toothpick dipped in vegetable oil or a paring knife, create a crosshatch pattern on each cap. Create stems by rolling bits of marzipan, and press into top of each cap. 3. Brush acorns lightly with gold-pearl luster dust. Let dry overnight.