Italian Marzipan Recipes

ITALIAN MARZIPAN RECIPE

Steps:

• Blend almonds until floury.
• Place sugar and water in a medium/small pot and bring them to a boil, cook until when you dip a spoon inside the mixture, and you pull it out, the drops that fall stretch a bit before falling back into the pot.
• Remove from heat, add the almond meal and the vanilla extract, and mix to incorporate.
• Wet the working surface with your hands and pour the mixture over it.
• Wait till temperature decreases enough (careful, I got burned!) to work it with your hands. Give it at least 30-40 minutes.
• Knead the mixture with wet hands (wet them again if you feel like the dough is too dry) for about 5 minutes.
• This is when you can add the food coloring to change the dough color: add a few drops, work it at least for a minute and add more coloring if necessary, until you get the desired color.
• Roll out the marzipan and shape it or cut it out as per your needs.
• If not, form a ball, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate.

DOLCETTI DI MARZAPANE (ITALIAN MARZIPAN COOKIES)

Steps:

• Combine ground almonds, 2 1/2 cups sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla extract in a bowl; mix into a smooth dough.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Pour 1/4 cup sugar onto a shallow plate. Roll dough into walnut-size balls and roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer carefully to a wire rack. Cool completely before serving.

MARZIPAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix butter and sugar in large bowl. Stir in flour and almond extract until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Divide into 3 equal parts. Tint and shape dough as directed below. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 300°F. Bake about 30 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Apples: Mix red or green food color into part of dough. Shape into small balls. Insert small piece of cinnamon stick in top for stem end and whole clove in bottom for blossom end. Dilute red or green food color with water and brush over apples. Apricots: Mix red and yellow food colors into part of dough. Shape into small balls. Make crease down 1 side with a toothpick. Insert whole clove for stem end. Dilute red food color with water and brush over apricots. Bananas: Mix yellow food color into part of dough. Shape into 3-inch rolls, tapering ends. Slightly flatten sides to make planes of banana; curve slightly. Paint on markings with mixture of red, yellow and blue food colors diluted with water. Oranges: Mix red and yellow food colors into part of dough. Shape into small balls. Insert whole clove for blossom end. Prick with blunt end of toothpick for texture. Pears: Mix yellow food color into part of dough. Shape into small balls, then into cone shapes, rounding narrow end. Insert small piece of cinnamon stick in narrow end for stem. Dilute red food color with water and brush on "cheeks" of pears. Strawberries: Mix red food color into part of dough. Shape into small balls, then into heart shapes, about 3/4 inch high. Prick with blunt end of toothpick for texture. Roll in red sugar. Insert small piece of green-colored toothpick or green dough into top for stem.

MARZIPAN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter and flour a 9" cake pan.
• Cream the almond paste with the butter and sugar.
• Mix in the almonds.
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly with almond extract and add to the creamed mixture.
• Combine the flour and baking powder and stir into butter mixture.
• Mix with a few strokes as possible.
• Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Do not over bake!
• Heat water and preserves and brush on the top of warm cake.