Homemade marzipan is a cinch to prepare. Add some food colouring, a little imagination and our easy step-by-step instructions (see this page) and you can create marzipan flowers to dress up any cake or cupcake.
MAKES: about 3 ½ cups (1 ¾ lb)
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 ½ cups almond meal or almond flour
- 3 cups icing sugar, sifted
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 4 tsp almond extract
- 2 tsp rose water (see sidebar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large egg whites
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine the almond meal, icing sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the mixture is finely ground and free of lumps.
- Add the almond extract, rose water, and vanilla extract. Pulse several times until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
- Add the egg whites. Pulse until the mixture forms a dough, scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl as necessary. If the mixture is too sticky to handle, add a little almond meal and icing sugar, then process to combine.
- Tip the mixture out onto a clean work surface. Form it into a disc, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Keep the marzipan wrapped until ready to use. (Marzipan can be refrigerated, well wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks.)
BAKING DAY SECRETS:
Here’s how to tint marzipan before making marzipan flowers.
- Divide the marzipan into the same number of pieces as you require colours.
- Keeping the remaining marzipan covered with a clean, damp towel to prevent it from drying out, flatten one piece and, using a toothpick, add a few drops of gel food colouring. Always add the colouring a small amount at a time to ensure the correct colour is achieved.
- Wearing disposable gloves, knead the colour into the marzipan until uniformly tinted. Cover the piece of tinted marzipan and repeat with the remaining pieces, tinting each a different colour.
CHANGE IT UP:
If rose water is unavailable, replace it with extra almond or vanilla extract.
