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joanmary_z10

RECIPE: Marzipan for Christmas Fruit Cake. - recipe or buy it?

joanmary_z10
17 years ago

Do you have a tried and true recipe for making a large batch of Marzipan to cover a Christmas Cake?

Time to bake the delicious British Christmas Cake for this year's holiday treat. Yum Yum!!

Or oes anyone know where one can buy good Marzipan for the outer covering of a British Christmas cake (fruit cake)? I'm sure anyone of British, South African, Australian or New Zealand descent would be well versed in where to shop here in Fort Lauderdale for the ingredients which are sometimes a little hard to come by here.

What liquor have you used to flavour it?

What liquor do you feed it with when it's maturing?

Thanks in advance.

Comments (7)

  • starduster
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm sorry, I have no idea. However, I am looking for some good fresh Glaceed fruit for my fruitcake this year. I want to start now so it gets all flavored thru and thru.

    I use captain morgan spiced rum for my cake. What do you use?

    Star

  • lisbet
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here are a couple of recipes that I have tucked away in my cookbook. I did make marzipan one christmas to make minature fruits for decorating a cookie tray. It worked out well.

    Don't know about the total yeld, but think you could make a couple of batches.....or adjust the ingredients to suit your purpose. (Bought some marzipan once, but it did not have a good taste, so it was a waste of good money. That is when I decided to make my own!)

    ALMOND PASTE
    100 g blanched almonds
    100 g icing sugar
    egg white
    2 ml almond extract
    Grate the almonds finely and mix with the sieved icing sugar in a bowl. Mix in egg white, little at a time, until you get a soft and kneadable mixture. Add the almond extract and continue kneading with your hands.
    Wrap the almond paste tightly in plastic. Use it to make candies, to cover cakes or to fill traditional Finnish shrove buns.
    Almond paste may be coloured and flavoured with food colourings, cocoa powder and various essences and extracts.

    There is enormous confusion about the difference between what we call "almond paste"and what some confectioners call "marzipan," and candy manuals are not much help. Some would say our recipe is one for marzipan, others would say, that it's almond paste. But whatever name, you can use the paste made by this recipe in pastry and cake fillings, as well as to make small candy shapes that you can tint, using a small brush and food coloring. The advantage of making your own, over most of the versions available in shops is the absence of inexpensive fillers and excessive bitter almond extract that compromise the delicacy of the flavor. Those with nineteenth century leanings might prefer rose water to the almond extract in the recipe. (Nice for wedding or special cakes.) Well wrapped and refrigerated, the paste will keep for many months. .1/2 pound whole, blanched Almonds 2 tablespoons Water (for processing almonds) 1 cup Sugar 1/2 cup Water (for the syrup) 2 tablespoons Light Corn Syrup 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract, or more to taste Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and spread the blanched almonds on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring frequently, until they are heated through but not browned. While the almonds are still hot, put them into the container of a blender or food processor and grind them as fine as possible, adding the 2 tablespoons water gradually and stopping to scrape down the sides of the container occasionally. When you pinch a bit and feel no coarse grain, the nuts are fine enough. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/2 cup water, and corn syrup. Boil without stirring until the syrup reaches 235 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in the flavoring. Start the blender (or food processor) and add the hot syrup in a thin stream through the feeder opening in the cover. Continue to process until the mixture is uniform. Cool the almond paste and pack it into a jar, or wrap it in plastic, allow it to ripen in the refrigerator for a week or so before using it. (If necessary to soften the almond paste after storage, heat it, wrapped in foil, in a steamer over boiling water, or put it unwrapped in the upper part of a double boiler over boiling water, just until it is pliable enough to use.)
  • lisbet
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just came across this web page and thought it might be of help for you. Do you already have a recipe for your fruit cake?

    Here is a link that might be useful: Making Marzipan to cover Cakes

  • lisbet
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    An English Christmas Cake wrapped with marzipan......

    Here is a link that might be useful: English Christmas Cake

  • lisbet
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just found this website. Seems to be a good place for baking ingredients. I live in a small town and can't always get what I need for holiday baking. Either I would have to go a few miles to get what I want, or the stores in town have stale left-overs on the shelf from last year. Am looking for candied fruits for making my fruit cakes, so guess I'm going to give these folks a try. Think they look really good!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Resource for Baking Ingredients

  • rosemarythyme
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lisbet: Thanks for taking the time to find that site for baking resources. They seem to have a lot of professional looking ingredients that you can't find elsewhere. For different kinds of nuts and flours check out King Arthur Flour (in Vt). Also look at Sweet Celebrations. Sorry I'm not very good at posting links.

  • lisbet
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you Rosemary....both are excellent sources, too!!