TO AVOID
HARMFUL BACTERIA, DO NOT USE RAW EGGS
MAKE THE BASIC MARZIPAN:
Break up almond paste in large bowl. Add egg whites and almond extract and mix
thoroughly. Add sugar 1 cup at a time, kneading well after each addition; add
enough sugar to make a solid, heavy dough. (The mixture is quite sticky and hard
to handle at first, but as you add sugar, it dries and becomes workable.) At
this point you may store the dough for up to 7 days by wrapping in plastic and
storing in plastic bag in fridge. Bring to room temp and knead again before
using.
SHAPE MARZIPAN FRUITS:
break off 1" balls of marzipan and shape to look like lemons, oranges, apples,
pears, and strawberries. too much while you are shaping balls, chill briefly in
fridge. Shaping tips: Lemons and oranges: roll on fine grated to create pebbly
texture; insert cloves, star-shaped ends up, for stem ends. Apples: indent tops,
insert cloves pointed ends up to represent stems. Pears: insert cloves pointed
ends up for stems. Strawberries: shape little flat marzipan stars to make caps;
attach caps with cloves and a dab of egg white.
COLOR FRUITS: Use small,
soft paintbrush and paste food coloring diluted with a little kirsch. Mix colors
(a mini muffin pan makes a good palette) and paint each fruit completely. Don't
forget to paint the strawberry caps green. Place painted fruits on wire rack to
dry overnight; turn occasionally so they dry evenly.
GLAZE FRUITS: in small
saucepan, stir together water and corn syrup to make glaze. Bring to boil,
remove from heal, and allow to cool until just warm. Brush warm glaze on red
part of each strawberry; sprinkle with red sugar and place on wire rack to dry
overnight. Brush warm glaze on each fruit and let dry overnight on wire rack.
When glaze is dry on strawberries, paint glaze on strawberry caps and let dry
overnight. Put marzipan fruits in paper candy cups and store in airtight
container. Brightly colored marzipan fruits are so festive and pretty, somehow
they suit the holiday perfectly.
from recipesource
