Colorful Marzipan Fruits

* Exported from MasterCook *

COLORFUL MARZIPAN FRUITS

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Candies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
-----BASIC MARZIPAN-----
16 oz Almond paste
2 Egg whites
1/2 ts Extract, almond
4 c Sugar, powdered
-----CANDY MAKING-----
Cloves, whole
Egg whites
Food coloring, paste
Kirsch -- or vodka
1/2 c Water
1/4 c Syrup, corn, light
Sugar, red

TO AVOID HARMFUL BACTERIA, BE SURE EGGS ARE NOT
CRACKED BEFORE USE. There are 4 steps to making
colorful marzipan fruits: making basic marzipan,
shaping fruits, coloring fruits; glazing fruits. 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 gem muffin pan makes a good palette) and
paint each fruit completely. Don't forget to pain the
strawberry caps green. Place painted fruits on wire
rack to dry overnight; turn occasionally so they dry
evenly. GLAZE FRUITS: in small saucepan, sitr 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.



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