Marzipan
Marzipan is a classic Italian confection — pasta di mandorle — made from nothing more than almonds, sugar, and egg white. In Sicily it is shaped into beautiful fruit and vegetables; here it is wonderful eaten as-is, used to fill chocolates, or rolled out to cover a cake.
Ingredients
- 250g ground almonds
- 125g caster sugar
- 125g icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 large egg white
Method
- Mix the ground almonds, caster sugar, and icing sugar together in a large bowl.
- Add the almond extract and egg white. Mix with a fork, then bring together with your hands to form a smooth, pliable dough. If it feels too dry, add a few drops more egg white; if too sticky, dust with a little icing sugar.
- Knead briefly on a surface dusted with icing sugar until smooth.
- Wrap tightly in cling film and rest for at least 30 minutes before using.
Chef’s Tips
- For a richer flavour, use a few drops of real bitter almond extract alongside the regular almond extract.
- Keeps well in cling film in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- To make marzipan fruits, divide and colour portions with gel food colouring, shape by hand, and leave to dry overnight.