Okay. For those who don't know, marzipan is an almond-based confection that basically consists of blanched almonds, sugar, and a teeny bit of water. It's usually a paste-like consistency, usually sculpted into the shape of fruit for some reason, and usually... really boring.
But I recently heard about a way to make marzipan at home that sounded like it could have rather interesting results. And if you let your imagination run wild,
incredibly interesting results.
Marzipan.
Seen here coated with lime zest, toasted almonds, and saffron.
I came across the basic technique on a cooking show, but when I looked it up on their site the recipe was vastly different from what was televised, so I just sort of took the idea and improvised.
What I did was:
1/2 pound blanched, peeled almonds
1/4 pound confectioner's / icing sugar
2 tbs + tiny bit extra water
1 plum pit kernel
That's right.
The inside of a plum pit.
Marzipan traditionally calls for bitter almonds, which are kind of hard to find here, so the kernel of stone fruits (plums or peaches) can be used as a substitute. They're also probably poisonous; haven't really looked into that. But if the tv says it's an acceptable substitute, I believe it!
Put the sugar and water in a blender jar and whiz it up to dissolve the sugar. You want enough water so that it doesn't look like icing, but you don't want it to be too watery.
Then add about 2/3 to 3/4 of the almonds, a handful at a time, blending until smooth before each addition. You'll end up with a rather stiff, workable paste.
Crush up the rest of the almonds and the plum kernel by hand, either in a mortar and pestle or with a knife or the bottom of a pot or something. This part's all about texture, which most store-bought marzipan is lacking. Fold the crushed stuff into the prepared paste by kneading it, so that it's fairly evenly distributed.
Then... You fry it!!!
Toast the mixture in a dry skillet until it's warmed through and you can smell the almond-y goodness. Then soak your skillet in hot water for an hour and pray it comes clean and you don't have to buy another piece of cookware.
After the whole frying thing is done, wrap the stuff in cling wrap and fridge it overnight. It'll keep in the refrigerator for up to three weeks, and in the freezer pretty much indefinitely.
That's the basic set-up but the fun part is deciding on what to put on the outside. In addition to the pieces pictured above, we've also tried herbs de provence, which was interesting because the lavender and fennel contained therein accentuated the sweetness of the almond paste, while the savoryness of the basil and other herbs added sort of a pungent kick.
Next to try: lemon zest, orange zest, toasted coconut, cardamom, cinnamon, macha, curry, lavender, cocoa nibs, and possibly black pepper.
Open to more suggestions if anyone has any...
