SC - Chocolate - Yes I know its not period!

[ChannonM at aol.com]

If you would like to employ a heraldic device, I suggest going to a cake 
makers store and look through their chocolate molds,  you can even paint with 
coloured chocolate that is made wiht the pretend "white chocolate". The sizes 
would be perfect for individual servings at a feast. You could even go to the 
extant of making say a marzipan shield and making the various charges in 
chocolate and placing them appropriately upon it. I have used various molds 
for doing marzipan sublteties. I have a recipe that works well for the sheild 
(I did various devices for a 15thC feast a few years ago). I'll post that now.

Marchepane

The sweet confection, currently known as marzipan is made from ground 
almonds, rose water,  confectioners   sugar and egg whites. This sweet was a  
discovery of the later Middle Ages as it required refined sugar to make. The 
origin of marzipan is difficult to determine as many countries claim its 
discovery.   It is believed, however,  that the name marchpane  was first 
used in Italy in the 13th Century11.  Many countries have claimed to be the 
place of origin of marzipan, however, it should be noted that  the name 
marchpane  can be compared to the Arabic word mautaban--meaning glazed 
vessel12.  Recipes for marchpane can be found that date back as far as  13th 
Century France13.  The extant recipes describe how to colour, flavour and 
create "subtleties".  Subtleties were sweets that were often used as  
Illusion Foods.  An Illusion food was a  food made to look like something it 
wasn't. Marzipan was sculpted into shapes of castle scenes, heraldic coats of 
arms, diminutive fruits and vegetables, and allegorical animals.  These 
fantastic creations would be paraded around the feast hall only to be 
dismantled and eaten by the guests. The following is a recipe reproduced from 
the manuscript entitled "Delights for Ladies" by Sir Hugh Plat (1609).
The Art of Preserving 
12. To make an excellent Marchpane paste to print off in moulds for 
banquetting dishes.
Take to every Iordan Almond blanched, three spoonefuls of the whitest refined 
sugar you can get: searce your sugar, and now and then, as you see cause, put 
in two or three drops of damask Rose-water: bear great labour, vntil you have 
brought it into a dry steffe paste: one quarterne of sugar is sufficient to 
worke at once.........You may mix canel or ginger in your paste, & that will 
both  grace the taste, and alter the  colour, but the spice must passe thorow 
a fair searce; you may steep your almonds in cold water all night, &  so 
blanch them cold....

the instruction in the recipe reproduced from "Delights for Ladies" , " Take 
to every Iordan(Jordan) Almond blanched three spoonefuls of the whitest 
sugar(refined)..." to indicate that the weght must be at least equal. In 
testing this theory I weighed 3 almonds to 2 teaspoons of confectioners 
sugar. Considering that the modern sugar would be denser I still found that 
the weight was comparable at.5 gm for the almonds to .5 gm for the sugar. To 
ens
ure accuracy, these weights were obtained on an electronic scale at my local 
bulk food store Therefore 1 almond would weigh in at approximately 1.66 gm 
and 1 tsp of sugar approximately 2.5 gm. This has lead me to the conclusion 
that the 2 and 2/3 cups of sugar must be 2 and 2/3 POUNDS. This is the amount 
of sugar that was used in the recipe presented today.

Colours: You may use artificial or natural food dyes, be creative   
 Grind the  almonds to a thick paste using a food processor, Add small 
amounts of rose -water 1/2 tsp at a time to prevent the almonds from becoming 
to oily. Place almond paste in a bowl.
 gradually beat in sugar.
  knead mixture. Separate the marzipan into several sections, one for each 
colour required. Place  sections in a separate bowl and seal. Allow these to 
age for 24 to 48 hours. Mix the colouring agents into the aged marzipan. It 
will be easier to knead if  allowed to warm. Sculpt the paste according to 
your wildest fancy. Use fingers , cookie  cutters, molds or knives

Note:After experimenting with this "redacted" recipe, I have found that the 
original call for only 22/3 CUPS of sugar was not nearly sufficient to 
satisfy both the taste factor and the "sculpturability" of the paste. In 
addition I have considered the instruction in the recipe reproduced from 
"Delights for Ladies" , " Take to every Iordan(Jordan) Almond blanched three 
spoonefuls of the whitest sugar(refined)..." to indicate that the weght must 
be at least equal. In testing this theory I weighed 3 almonds to 2 teaspoons 
of confectioners sugar. Considering that the modern sugar would be denser I 
still found that the weight was comparable at.5 gm for the almonds to .5 gm 
for the sugar. To ens
ure accuracy, these weights were obtained on an electronic scale at my local 
bulk food store Therefore 1 almond would weigh in at approximately 1.66 gm 
and 1 tsp of sugar approximately 2.5 gm. This has lead me to the conclusion 
that the 2 and 2/3 cups of sugar must be 2 and 2/3 POUNDS. This is the amount 
of sugar that was used in the recipe presented today.



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