Marzipan (was Re: [Sca-cooks] Pennsic)

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

On 26 Jul 2002, at 19:12, Susan Fox-Davis wrote:

> The easy way to a small mold of a natural object is to press such an
> object into Super Sculpy, remove the object, and bake until done. Wash
> the new mold, oil it and start knocking off marzipan copies in
> appropriately tinted marzipan!
> Selene Colfox, Caid

I have never oiled my molds, neither the Sculpey one, nor the
earthenware ones.  I just roll the lump of marzipan in sugar to coat
it before I press it in the mold.  This prevents sticking (most of the
time).

My current peach pit recipe is:
2 oz. almond meal
3 oz. sugar (whirled in blender to make it finer)
1 TBS sanders
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

I put the almond meal in the food processor and grind it a bit finer.
Then I add the other ingredients and grind some more, drizzling a
small amount of water on top of it.  I add just barely enough to
moisten the marzipan and keep it from being crumbly.  This is
usually about 2-1/2 to 3 tsp.  I test the consistency by scooping up
some of the mixture, and squeezing it in my hand.  If it holds
together, it's ready.  I let the finished pits dry in the oven with the
electric light on.  This size batch makes about 20 pits.

When they're dry and firm, I use a clean toothbrush to remove
grains of sugar from the surface.  If I'm being *really* finicky, I'll
moisten the toothbrush, to get rid of every trace of visible sugar.
When I'm mass-producing them, I'm not so fussy.


Brighid ni Chiarain *** mka Robin Carroll-Mann
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
rcmann4 at earthlink.net