Home Made Marzipan

The boy adores marzipan and has been known to just nibble it straight out of the packet. Frankly, Christmas cake is just an excuse to have marzipan.  He has no concept of being able to make it, or how easy it is.

500g blanched almonds

100g icing sugar + more for dusting

50ml water

A couple of drops of rosewater (optional)

You can use almonds with the skin still on, but I think this gives it a flecky look and the boy will be more impressed if it looks like what comes out of a packet. I never feel this is a good yardstick for food quality, but it is his treat. The almonds should be fairly fresh as they will have more oil in them – pick the ones with the most distant sell-by date.

You need a food processor for this. Put the almonds in until they become a paste. That is the oil working. Pour in the icing sugar and whizz again. Add the water (and rosewater if using – but don’t overdo it), and whizz again. If it feels too sticky to work, add more icing sugar.

Dust your surface with yet more icing sugar and knead it like bread dough for a few minutes . It won’t take on the elasticity of dough but it should start to feel like a big firm lump of marzipan. After this it is ready to go.

I’ve pinched a big cube off for the boy to nibble but the rest is going in the fridge for the Christmas cake. It will keep for 2 weeks .

Constance Spry offers a version that contains beaten eggs, sherry and orange flower water but I’m not convinced that it needs them, or about trying to keep something that uses raw eggs. I’m sticking with this version.

Incidentally, if you don’t like Christmas cake, it is probably because you haven’t had it with Wensleydale cheese!