![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
A 16th century recipe for marzipan
Dec. 21st, 2003 12:45 pmIn a way you're following me through my christmas preparations. Today I made marzipan and here is the recipe:
ca 1 kilo powdered sugar
100 gram almonds, blanched then ground twice
8 bitter almonds (never let kids get hold of them, they are poisonous in high concentration) also blanched and then ground twice
1 cup thick cream (40% fat)
1 cup wheat flour
Mix the flour and the cream and heat it in a pan. Let it cook while stirring until it changes colour (the change is very noticeable, don't worry).Let it cool.
Blanche and grind the almonds. Mix all kinds of almonds with the cream-flour mixture.
The comes the hard part. Using a strainer to avoid lumps you add the powdered sugar to the mixture. About 250 grams at a time, then you mix it thoroughly, before you continue. In the end it's really hard to get the sugar into the dough. Usually I use a little less than 1 kg. The marzipan should not get too dry.
If you want to flavour it with spices like cinnamon or aniseed, you can let them cook with the cream and flour. Other period flavours are rose water and saffron, the latter also gives a lovely colour. Just dilute some saffron in a small amount of boiling water and use it as you use modern food colouring.
For christmas celebration with my family,I don't care that much about things being period so I dip parts of the "sculptures" my kids make in dark chocolate. Yummy.
ca 1 kilo powdered sugar
100 gram almonds, blanched then ground twice
8 bitter almonds (never let kids get hold of them, they are poisonous in high concentration) also blanched and then ground twice
1 cup thick cream (40% fat)
1 cup wheat flour
Mix the flour and the cream and heat it in a pan. Let it cook while stirring until it changes colour (the change is very noticeable, don't worry).Let it cool.
Blanche and grind the almonds. Mix all kinds of almonds with the cream-flour mixture.
The comes the hard part. Using a strainer to avoid lumps you add the powdered sugar to the mixture. About 250 grams at a time, then you mix it thoroughly, before you continue. In the end it's really hard to get the sugar into the dough. Usually I use a little less than 1 kg. The marzipan should not get too dry.
If you want to flavour it with spices like cinnamon or aniseed, you can let them cook with the cream and flour. Other period flavours are rose water and saffron, the latter also gives a lovely colour. Just dilute some saffron in a small amount of boiling water and use it as you use modern food colouring.
For christmas celebration with my family,I don't care that much about things being period so I dip parts of the "sculptures" my kids make in dark chocolate. Yummy.