Marzipan Mushrooms Recipes

MARZIPAN

Steps:

• Blend the confectioner's sugar, finely ground almonds, egg whites, salt, and almond extract in a blender until perfectly blended. Cover and chill until firm, 24 hours.

MARZIPAN FIGURES

Steps:

• This is a "recipe" that will let you explore your creative talents. Kids of all ages can participate so gather around the dining table and have fun!
• The process is simply molding things between your fingers or using the palms of your hands. Try a few methods to find what works best for you. Have fun making different shapes. Some of the things I made included an apple, pumpkin, baby, dog eating a bone, whale, apricots, and an ear of corn, Try to give your figurines animated faces or crazy features.
• You can buy tools for working with marzipan and molds for molding these figures. You can also use an airbrush, if you have one, to get a more refined look. Use a small paintbrush dipped in food colors to paint on the eyes, hair, stem, etc. You can also use meted chocolate as a paint.

BûCHE DE NOëL WITH MARZIPAN MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• For filling:
• Bring milk to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk yolks and sugar in small bowl until well blended; whisk in flour. Whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Return to same saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until custard thickens and boils, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to processor; cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Add marzipan; process until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in butter 1 piece at a time, then both extracts. Cover and refrigerate filling at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 11x10x1-inch jelly roll pan. Line bottom with parchment paper; butter and flour parchment. Whisk eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla and salt in large metal bowl. Set bowl over pot of simmering water. Whisk until just warm, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until tripled in volume, about 6 minutes. Sift flour over; fold in until just combined. Gently fold in butter (do not overmix, or batter will deflate). Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over towel. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cake. Turn hot cake out onto towel. Peel off parchment. Starting at 1 long side and using towel as aid, gently roll up cake jelly-roll style. Cool. Unroll cake. Spread filling over. Reroll cake; place cake, seam side down, on platter. Refrigerate cake while preparing frosting.
• For frosting:
• Bring cream and butter to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to melt butter. Remove from heat. Add both chocolates; whisk until melted. Transfer to medium bowl. Let cool at room temperature until thick enough to spread, about 1 hour.
• Starting 1 inch in from each end of cake, cut on diagonal to remove one 3-inch-long piece of cake from each end. Attach 1 cake piece at sides of cake near each end. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake and pieces. Using tines of fork, draw concentric circles on cake ends to resemble tree rings. Draw fork along length of cake to form bark design. Garnish with Marzipan Mushrooms.

MARZIPAN MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Make about 10 mushroom stems by rolling dime- to quarter-size pieces of marzipan into cylinders. Make large and small mushroom caps by rolling dime- to quarter-size pieces of marzipan into balls; then pinch into cap shape. Attach stems, pressing gently. Dust with cocoa.

MARZIPAN FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• In a large bowl cover almonds with boiling water.
• Let stand for 2 minutes.
• Drain and skin by pressing down on one end forcing the nut to pop out of it's skin.
• In a food processor grind WARM nuts for 2 minutes or until finely ground.
• Add icing sugar and mix for 1 minute or until well blended.
• Blend in almond extract.
• Blend in corn syrup.
• With the motor running pour in enough of the egg white to form a ball.
• Remove and wrap in plastic wrap.
• Place in the fridge for at least two hours or until firm.
• ***Thiscan be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks, in the freezer for 3 months.