Well - proper marzipan is made using egg white
or so I was taught by the nuns .
There are 2 recipes for making marzipan/almond paste
1)
uncooked -- 1/4 pound ground blanched almonds
1/4 pound powdered sugar
1 egg white
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix well together then knead it well until absolutely smooth , put in a covered airtight container and place in Fridge till next day - then knead again and use as you wish
2)
cooked --3 cups sugar
1 cup water
4 cups ground blanched almonds
this is actually more difficult to do since you have to make a light syrup with the water and sugar , then add the almonds and cook it till it no longer sticks to the pan
Remove from heat and pour onto a flat cold surface and knead till smooth [ warning - this can take some time - I've done it ] and then store as the uncooked one.
OK -- yes --you can use the cooked one in fasting seasons - but the first one tastes better.
We did actually make both varieties at school - we used the uncooked one for our Christmas cakes [ and they were really alcoholic I can tell you
] and the cooked one in the Simnel cakes we made for Easter.
Here endeth today's Cookery lesson by Courtesy of the Nuns of the Ursuline Order
