Traditionally made by nuns in Sicily to celebrate All Saint's Day or All Soul's Day, marzipan fruit makes a wonderful, tasty treat. Placed in a box as candy, these small fruits are purchased and given as gifts of celebration. Nuns in Sicily also tie dried marzipan fruit to trees as decoration.
In Germany, marzipan fruit is used to celebrate Christmas, placed in a box and given as a gift. A sign that St. Nick has visited, the presence of marzipan fruit in a home adds a warm, festive glow.
Marzipan is thought to have originated with Arabian cultures and conveyed to Europe during the spice trade period. Many think this is the case because of the Persian dessert called toot, which is a fruit-stuffed marzipan dessert.
Sometimes rose water or cardamom is added to this nutty candy to give it a new dimension of flavor. Others brush marzipan fruits with jelly then dust it with starch to give a fuzzy appearance and added flavor.
Another option is to put jam or jelly in the center of your marzipan candy during formation. The jam adds flavor and texture-allowing your fruit candy to taste a bit like the real thing.
To make marzipan fruit, you will need:
Marzipan
Food coloring
Waxed paper
For a marzipan apple, use yellow, green or red food coloring. You can also swirl together a mixture of two or more colors. Alternately, dip a yellow apple into red or green tinted sugar.
Roll the yellow, red or green dough into a cylinder, and using your fingertip press an indentation into the top. With green marzipan, create a small, long cylinder with pointed tips. This will form leaves. Use a toothpick to press the center of the green marzipan into the indentation on the top of the apple.
For a marzipan orange, use orange marzipan and roll into a ball. Using the same technique used with the apple, roll out a green cylinder of dough and pinch onto the top of the fruit with a toothpick.
For a marzipan pear, use yellow dough and form into the shape of a teardrop or pear. Next, press upward into the base of the fruit. Then, roll a cylinder of green dough to pinch onto the top of your creation.
Alternately, you can purchase candy molds shaped like fruit and press marzipan into the mold.
These techniques are easy to do with children, and can make a great holiday tradition, or weekend activity. Try filling the top of a fruit cake with miniature marzipan fruit. Or, create with your kids to give marzipan candy as a gift.
Sophie Graham is the owner of Cake Decorating with Kids. She has been a baking and cake decorating enthusiast since she was a kid herself. She is the writer and owner of: http://www.CakeDecoratingWithKids.com.
Sophie's website focuses on gum paste and marzipan creations as a family fun cake decorating activity. She offers a FREE newsletter with a wonderful marzipan recipe, and many other valuable tips.
For additional information and visuals, click: marzipan fruit.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sophie_Graham
In Germany, marzipan fruit is used to celebrate Christmas, placed in a box and given as a gift. A sign that St. Nick has visited, the presence of marzipan fruit in a home adds a warm, festive glow.
Marzipan is thought to have originated with Arabian cultures and conveyed to Europe during the spice trade period. Many think this is the case because of the Persian dessert called toot, which is a fruit-stuffed marzipan dessert.
Sometimes rose water or cardamom is added to this nutty candy to give it a new dimension of flavor. Others brush marzipan fruits with jelly then dust it with starch to give a fuzzy appearance and added flavor.
Another option is to put jam or jelly in the center of your marzipan candy during formation. The jam adds flavor and texture-allowing your fruit candy to taste a bit like the real thing.
To make marzipan fruit, you will need:
Marzipan
Food coloring
Waxed paper
For a marzipan apple, use yellow, green or red food coloring. You can also swirl together a mixture of two or more colors. Alternately, dip a yellow apple into red or green tinted sugar.
Roll the yellow, red or green dough into a cylinder, and using your fingertip press an indentation into the top. With green marzipan, create a small, long cylinder with pointed tips. This will form leaves. Use a toothpick to press the center of the green marzipan into the indentation on the top of the apple.
For a marzipan orange, use orange marzipan and roll into a ball. Using the same technique used with the apple, roll out a green cylinder of dough and pinch onto the top of the fruit with a toothpick.
For a marzipan pear, use yellow dough and form into the shape of a teardrop or pear. Next, press upward into the base of the fruit. Then, roll a cylinder of green dough to pinch onto the top of your creation.
Alternately, you can purchase candy molds shaped like fruit and press marzipan into the mold.
These techniques are easy to do with children, and can make a great holiday tradition, or weekend activity. Try filling the top of a fruit cake with miniature marzipan fruit. Or, create with your kids to give marzipan candy as a gift.
Sophie Graham is the owner of Cake Decorating with Kids. She has been a baking and cake decorating enthusiast since she was a kid herself. She is the writer and owner of: http://www.CakeDecoratingWithKids.com.
Sophie's website focuses on gum paste and marzipan creations as a family fun cake decorating activity. She offers a FREE newsletter with a wonderful marzipan recipe, and many other valuable tips.
For additional information and visuals, click: marzipan fruit.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sophie_Graham