#marzipan icing

[vannimamibaking]

Swiss apple-almond slice as the 85th bake from the 2016 Great British Bakeoff cookbook. Simple cinnamon pastry in a flat square with decorated sides. The apple sauce is cooked with rum, raisins, cinnamon and almonds. The soft marzipan top is piped over. Great flavor combination, easy to make.

[girishxmas]

Marzipan Icing

400g Ground Almonds

200g Icing Sugar

200g Castor Sugar

2 Eggs

3 - 4 Drops Almond Essence

2 teaspoons Brandy, Sherry, Whiskey or Rum

Glaze:

Heated Honey, Apricot Jam or Golden Syrup

Method:

Combine the sugar, almonds and sugar in a bowl

Beat the eggs, almond essence and spirit of your choice

Gradually add the liquid to the dry ingredients to make a thick paste

Turn out onto a board dusted with icing sugar and knead to release the oils and until smooth and pliable

Roll out the marzipan and lift onto the rolling pin

Heat the glaze and brush over the cake

Lift the rolling pin and roll marzipan over the cake

Trim the excess marzipan and use it to cover any cracks along the edges and sides of the cake

Smooth over with finger tips 

Leave to set for 2 days before applying white icing

(Tips:

Add a dash of the spirit of your choice to the honey or golden syrup glaze

Use generous amounts of icing sugar during the kneading and rolling out process as the marzipan mass is tacky and sticky

Roll out the marzipan to the approximate size of your cake - if the piece is too large it will tear away from the top as it drops over the sides

Do not panic, however, if the icing does tear - marzipan is a pliable mass and one can press extra pieces onto and into the applied layer with ease and a little patience

Use the rolling pin to press down the marzipan along the sides and on top for an extra smooth finish)

[girishxmas]

Marzipan Icing