almond marzipan roses

Directions

1. Break the almond paste into small pieces over a medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, and work it in with your hands until incorporated. It will be crumbly. Add another 3/4 cup of sugar, and work it in really well. Pour in the corn syrup, and rose water and work it in until evenly blended. Spread remaining sugar out on a clean work surface, and knead the dough until smooth and uniform, 3 to 5 minutes. If the dough seems too sticky, knead in more sugar. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about an hour. It should have the consistency of modeling dough.

2. Break off small pieces of marzipan to color, kneading in color thoroughly until you arrive at the desired color. Then blend the colored pieces into larger portions of dough. Dust a work surface and rolling pin with confectioners’ sugar, and roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness.

Making Marzipan Roses:

1) Roll a piece of marzipan into a ball and flatten it. Take the flat circle and fold it around itself.

2) With a slightly larger piece of marzipan, roll into a ball and flatten. Pinch the top of the flat circle a little to form a petal shape; wrap around the first petal. Continue this process throughout, making each layer a little bigger than the next for as many petals as you would like.

3) Once you have completed your rose, I find it to look a little prettier when all or most of the petals are pinched in the middle of their edges for an added bit of texture.

4) If desired, you can paint the finished roses with food coloring. You can also fold the food coloring into the marzipan before you sculpt it but it might be messier and stain your hands.

Recipe from Delicious Homemade Candy, Family Circle Magazine 11/3/1981