Almond Paste (Amandelspijs) and Marzipan
One of the staples of Dutch Christmas goodies is almond paste. It can be ridiculously expensive to buy, but very easy to make at home for a fraction of the cost. Below you will find an easy recipe to make marzipan using almond paste.
Almond Paste
Ingredients
| Amount | Ingredient |
| 1 1/2 Cups | Almond Meal* |
| 1 1/2 Cups | White Sugar |
| 1 | Egg, Room Temperature** |
| 1/2 Tsp | Almond Extract (Optional) |
| 1 Tsp | Lemon Juice (Optional) |
* You can easily make your own Almond Meal by putting blanched almonds in a food processor until completely ground
** If you forget to take the egg out of the fridge, just put in a glass of hot water for 45 seconds
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. You could use a food processor, but this is going to get very thick, so your food processor needs to be a good one. Either way, mix until completely combined, and sticks together.
- Form into a square and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Ideally, it should be refrigerated for a week before using, allowing all the flavours to really get to know each other. Can also be frozen for up to three months.
Marzipan
Ingredients
| Amount | Ingredient |
| 1 Cup | Almond Paste |
| 1/4 Cup | Light Corn Syrup |
| 1-2 Cups | Icing Sugar |
Instructions
- Using low speed on a beater, combine almond paste and corn syrup. You can also use a wooden spoon, making sure to stir well.
- Mix in ½ cup icing sugar.
- Turn out on to the counter dusted with more icing sugar and knead, adding icing sugar ½ cup at a time. Continue until desired consistency is reached. Remember, it will harden up in the refrigerator.
