Marchpanes

Marchpanes

Although the sources I had suggest that a marchpane is a large flat cake, I chose to make individual cookies for ease of serving and eating. I dream of using the "star cake topper" from House on the Hill to make a proper marchpane. Marchpane receipts often say to bake them on "wafers", but I used parchment paper .

To make Marzipan.

Take almonds prepared as above [bacon of Germany], & spread the dough as if to make tart, then form the marzipan the size that you want to have it, then take some sifted sugar & mix with some rose water, & beat it together so that it is like a thick batter, you will cast a little of it on the marzipan, & spread it thin with a knife so that the marzipan is all covered, then you will put it in the oven on some paper: when you see that it boils on top & that it forms like ice, pull out of the oven, when it is not boiling anymore, & sprinkle on some muscardin: if you want to gild it, do it.
--Lancelot de Casteau, 1604

1 lb. blanched almonds
1/2 lb. white sugar
Rosewater
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 300F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Grind sugar. I used a food processor. Add almonds and continue grinding until you have a uniform powder.

Put the almond powder in a bowl and add enough rosewater to make a smooth paste.

My paste ended up very sticky, probably from an excess of liquid. I made balls of about a tablespoon of almond paste and flattened them onto the baking sheets. They will spread a bit in baking (at least if they’re on the wet side).

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let bake for another 15. Don’t let them brown too much — they’re much prettier when pale.

Mix powered sugar and a liquid. I used orange flower water. I think it was about a tablespoon of liquid to a quarter cup of sugar. It should be thin and spreadable.

Paint the icing onto the marchepanes are put them back in a 300F oven for about 10 minutes or until the icing hardens.

Notes:
I chose to omit the musk flavoring (muscardin) and the gilding.

Despite my comments about avoiding commercial powdered sugar and instead grinding your own, I used confectioners sugar when making the icing.

de Casteau, Lancelot. Ouverture de Cuisine, 1604. Translated by C. T. Iannuzzo.

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