Marzipan Cookies

Marzipan Cookies

You don’t need to have a stock of marzipan in your cupboard to make these delicious German marzipan cookies. In effect, you make the marzipan yourself from almond meal, icing sugar, egg white and flavour essences during preparation of the dough. The marzipan base is bound with a little flour and baked with blanched almond decorations and an egg yolk wash. The only slightly exotic ingredient you need is rose water, which you can buy here. If you want even more flavour, you can use bitter almond extract rather than almond essence.

Ingredients

250 g white almond meal
350 g icing sugar
100 g plain flour
1 tsp almond essence
2 tsp rose water
2 egg whites
100 g blanched almonds
1 egg yolk
1 tsp water

Method

In a food processor, blend the almond meal, icing sugar and flour to break up any lumps. Add the almond essence, rose water and egg whites and blend until a dough forms. Transfer to a bowl and chill for at least 1 hour until firm. Roll balls of dough and press three blanched almonds around the edges as decoration. Beat egg yolk with water to make a wash and brush evenly over biscuits. Bake 15 min at 160 °C (fan-forced) on greased, paper-lined baking trays, until the egg wash just turns golden. Makes around 30 biscuits.

Tip 1: You can make your own blanched almonds by immersing whole almonds in boiling water for 60 seconds, briefly rinsing in cold water, then pressing between your fingers to extract the nut from the softened skin. If you have a good food processor, you can even use blanched almonds to make your own white almond meal.

Tip 2: If you want to make marzipan itself, omit the flour from the dough recipe. Add the flavour essences to the almond meal and icing sugar, then add egg white a little at a time until the mixture just binds. Roll into a log, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.