Not very artistic; what can I make as an alternative to marzipan fruits?

whitewing

Hello All,

I only normally lurk on Old Style, but I need some help. I have got most of DH's Xmas presents, but I notice him still gazing wistfully at marzipan fruits. Or anything to do with marzipan, really.

But the stuff he likes is expensive. I don't begrudge the money as he is a kind and loving DH. But I would like the most value for money I can get.

I would like to even attempt to make marzipan from scratch. Can anyone please tell me how to do this, the kinds of prices I should pay for ingredients, and what a non-artistic person can make shape-wise? I would rather cut out decent shapes with a pastry cutter than do something that looks like it has been made at infant school, lol.

It would also be helpful to know if it could be stored, how and how long. Unlike me, DH is quite capable of drawing out his pleasure over weeks or months. I don't like marzipan so it's safe from being eaten by me!

I sort of have it in mind that I could make a hamper. But we may be with family for Xmas so I don't want to make him cakes etc that won't keep.

pigpen

Animals..
mushrooms/toadstools...

Or make it into a big structure.. a train or car or bike.. make the basic shape out of margarine tubs (thin plasticy stuff) and lay the rolled out M over in layers and build up the shape..

I'd be happy with just a plain block of M.. I slice it and eat it in slices!!

If you buy the white marzipan a drop of food colouring will turn it any shade you like pretty much.

Purple_Sparkles

Making the fruits really are quite easy, especially if you go for oranges, apples, grapes (round fruits) just add a drop or two of food colouring to the marzipan, knead it through until the colour is even then roll into shape, dust with a little sugar, adding leaves is just a case of pinching a tiny piece of marzipan into shape and popping on the top. You could get some of the paper sweet cases (most supermarkets sell them in the home baking aisle) to put them into and then pop them in a box - will look great. I believe they keep for quite a while 3-4 weeks in an airtight container.

You could even borrow a book from your local library or there are plenty of how to instructions on the internet, just do a quick search - marzipan modelling.

Hope that helps a bit

whitewing

pigpen wrote: »

I'd be happy with just a plain block of M.. I slice it and eat it in slices!!
quote]

I think he would too!

Good thing I'm not artistic as your ideas would make me want to make a santa train with carriages out of marzipan, and then fill with marzipan toys etc.

My imagination is pretty good but my artistic qualities are dire. Between us, DH and I could actually make it, but I can't really ask him to make his own Xmas present!

thriftlady_2

What about melting some chocolate, taking little balls of marzipan and dipping them in the chocolate. Leave to set in the fridge? Sounds like a good idea to me, I might do that with my marzipan this year.

Or you could make a sweet salami (bear with me I'm winging it here) -mash marzipan with chopped nuts/candied fruits/dried fruits and roll into a cylinder. Perhaps coat in melted choc then slice.

Sagz_2

thriftlady wrote: »

Or you could make a sweet salami (bear with me I'm winging it here) -mash marzipan with chopped nuts/candied fruits/dried fruits and roll into a cylinder. Perhaps coat in melted choc then slice.

WOW

I don't even like marzipan but that sounds lush!

lizzyb1812

This thread takes me back to when I used to help my mum make these...

Get a couple of bottles of cheap food colouring - say red and green cos it's for christmas.

Roll bits of marzipan into balls and stick almonds in vertically or walnuts or glace cherries on top
Cut a dried date in half and stuff with marzipan
Make teeny logs and put silver/gold balls on top
Twist a thin roll of green with one of red and shape into a candy cane shape
Cut disks of different colours and stack them into little towers
Cut pieces the size of lego bricks and dip the bottom half in chocolate

Enjoy!

Adereterial

They're selling Golden Marzipan in Aldi at the moment and it's pretty cheap I think.

My mother makes the fruits by shaping and then painting with food colouring diluting in water, but then she is pretty artistic. I have had a go before, and it's not that hard but hers were much better than mine.

I would personally use small cookie cutters to cut a thick slab into nice shapes then either paint with die, cover in edible glitter etc, or dip into dark chocolate. If you've got a blowtorch you could also toast the tops a la Simnel cake, apparently the toasty top is very tasty! Or dust with icing sugar and caramelise perhaps? You don't need to be artistic for them to look good

moanymoany

Get dates and take out the stones and put in 'sausages' of marzipan. Figs as well. They can be dipped in choccy. Lakeland do choccy covered figs. I'm going to do some AT Christmas as they won't last .....

The marzipan salami sounds just the best thriftlady.

whitewing

These sound fantastic. I suspect I'll have a bash at all of them. Thank you. Can't write much as DH is next to me.

nanokitten

step-grandmother makes marzipan treats by rolling shop bought stuff into little balls and pressing a smartie in the middle of each one. - Job done!

No artistic talent required and looks really colourful. I'm sure you could do similar things with hundreds and thousands etc. She uses mini bun cases for each one which you can probably get cheaply in poundshop / wilkinsons etc.