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First of all, you grind the almonds fine. You have to use blanched almonds for this.
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A food processor is a suitable appliance for grinding almonds to the right consistency.
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Pour the almonds into the food processor and pulse. Continue to process until they are finely ground and resemble grainy flour.
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Be sure not to overprocess at all; the oil can come out of the almonds and make a gooey mess.
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The finely ground almonds make the marzipan what it's supposed to be - a smooth, realistic paste.
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Now it's the time to add sweetness and flavour.
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Put powdered sugar and a little almond extract into the food processor.
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Powdered sugar not only adds sweetness to marzipan but also contributes to its smooth texture.
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Almond extract intensifies the natural almond flavour, which gives this lusciously aromatic mixture.
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Turn on the food processor and mix until the sugar and the almond extract are well incorporated into the ground almonds.
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A bit of coarseness should start to manifest from the mixture, and all the ingredients start to combine well.
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You will begin mixing the marzipan dough.
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Start adding water into the mixture one teaspoon at a time.
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With that water added, the ingredients should start sticking together and become dough-like.
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That will help moisturise the almond-sugar mixture into something you can work with. Be careful; adding a bunch of water at once will make the dough too sticky.
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If you can get the water into the mixture so it forms a dough sort of crumbly and holds together when pressed together between your fingers, that's ideal.
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For those who like the flavour, you could also add rose water.
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Rose water adds this floral note to the marzipan. The flavour would then need that sweetness since it's part of many traditional recipes, especially Middle Eastern and European.
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Of course, I wouldn't want to overdo it; I would use just an adequate amount, probably about 1 to 2 teaspoons, to get that delicate, slightly aromatic flavour without overpowering the almonds with the taste.
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Once the mixture has achieved the right dough consistency, you need to transfer it from the food processor.
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Dust a clean working surface with a little powdered sugar to prevent sticking, and dump the marzipan onto it.
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Using your hands, you then press the crumbly mixture together until it forms a compact log or ball.
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Add some warmth to it with your sculptor's hands, but if it remains too dry or crumbly, add a little water, one teaspoon at a time, until it becomes pliable.
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Knead for a few minutes until the marzipan is smooth and just starts to feel elastic.
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Over-knead it, and you will soon find that the marzipan damps down to softness.
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You're after a dough that takes shape but does not stick.
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Store it when you have shaped your marzipan log. Wrap up the marzipan tightly with plastic wrap to keep it moist and fresh.
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Make sure to squeeze out as much air as possible from the wrap since marzipan dries fast when exposed to air.
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Once you have wrapped it, put it in a dark, cool spot - a pantry or the refrigerator will be okay. Marzipan will stay well for weeks, and the longer it stays, the better it will taste and the softer it gets.
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Once you have your homemade marzipan ready, the options for how to use it are limitless! You may mould it into fruits or flowers and many other designs to be used as a decoration.
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Marzipan also proves to be a great filling for chocolates, cakes, and pastries.
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If you are that creative, you can use food colouring and colour your marzipan in any festive colours.