Orange Marzipan Hearts Food

ZESTY ORANGE MARZIPAN

Steps:

• Sift the sugars and ground almonds together, then stir through the orange zest. Beat together the egg and egg yolk, then add to the sugar mixture, stirring well.
• Knead briefly to ensure the marzipan is completely mixed and pliable, adding a little orange juice if the mix is too dry, or icing sugar if too wet.
• Place the cake on a cake board and use small balls of marzipan to plug any holes in the cake. Now glaze the cake with a thin layer of marmalade. Dust your work surface with a little icing sugar, then roll out the marzipan in one direction, keeping the pressure even and turning a ¼ turn every few rolls.
• When large enough (about 40cm in diameter for a 20cm cake), roll the marzipan onto the rolling pin and lift onto the cake. Smooth the top with your palms and continue down over the sides of the cake, smoothing out any folds as you go. Trim with a knife where the marzipan meets the board, then leave to dry overnight.
• How long does homemade marzipan keep? Although homemade marzipan contains raw eggs, the amount of sugar, and lack of moisture, prevents bacteria growing when left at room temperature, so your cake should last for 1-2 months iced. The most important thing is that you don't scrimp on drying time - once you've covered your cake in marzipan it should be left to completely dry out for up to 3 days, before you then cover it with icing. If you want to make marzipan before you are ready to cover your cake, then wrap it well in cling film and keep in a fridge for up to a week - as wrapped in a ball it will still contain a little moisture. As it contains raw eggs it shouldn't be given to anyone in an at-risk group, including pregnant women, the elderly, the unwell and the very young. You can make a cooked marzipan, which carries no risks. It is a little softer, and harder to work with, but a good substitute if you are at all worried.

ORANGE MARZIPAN HEARTS

Steps:

• On a work surface dusted with some of the confectioners' sugar, knead the Grand Marnier and chopped candied orange peel into the marzipan (see page 31) until thoroughly blended (about 2 minutes). Add more confectioners' sugar as needed to keep the marzipan from sticking.
• Dust a work surface with some of the confectioners' sugar and roll out the marzipan to 1/4 inch thick. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. With a 1 1/2-inch-diameter heart-shaped cutter, cut hearts out of the marzipan. After every few cuts, dip the cutter in some of the confectioners' sugar, shaking off the excess, to keep it from sticking. With a flexible-blade spatula, transfer the marzipan hearts to the prepared baking sheet. Press a sliver of candied orange peel into the center of each heart.
• Let the hearts air-dry at room temperature (about 1 hour). Place each heart in a paper candy cup. In a tightly covered container wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the hearts will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. They are best eaten at room temperature.
• Ginger Marzipan Hearts: Substitute finely chopped crystallized ginger and slivers of crystallized ginger for the candied orange peel.
• Chocolate Ginger Marzipan Hearts: Cut out the ginger marzipan hearts, transfer to a lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Dip the hearts in tempered bittersweet chocolate as above. Place a sliver of crystallized ginger in the center of each heart before the chocolate sets up.
• Chocolate Orange Marzipan Hearts: Cut out the marzipan hearts, transfer to the lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Melt and temper 12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (see pages 25-30). Remove the hearts from the refrigerator and place a heart in the tempered chocolate, coating it completely. With a dipper or fork, remove the heart from the chocolate, carefully shake off the excess chocolate, and turn the heart out onto the paper. Repeat with the remaining hearts. After dipping 4 hearts, place a sliver of candied orange peel in the center of each heart before the chocolate sets up.
• Let the chocolate set up at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Place the hearts in paper candy cups. In a tightly covered container wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the hearts will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator. They are best eaten at room temperature.