Petite Marzipan Carrots Food

PETITE MARZIPAN CARROTS

Steps:

• Tint marzipan with orange and red food coloring, a drop at a time, to reach desired color. Divide into 12 pieces. (Cover with plastic wrap when not using.) Shape each piece into a ball, then roll into logs, tapering 1 end, to resemble carrots.
• Dip a paring knife into cocoa powder. Make tiny indentations in each carrot with cocoa-dusted knife to evoke the vegetable's texture. Carrots will keep, covered, for up to 1 week. Push fronds into top of each carrot before serving.

MARZIPAN FRUITS

Steps:

• Combine confectioners' sugar, almonds, egg whites, and brandy in a blender; blend until all ingredients are sticking together and marzipan is formed. Press into a ball, cover in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours to get firm. Chill for an additional 6 to 12 hours if marzipan is not hard yet.
• Remove marzipan from fridge. Coat your hands slightly in confectioners' sugar and knead marzipan for about 1 minute. Separate marzipan into different portions, depending on how many and which fruits you'd like to make, and knead in food coloring to the different portions. To make the different fruits, start with a 1-inch ball of marzipan and give it the shape, details, and texture depending on the fruit you are shaping.

MINI MARZIPAN CARROTS

Steps:

• With a toothpick, add a dab of food coloring to the marzipan and knead with fingers to combine; continue until desired shade is achieved.
• Shape mounded 1/2 teaspoons of marzipan into 24 balls, and place on a clean work surface. Using your hands, roll each piece back and forth to form a 2-inch log. Using your fingers, shape one end of each log into a tapered point to form a carrot shape. (It needn't be perfect; garden carrots have lumps and bumps.) Use the tip of a skewer or toothpick to make a small hole at the top of the carrot. Using a paring knife, make small grooves across the surface of each carrot in a random design. Carrots can be kept at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 1 week.
• When ready to serve, roll carrots in cookie crumbs, lightly brushing off excess, and insert carrot greens into the holes.
• Mini Marzipan Carrots how-to
• Orange-tinted marzipan balls are rolled into carrot shapes on a work surface, then scored with a knife. The marzipan carrots are then rolled in chocolate cookie crumbs and topped with carrot greens or dill to make them look like they're fresh from the garden.