marzipan

Marzipan

8 ounces almond paste
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Food colors

Beat all ingredients except food colors on low speed until smooth paste forms. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Divide dough into equal parts, depending upon how many different colors you will use. Add food colors and shape dough. Store in refrigerator or at room temperature.

Marzipan

• 2 ounces marzipan
• Gel-paste food coloring in yellow and orange, such as Wilton brand Golden Yellow and Orange

• Step 1

  Divide marzipan into 3 pieces, keeping each piece in an airtight container when not working with it to prevent it from drying out. Dip a toothpick into gel paste and swipe across one piece of marzipan, starting with 2 swipes of yellow. (Use a fresh toothpick to add more color.)

   
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• Step 2

  Knead until color is even, adding more gel paste as desired. Repeat with another piece of marzipan and orange gel paste. Leave last piece untinted.

• Step 3

  Tear off one-third each of yellow and orange marzipan; roll separately into 1/4-inch-diameter ropes, each 10 to 12 inches long. Cover both with a kitchen towel to keep from drying out. On a clean surface, roll out remaining yellow, orange, and untinted marzipan very thinly, each a scant 1/8 inch.

• Step 4

  Cut out flowers using a 1/2-inch six-point-star aspic cutter. Make indentations in centers of each "petal" using a blade gum-paste tool (6 indentations total). Cut an 1/8-inch piece from one of the ropes and roll into a ball. Gently press ball around the tip of an arrow gum-paste tool to create a center flower "cup." Using tool, press cup into center of a flower. Repeat with remaining marzipan, creating a variety of color combinations of daffodils.

• Step 5

  Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and let stand until dry, at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Store dry flowers in an airtight container up to 5 days.