Marzipan is a tasty, sweet confection made principally from almonds and sugar, often used in baking or moulded into shapes for decoration. This marzipan recipe is easy to follow, and the result is a rich smooth treat perfect for holiday desserts or special occasions. To make this recipe of marzipan, you will need 2 cups of almond flour, 1 cup of powdered sugar, one teaspoon of almond extract, and two tablespoons of water or more to taste. To get a nice smooth texture, you can use very finely ground blanched almonds instead of almond flour. Start by sifting almond flour and powdered sugar in a big mixing bowl; you want that texture to be fine as smooth marzipan needs it. Mix almond extract for that nutty flavour it presents. Add water gradually, one tablespoon at a time, also mixing well after each addition till all these ingredients come together in a cohesive dough that doesn't feel too sticky. Mix the dough well and knead it gently on a clean surface to ensure everything is mixed. Add a tiny drop of water if the mixture is too dry or some additional almond flour if this mixture feels pretty sticky. Form into desired shapes - shape into small balls, flatten into moulds, or form into figures. You can even tint them with food colouring if you desire a festive presentation. Chill in an airtight container; your marzipan is now ready for use. That's it. This recipe for marzipan is perfect for candies, cake decorations, or just on its own.

• 2 cup almonds
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• First of all, you grind the almonds fine. You have to use blanched almonds for this.
• A food processor is a suitable appliance for grinding almonds to the right consistency.
• Pour the almonds into the food processor and pulse. Continue to process until they are finely ground and resemble grainy flour.
• Be sure not to overprocess at all; the oil can come out of the almonds and make a gooey mess.
• The finely ground almonds make the marzipan what it's supposed to be - a smooth, realistic paste.
• Now it's the time to add sweetness and flavour.
• Put powdered sugar and a little almond extract into the food processor.
• Powdered sugar not only adds sweetness to marzipan but also contributes to its smooth texture.
• Almond extract intensifies the natural almond flavour, which gives this lusciously aromatic mixture.
• Turn on the food processor and mix until the sugar and the almond extract are well incorporated into the ground almonds.
• A bit of coarseness should start to manifest from the mixture, and all the ingredients start to combine well.
• You will begin mixing the marzipan dough.
• Start adding water into the mixture one teaspoon at a time.
• With that water added, the ingredients should start sticking together and become dough-like.
• 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.
• 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.
• For those who like the flavour, you could also add rose water.
• 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.
• 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.
• Once the mixture has achieved the right dough consistency, you need to transfer it from the food processor.
• Dust a clean working surface with a little powdered sugar to prevent sticking, and dump the marzipan onto it.
• Using your hands, you then press the crumbly mixture together until it forms a compact log or ball.
• 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.
• Knead for a few minutes until the marzipan is smooth and just starts to feel elastic.
• Over-knead it, and you will soon find that the marzipan damps down to softness.
• You're after a dough that takes shape but does not stick.
• Store it when you have shaped your marzipan log. Wrap up the marzipan tightly with plastic wrap to keep it moist and fresh.
• Make sure to squeeze out as much air as possible from the wrap since marzipan dries fast when exposed to air.
• 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.
• 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.
• Marzipan also proves to be a great filling for chocolates, cakes, and pastries.
• If you are that creative, you can use food colouring and colour your marzipan in any festive colours.