Here's a little gift from Sweet Morning Farm, some of our favorite holiday food gift recipes.
1 - MARZIPAN
8 oz. almond paste
1/2 C butter
3 C sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla, rum, or brandy
Mix until smooth.
Shape and stuff with almonds, apricots, prunes, figs, dates, cranberries, etc.
Keeps in fridge 1 month, 2 days at room temperature
Makes 4-5 gift amounts
That's the recipe as it was given to me. I think it actually keeps longer at room temp. I've never tried it but I have seen marzipan shaped into various things like fruits. Painted with food coloring, but I would use natural colors like beet juice.
Okay, I am really going to try making my own almond paste sometime.
How to make almond paste Otherwise, it's in the baking section at the store.
I just did a google image search on marzipan. Some amazing candies out there, especially fruit, flowers, animals. I even saw olives, a burger and fries, etc. Play dough out of sugar and almonds! Watch out for the marzipan babies. Not sure of the purpose of these but I found them kind of creepy.
One last thing, I have another recipe where you basically make a lump of marzipan and stick split almonds all around the sides then pour melted chocolate on top. The end up looking like pine cones. Cute but too much work for me and the finished item is too big to eat without keeling over from sugar shock.
Another variation: add coconut to the mix. Yum!
2 - SUGARED WALNUTS
1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 C orange juice
1 t. grated orange rind
1/2 t. vanilla
3 C. walnuts
Combine sugar and OJ in a saucepan.
Cook to soft ball stage (240 degrees)
Remove from heat and add rind, vanilla, and nuts.
Stir until the syrup looks cloudy.
Before it hardens, drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper.
Makes about 1 lb.
3 - DEVILED ALMONDS
1/4 C. butter
1/4 C. oil
(I use the same amount of oil/butter even if I triple or quadruple the recipe for gifts.)
1 1/2 C. almonds
1 T. celery salt
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne
1/2 t. chili powder
Melt butter in skillet.
Add oil and nuts.
Cook, stirring, until nuts are golden.
Drain.
Add other ingredients and mix.
4 - GLUHWEIN
1 bottle red wine
3/4 C. water
1/2 C honey
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange
10 cloves
Heat water to a boil.
Add honey.
Poke the cloves into the skin of an orange, slice in half, squeeze some of the juice into the pot and add the peels.
Add cinnamon.
Simmer until it thickens.
Pour in wine and warm. Do not boil!
Remove peels and spices and serve in mugs.
You can also add the syrup to the wine. Of course, you'll need to remove some wine first to make room...
