Marzipan recipes - anyone have a good and easy one?

Marzipan Fruit

8 oz Almond paste

2 1/4 cup Confectioner's sugar

1 x Egg white, beaten lightly

* Blend the almond paste and sugar together. Add enough egg white to create the consistency of modeling clay.

BANANA Color the marzipan light yellow and roll it into the banana shape.

Dissolve cocoa in a little water and, with a small paint brush, streak the fruit with brown lines.

APPLE Color the marzipan light green or green yellow. Shape into apple shape and make an impression on top with a chopstick. Finish the apple with a brown stem and a green leaf (made of marzipan)

STRAWBERRY Color the marzipan red and shape it into a strawberry. Roll the berry in granulated sugar. Make the hull with green marzipan.

ORANGE Make a smooth ball of orange-colored marzipan; then press a piece of paper towel against the sides to create the texture of orange skin. Push a whole clove into the stem end of the orange.

This recpie makes one full-sized fruit or eight miniatures. Using chopsticks or toothpicks help the modeling process. Paste food coloring is the best, though liquid works o.k.

Remember! Licking your fingers is not the same as washing your hands!

Chocolate Marzipan Truffles

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 pound marzipan

1/2 cup hazelnuts, finely ground

1 tablespoon amaretto

1/4 cup cocoa (for coating)

Melt chocolate, and remove from heat.

Crumble marzipan into a large bowl. Beat in the melted chocolate to form a smooth paste. Blend in the hazelnuts and amaretto. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until thick but not firm.

Using a teaspoon, scoop up the mixture and roll it into 1-inch balls. Roll each truffle in cocoa powder until well coated. Chill for 1 hour or until firm before serving.

Yields 1 1/2 pounds

This is the recipe I use:

Almond Paste

Makes approximately 1 pound

2 cups whole almonds, preferably Mission

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

a few drops of almond extract

Cover the almonds with boiling water and let them stand for at least a minute. Slip off the skins with your fingers. If they are very stubborn, cover them again with boiling water or let them soak and remove them just a few at a time to work on.

Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a pan and cook, without stirring, until the temperature is 235 degrees F. Then stir in the almond extract.

While the syrup is heating, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Put the peeled almonds on a cookie sheet and leave them just long enough to dry out and warm up, about 8 to 10 minutes. Then, while they're still warm, grind them in a food processor until the texture is fine and smooth. If necessary, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water to loosen the mixture and make it easier to process.

With the food processor going, gradually pour in the syrup in a slow, steady stream. Process until the paste is uniform. Remove it from the work bowl, wrap it well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it until needed. To make it soft and easy to work with, put it in a warm place, such as on top of the stove while the oven is on, or heat it in a double boiler or a steamer set over simmering water.

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Buy it at the grocery store. Marzipan is tricky and your food processor takes a beating from it. They sell it in tubes near the chocolate chip rows.