Marzipanning

Today was the day to Marzipan the Christmas cake.

I don't possess a food processor so I cannot grind my own almond meal.  Instead I buy it in packets.  But there are problems in buying the almond meal.  

Firstly, here in Germany they sell almond meal but it is ground with the brown casing and I am sorry but I prefer my marzipan to be unadulterated.  

Secondly, around Christmas time they do sell refined almond meal but the moment the Fraus get a whiff of it in the air they descend upon the shops en masse and then there is none left! 

You have got to be quick!

I pride myself on the fact that I have learnt to be swift, and so, like an experienced old lion seeing a zebra wandering down to the old water hole but knowing that the moment he lets it out of his site the hyenas will be on to it, I zipped into Dusseldorf and beat the Fraus.  I bought 4 packets - 3 to use and 1 to keep.

I mixed the almond meal with icing sugar and castor sugar and almond essence and lemon juice and a beaten egg and formed it into a ball with my hands.  Mixing marzipan by hand is great for your skin too by the way as the oil makes them feel soft. . .

Then it was time to wake up the cake and get him out of his tin. He was looking a bit drowsy but smelt so good. The minute I lifted the lid of the tin I knew this was a good cake. So I took his photo!  And he is a heavy one too.

then I rolled our the marzipan and having coted the cake in warm apricot jam I proceeded to help him on with his first lot of clothing.

Now he is resting on a cake stand in the sittingroom while the marzipan dries a little before going back into his tin. Soon it will be time to apply his outer garment of royal icing fit for a King among cakes, made to celebrate the Birth of Our King!