Marzipan Cookies

MAKES 1 TRAY

For the dough: 8¾ oz (250 g) marzipan paste, 2 small egg whites, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 level tbsp flour, ½ cup + 2 tbsp (75 g) powdered sugar, 1 tsp rosewater

For decorating: 50 almonds (blanched)

Additional: parchment paper

Knead the marzipan, 1 egg white, lemon juice, flour, and powdered sugar with your hands. Make 30 cherry-sized balls out of the mixture. Cut the almonds in half. Place 3 almond halves, equally spaced from each other, upright on the sides of each ball (see photo). Press the almonds into the dough.

Preheat the oven to 285°F (140°C), unless you have a convection oven, in which case preheat to 250°F (120°C), or a gas oven, in which case preheat to level 1. Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Mix the second egg white with the rosewater and brush the cookies with it. Bake in the preheated oven (middle rack) for about 40 minutes, until golden brown.

Decorative round box: Packaged in a specially designed box, marzipan cookies can be an especially nice gift. You’ll need a round box (if you don’t already have one at home, you can find one in a craft store), a high-quality, stable wrapping paper of your choice, and self-adhesive tape (also found in craft stores). Trace the bottom of the box and then the side of the box on the proof-paper of the self-adhesive tape. Cut it out, leaving 2 / 5 in. (1 cm) extra on top when working with the side of the box. Remove the colored protective foil and attach an appropriately sized piece of wrapping paper to the back of the self-adhesive tape. Cut along the lines, making sure to leave the aforementioned extra room where necessary. Remove the proof-paper on the other side of the self-adhesive tape and stick the laminated wrapping paper to the bottom and outer edge of the box, one after another, making sure there are as few wrinkles as possible. Cut the extra paper at the upper edge of the box so that it sticks up only 1 / 5 in. (5 mm) and then fold it down over the edge of the box and press down. Do the same with the lid of the box, as well. If you wish, you can stick wrapping paper to the inside of the box using the same technique.

 

It is a quote. Christmas Cookies Dozens of Classic Yuletide Treats for the Whole Family 2015