Marzipan Cookies

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

½ cup sugar

2½ cups all-purpose flour

½ to 1 teaspoon almond extract

Food color

Mix margarine and sugar. Stir in flour and almond extract until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Divide into 3 equal parts. Tint and shape dough as directed below. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Heat oven to 300°. Bake until set but not brown, about 30 minutes. About 4 dozen.

APPLES

Mix red or green food color into part of dough. Shape into small balls. Insert small piece of stick cinnamon in top of each for stem end and whole clove in bottom of each for blossom end. Dilute red or green food color with water and brush over apples.

APRICOTS

Mix red and yellow food colors into part of dough. Shape into small balls. Make crease down 1 side of each with wooden pick. Insert whole clove in each for stem end. Dilute red food color with water and brush over apricots.

BANANAS

Mix yellow food color into part of dough. Shape into 3-inch rolls, tapering ends to resemble bananas. Slightly flatten sides of each to show planes of banana; curve each slightly. Paint on characteristic markings with mixture of red, yellow and blue food colors diluted with water.

ORANGES

Mix red and yellow food colors into part of dough. Shape into small balls. Insert whole clove in each for blossom end. Prick balls with blunt end of wooden pick to resemble texture of orange peel.

PEARS

Mix yellow food color into part of dough. Shape into small balls, then into cone shapes, rounding narrow end of each. Insert small piece of stick cinnamon in narrow end for stem. Dilute red food color with water and brush on “cheeks” of pears.

STRAWBERRIES

Mix red food color into part of dough. Shape into small balls, then into heart shapes (about ¾ inch high). Prick with blunt end of wooden pick for texture. Roll each in red sugar. Insert small piece of green-colored wooden pick or green dough into top of each for stem.

Note: Use liquid food color for light colors, paste food color for a deeper colors. Paste food color is available through mail-order baking equipment stores.

 

It is a quote. Betty Crocker’s New Christmas Cookbook 1993