Makes: About 1 pound
Time: About 15 minutes
With a deep almond flavor and soft, almost cookie-dough-like texture, this is leagues ahead of commercial, brightly colored marzipan, and it comes together in no time. Eat it as is or dip it in chocolate. If you miss the fun shapes of store-bought marzipan, you can roll the dough into a sheet, ¼ to ½ inch thick, and use cookie cutters or a paring knife to cut out shapes, then arrange the pieces on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until set.
1. Put the almond flour in a food processor with the confectioners’ sugar and process until the mixture is combined and smooth. Add the corn syrup and almond extract and continue to process until the mixture starts to stick together, about a minute (it will look a little crumbly, but if you press it together with your fingers it should stick). If it doesn’t quite come together, add water, a few drops at a time, until it does.
2. Scrape the dough onto a lightly oiled surface and knead it a few times until it comes together into a smooth dough. Shape it into a log about 2 inches in diameter, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge to firm up a bit; keep refrigerated for no more than a month. Cut into slices and serve at room temperature.
COCONUT MARZIPAN Chewy and excellent with dark chocolate: Replace the almond flour with 2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut. Omit the almond extract if you like. No need to oil the counter; the coconut will release its own oil.