I don't like fondant - it's completely inedible - and at least marzipan has almonds in it. So this was the solution I came up with for my marzipan-loving pony-mad eight-year-old.
A quick Google search brought up this charming YouTube tutorial and my efforts in marzipan are pictured above. I coloured the chocolate marzipan by kneading it in cocoa powder until the desired colour was achieved. For other colours use paste food colours as the liquid type make the marzipan too wet to model. I stuck to a two tone au naturel palette.
The ponies were a huge hit and I sat them on a chocolate cake (basic choccy sponge recipe) on a bed of custard-based buttercream (less sugary than the icing sugar sort) fenced in with chocolate fingers.
Hello I just thought that I'd let you know that I enjoy your blog a lot. I also live in the Preseli's and do a bit of jogging(not as much as you though).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, as a newcomer to blogging its useful to see an established blog. Hopefully I can get mine as professional looking as yours one day.
Fabulous Maggie - I used to love making birthday cakes for the kids.
ReplyDeleteDoh that was me above
ReplyDeleteFantastic... they look truly amazing and I bet they tasted twice as good. I can not resist marzipan, delish. I'm sure somehow, with the well thought about ingredients, a slice counted as one of your five a day?
ReplyDeleteThat is one great birthday cake, Mags.
ReplyDeleteHow I would love to have one as delicious and designed just for me. I bet that your little child knew she was special.
The marzipan reference reminds me of when I first moved to New York City and lived in "Yorkville" which was a traditional German neighborhood (thanks to folks who moved here around the time of WW II.) There was a terrific little candy shop, Elk Candy, staffed by sweet ladies who wore cardigans and knew all about marzipan. Christmastime was a a joy in that tiny space, with all sorts of very edible, very beautiful candies.
Thank you for taking me down that particular memory lane.
xo