Marzipan Candy Potatoes – April Fools!

Over the years I have lived in Europe, I never get tired of gawking at all the pretty marzipan goods at high-end shops and markets, especially the fruits and vegetables. Whenever I see them I stop in my tracks and spend a lot of time inspecting the workmanship and creativity involved in creating them.

This past December, I visited the Nürnberg Christmas market and was about to take a picture of marzipan potatoes at a stand when the owner started screaming at me that no photos were allowed. He was incredibly rude. No asking nicely for me to put my camera down. Just yelling. I was a bit taken aback at first. I had been snapping pictures of everything on display the entire day and received nothing but smiles from the vendors. The worst part for him was I was just about to buy a ton of his wares as gifts.

I’ve never been yelled at at a Christmas Market in the 15 years I’ve been visiting and photographing them. So I muttered “Merry Christmas to you too, asshole” in English under my breath, took his picture as he was ranting, then briskly walked away as more screaming ensued.

I took that picture to annoy him further because of the way he treated me. Like a child, I had to have the last word, or last snap if you will.

Sorry! It was the New Yorker in me. Even though I intended to, I won’t post the photo of him yelling at me here because in retrospect I am embarrassed I sunk to his level of rudeness.

In his defense, the Nürnberg Christmas market is famous for only allowing handmade goods in their stalls. No cheap crap made overseas. So I understand why proprietors can be jumpy about people taking pictures of their wares. People who would go on to use those pictures as references to replicate the items themselves and not buy the ones on display. Or worse, to replicate the goods and sell them elsewhere.

But marzipan potatoes? Really? They are ridiculously easy to make. Anyone from a child to a chimpanzee can make them.

In fact, I’ll show you just how easy it is to make marzipan potatoes at home in this 30-second video I co-created along with my good friend and talented partner in crime, Deborah Mitchell.

You can buy already prepared marzipan in a package which runs about $10 for 8 ounces or you can make it yourself at home for a lot less money. The expensive ingredient is the almond flour. If you have some already on hand I recommend making your own marzipan. It takes minutes.  Of course, using the packaged marzipan takes even less time. Both recipes are included at the bottom of this post.

My attraction to marzipan potatoes is obvious. I love faux foods and almost every April Fool’s Day since I have had this blog, I try to make something fun to share.

These cocktail weenie cookies I made out of marzipan and sugar cookie dough back in 2011 were picked up by this month’s Rachel Ray magazine for a feature on fake foods for April Fool’s Day.

In the marzipan potato recipe, I skipped the rosewater ingredient. If you want to be a purist and have some on hand, add a teaspoon to the mixture.

Next time I make these I want to try coloring the marzipan and making purple and red potatoes as well.

Tip: Most, if not all instructions for making marzipan potatoes say to form the potato in your hands and then roll it in cocoa powder. Do NOT do this. You will end up with way too much cocoa powder on your marzipan potatoes and will have to dust most of it off, creating an unnecessary mess.

Instead, rub a small bit of cocoa powder into your palm and then form the marzipan potato. This way, you will get just the right amount of “dirt” on the potatoes.

Marzipan Candy Potatoes

 

Ingredients:

• 1+1/2 cups almond flour
• 1+1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Directions:

• Place the almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine.
• Add the extract and the egg white. Process on high until the marzipan forms.
• If the marzipan is too sticky to hold a shape, add more powdered sugar,  a tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency.
• If you are not using the marzipan right away, wrap it tightly in plastic cling film. Otherwise, it will dry out pretty quickly.
• Rub a bit of cocoa powder into your palm.
• Break off a piece of marzipan the size of the potato you want to create (I made minis)
• Roll the marzipan between your palms to form an oval.

Ingredients:

• 8oz packaged marzipan
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Directions:

• Rub a bit of cocoa powder into your palm.
• Break of a piece of marzipan the size of the potato you want to create (I made minis)
• Roll the marzipan between your palms to form an oval.