To Make a Marchpane

To Make a Marchpane is a traditional Elizabethan recipe for a classic almond and sugar paste bound with rose water that's shaped into lipped containers, baked, glazed with icing and then filled with treats, sweetmeats and comfits before being served and which make excellent treats for Christmas or Easter. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Elizabethan version of: To Make a Marchpane.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

10 minutes

Total Time:

30 minutes

Serves:

10–12

Rating:

Tags : Baking Recipes Cake Recipes British Recipes

Original Recipe

To Make a Marchpane (from Sir Hugh Platt's Delightes of Ladies to adorne their Persons, Tables, Closets, and distillatories with Beauties, banquets,perfumes and waters. Reade, Practise, and Censure 1602)

18. To make a Marchpane.

TAke two poundes of Almonds being blanched and dryed in a ſieue ouer the fire, beate them in a ſtone mortar, and when they bee ſmall mixe with them two pounde of ſugar beeing finely beaten, adding two or three ſpoonefuls of Roſewater, and thet will keep your almonds frō oiling: whē your paſte is beaten fine, driue it thin with a rowling pin, and ſo lay it on a botome of wafers, then raiſe vp a little edge on the ſide, & ſo bake it, then yce it with Roſewater and ſugar, then put it into the ouen againe, and when you ſee your yce is riſen vp and drie, then take it out of the Ouen and garniſh it with pretie conceipts, as birdes & beaſts being caſt out of ſtanding moldes. Sticke long cōfits vpright in it, caſt bisket and carowaies in it, and ſo ſeruce it ; guild it before you ſerue it: you may alſo print of this Marchpane paſte in your molds for banqueting diſhes. And of this paſte our comfit makers at this day make their letters, knots, Armes, eſcocheons, beaſts, birds, & other fancies.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

500g blanched almonds
500g caster sugar
1 to 2 tbsp rose water
100g icing sugar
3 tbsp rose water
caraway comfits, to garnish

Method:

Grind the almonds in a blender or coffee grinder then turn into a large stone mortar. Pound the almonds to a smooth paste (if they begin to oil, work in a little of the rose water) then start to work in the sugar until it is all incorporated and you have a smooth dough.

Turn this dough out onto a cold marble slab and roll out to about 1cm thick. Cut into about 3cm squares then carefully raise a lip all the way around (you will fill them later). Transfer to lightly-greased baking trays then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 160°C and bake for about 10 minutes.

In the meantime, work the icing sugar and rose water together until you have a smooth and just spreadable icing.

When the marchpanes have been taken out from the oven, cover them with a thin layer of this glaze then return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes more, or until very lightly golden.

Remove from the oven and allow to dry then sit little figures in the shapes (birds and animals made from marzipan or chocolate, mini eggs for Easter etc. Add a few caraway comfits and serve.

You can also mould this marchpane into animals or birds as well as rolling into ropes and braiding these before baking. These were the sweetmeats known in Elizabethan times as 'knotts'.

Find more Hugh Plat Recipes Hereand more Traditional Elizabethan Recipes Here.