You might be able to buy some already made but actually it really depends the country you live in. It might be handy to know how it is made, especially because it is sooooooo easy!
Do you know what it almond paste? Or maybe almond icing? The thing pastry people use to decorate cakes with flowers...
Ingredient for a hand full:
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| Almond Paste Icing |
- 1 cup grounded almonds
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2 Tbsp water
- few drops of almond essence (facultative)
- 1 drop of food coloring *
1) mix the almonds with the sugar
2) add the water
3) mix with a spoon at first
4) add the essence if you like + food coloring
5) go with the hands, it's PlayDoh time!
6) mix, squeeze until smooth
7) use what you need and keep the rest in the fridge in a plastic film for couple of days/weeks
8) creation is yours!
*[for pink flowers, you may use beetroot juice - cut and touch the paste with slices and repeat until pink!]
The summer is here and you do not feel like having super rich chocolate cake... I do not really understand this but let's pretend today is a day without chocolate.
You are thinking fruit cake - so sad... Nooooo, here is the ultimate alternative: fruity and mild flavor for the summer but far far far from a dessert frustration!
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| Strawberry cake |
Ingredients for 12 people:
- 1 sponge cake
- 0.5 liter plain vanilla pastry cream
- 0.5 kg strawberries
Syrup: 100 g sugar + 100 ml water
Topping: icing sugar, strawberry jam, strawberries, almond paste
1) make one sponge cake and let it cool
2) make the pastry cream and let it cool
3) cut the sponge cake in 2 slices
4) pour over the two slices some syrup
5) pour over the bottom slice some pastry cream
6) arrange the strawberries in the cream all over
7) pour the rest over the strawberries
8) cover with the second slice of cake (massage a little if this is not too flat!!!)
9) you may put some icing sugar on the top if your cake is not too too pretty
10) arrange some strawberry slices on the top
11) give them some shine with the jam (warm it up in the microwave for few seconds to make it liquid)
12) you may add some almond paste flowers or hearts or whatever you like!
13) serve after a couple of hours in the fridge
Voilà!
These biscuits have a very simple taste but all is here for being delicious.
Being thin and crunchy, the flavor of butter, sugar and eggs spreads into your mouth.
They are perfect to eat with coffee or to dip in a chocolate mousse!
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| Cigarette biscuits |
Ingredients for 24 pieces:
- 4 egg whites
- 1 pinch of salt
- 150 g sugar
- 100 g flour
- 2 Tbsp grounded almond
- 100 g butter
1) beat the egg whites with the salt
2) add the sugar, flour and almond
3) finally add the butter [Yes - the dough is quite liquid to be able to make them thin]
4) cover a baking tray with baking paper to make your life easier later
5) pour 1 Tbsp on the tray at a time - maybe a total of 6 over the tray (the size of a pancake max)
6) slide in the oven 175C for 3-5 min
7) look at them and take them out when the edge starts to be brown
8) immediately, take them one by one and roll them between your fingers - you see, the paper is very convenient to pick them out of the oven!
9) you may put them back into the oven on a grid for extra crunchiness.
Voilà!
