Marchpane

Marchpane (an early form of marzipan) was enjoyed across medieval Europe, in noble households and Jewish households alike — made simply from almonds, sugar or honey, and rosewater, with no dairy or animal fat. It travelled easily between very different tables.

This simplified version is adapted from Jo Romero's recipe on lovebritishhistory.co.uk, which she in turn adapted from a 1660 marchpane recipe in The Accomplisht Cook by Robert May — part of a much longer tradition of marchpane-making that reaches back into the medieval period.

Ingredients

- 1½ cups (150g) ground almonds

- ¾ cup (90g) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

- ½ teaspoon rosewater

- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional, for a stronger flavour)

- 2–3 tablespoons cold water

1 - Combine the ground almonds and icing sugar in a bowl.

2 - Stir in the rosewater and almond extract, then add the cold water a little at a time until the mixture forms a soft, workable dough.

3 - Knead briefly on a surface dusted with icing sugar until smooth.

4 - Shape into small discs or press into a lined tin and cut into wedges or diamonds — a traditional shape for medieval sweetmeats.

5 -Bake the marchpane, still in its tin, at 170°C/340°F for 30–35 minutes, until the edges have turned a light gold and the surface looks pale and feels firm rather than soft.

6 - Let it cool completely in the tin before icing — it needs to be fully cold or the icing will slide.

7 -Mix a little icing sugar with a few drops of water to make a thick, spreadable icing, and coat the top using a butter knife or a feather.

8 - Once the icing has set, finish with a light dusting of edible gold lustre and a scatter of raisins or dried fruit, then slice.