Danish marcipan petit fours - Marcipan Swirls

Name: Danish marcipan petit fours - Marcipan Swirls
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min

August 22, 2023

Prep 30 min Total 45 min

Marcipan petit fours - closeup © kvalifood.com

Video recipe - This is as classic and simple a cake as you can possibly make. Yet the result is fantastic. Almonds, egg whites and sugar. That is all. It is difficult to make anything simpler than that. But it is considered a luxury delicatesse, so this kind of cake is mostly served at special occasions in Denmark. Christenings, weddings, confirmations, anniversaries and so on.

Petit four ingredients © kvalifood.com

Ingredients

500 g marzipan
100 g sugar
100 g icing sugar
120 g egg white (about 4 whites)

Directions

Cut the marzipan into smaller pieces with a knife, or the grate it on a grater.

Mix the egg whites and the sugar to a smooth paste. It is not important that all the sugar is dissolved.

Mix in the marzipan and knead to a smooth paste. You can hand knead or use a machine. It does not make a lot of difference.

Put the mixture into a piping bag with a serrated tip. It should have a pretty big opening so that you are able to press the viscous cake mass out through it.

Put baking sheet onto a baking tray.

Make a swirl by starting on the side and run around in a circle. Finish by moving into the middle and make a small peak. A tiny spiral. Just like you would put frosting on a cupcake.

You can usually put 30-40 swirls onto a single sheet.

Bake them at at 410°F (210°C) convection for approx. 12 minutes. You must keep an eye on them because they du burn quickly. Especially at the tip of the “grooves”.

So as you approach the 12 minutes there is really very not far between perfection and charcoal briquettes. So set an alarm to maximum 10 minutes and watch them closely from then on.

Notes

Marzipan

These cakes are usually made with a special baking marzipan that also contains apricot kernels, beside the usual almonds.

In Denmark we most often use “Odense kranse XX”. As far as I know they are one of the worlds biggest producers/exporters of marzipan, so you might be able to buy them in your own country.

But you can certainly use any good marcipan for good results. Or even the homemade marcipan from this recipe.