Frutta martorana (Sicilian painted almond-paste fruit)
Egg-free almond paste moulded and hand-painted to look like real fruit
Palermo's pastry shops fill their windows with frutta martorana in late October, ready for All Souls' Day on 2 November, when Sicilian children wake to find sweets and toys said to be left by the family's dead. The name comes from the nuns of the Martorana convent, who were said to have decorated their bare orchard with almond-paste fruit. Each little fig, prickly pear or orange is so perfectly painted it looks real, and the paste inside is smooth, dense and very sweet, with a pure almond flavour. Serve a few with coffee or a glass of cold almond milk. The paste is egg-free almond paste, made the Sicilian way: ground almonds are stirred into sugar syrup boiled to the soft-ball stage, and the syrup binds them as it cools, unlike some shop marzipan, which is not always egg-free. Chef's tip: let the shapes dry before painting; the common mistake is painting damp paste, so the colours bleed.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 18
Ingredients
For the almond paste
- 1 ⅛ lb white sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 ⅛ lb ground blanched almondsvery finely ground
- 2 drops almond extract (optional)
- 1 ¾ oz icing sugarfor kneading and dusting
To finish
- natural food colouring powdersyellow, orange, red, green, brown
- ⅔ oz gum arabic
- 2 ½ tbsp hot water
- 12 whole cloves (optional)for stalks
- 12 small bay leaves (optional)for leaves
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅛ lb white sugar and ½ cup water in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring until the syrup reaches 116-250°F (soft-ball stage).
8 minStep 2: Take off the heat and stir in 1 ⅛ lb ground blanched almonds and 2 drops almond extract. Return to a low heat and stir for 2-3 minutes, until the paste comes away from the pan and no longer sticks to a clean finger.
3 minStep 3: Turn the paste out onto a marble or work surface dusted with ⅞ oz icing sugar and leave until warm, about 10 minutes.
10 minStep 4: Knead with the rest of ⅞ oz icing sugar until smooth and supple. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 5: Dust plaster or silicone fruit moulds with icing sugar and press in 30 g pieces of paste, or shape fruit by hand. Roll oranges and lemons lightly on a fine grater for a pitted skin.
Step 6: Unmould onto a tray lined with baking paper and leave to dry for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight, until the surface is firm.
60 minStep 7: Mix each of natural food colouring powders with a few drops of water. Paint a base colour all over each fruit, let it dry for 10 minutes, then add blushes, spots and shading with a fine brush.
20 minStep 8: Leave the painted fruit to dry for 30 minutes. Dissolve ⅔ oz gum arabic in 2 ½ tbsp hot water and brush a thin coat over each fruit for shine.
30 minStep 9: Push in 12 whole cloves as stalks and tuck in 12 small bay leaves as leaves, if using. Keep in an airtight box in a cool place for up to 1 month.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 285 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does frutta martorana (Sicilian painted almond-paste fruit) take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 165 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 18 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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