Although in Switzerland it is easy to buy a ready-made package of marzipan, sometimes it’s nice to make your own from scratch.

Many recipes use it—from the multi-tiered Baumkuchen, to a simple and elegant cover for a layer cake (like this Schlossbärg Würfel). You can stuff dates, cover a fruitcake, dip it in chocolate, make carrots for your Rüeblitorte, or designate your monarch for a day as the prize in a Dreikönigskuchen.

This is the version of marzipan I have been making since baking school. I use a whole egg in mine because I know my chickens and I like the slight golden colour that it gives. You can also just use an egg white (add ½ tsp more lemon juice), pasteurized egg whites (use 50 g) , or replace with lemon juice and water.

50 g sugar

150 g icing sugar

250 g ground almonds

1 egg

½ tsp lemon juice

Beat together all ingredients.

Wrap in plastic and keep in the fridge until needed.

Makes about 500 g marzipan.