Rose Marzipan Fine Craft
Create delicate, lifelike almond paste rose decorations using the bulb-pressing technique, finished with leaves and thorn-shaped sugar pieces.
Ingredients
Marzipan (2 colors: rose pink and leaf green)
as needed
Liqueur (for dissolving food coloring)
as needed
Food coloring (red, green, yellow)
as needed
Powdered sugar (for preventing sticking)
as needed
Instructions
1
Make the central core
Knead a water-drop shape about 3cm tall to serve as the central core of the rose.
2
Prepare petal materials
Roll out the pink marzipan into a long stick shape about 1cm thick and 50cm long, then cut it into small pieces 1.5~3cm in size.
3
Roll and press into thin slices
Roll each piece into a ball with your palm, place it on a marble surface dusted with powdered sugar, then press it flat with your palm into a round slice about 2cm in diameter.
4
Extend and press with a heat lamp
Point the heat lamp at the edge, press and extend the slice outward along the edge into a thin sheet. Turn the heat lamp clockwise several times during pressing. Press as thin as possible without breaking it; the central part can be slightly thicker.
5
Cut off thin slices
Insert the knife under the thin slice from the front side of the core, and cut straight forward to slice off the marzipan. For the inner petals of the rose, cut 4~5 small slices about 3cm in diameter; other petals can be about 4cm.
6
Process petal edges
Press the center of the petal lightly lengthwise with your finger to make it slightly concave. Slightly fold the very thin edge outward. Gradually widen the folded edge as you go, so the finished petal looks more natural and lifelike.
7
Wrap around the central core
Wrap small petals around the flower core, and glue them at a slightly higher position. Pay close attention to the size of the petals; glue them in order even if there is only a tiny difference in size.
8
Glue small petals
After gluing all small petals, move the position slightly upward and start gluing the large petals. Do not glue the entire large petal firmly at first; glue the starting part firmly first, then gradually loosen the glue a little for the rest, so it looks more aesthetically pleasing.
9
Glue large petals
For the petals at the back half, gradually move the gluing position downward. Fold the left and right edges of the petal slightly outward. If a petal falls off during gluing, moisten it with a damp cloth and glue it again.
10
Process the outermost petals
For the outermost petals, use a larger amount of marzipan to make a ball, then press it into a thin slice the same way as in steps 2 and 3.
11
Flatten the bottom
Lightly press the center of the petal with your finger to form a smooth curve, then make the folded edge width a bolder curve than before, and glue it in place.
12
Trim the bottom straight
After gluing is complete, trim the bottom straight with a knife.
13
Make leaves
First dust the work surface with powdered sugar, roll the marzipan into a thin sheet with a rolling pin, then cut out leaf shapes with a leaf mold.
14
Press out leaf veins
Place the marzipan between leaf molds lined with plastic wrap, and press to form leaf veins. Do not press too hard. If the mold is not lined with plastic wrap, the marzipan will easily stick to it.
15
Process leaf tips
Gently fold the tip of the leaf to make it look more lifelike.
16
Dye and dry
Dissolve red and yellow food coloring in liqueur to make orange, then lightly spray the dye onto the marzipan with an airbrush, and let it dry at room temperature.
