Thanksgiving: Marzipan Marathon

When you gain a new skill, you are either thankful you mastered it (and hope you never have to do it again) or you find your eyes wide, thankful for the inspiration and totally addicted.

My name is Heather.  I have a blog called Sweet Teeth.  And, I am addicted to Marzipan.

After this post  in July, my sister and I agreed to go in halfsies on a seven pound can of almond paste and at least fifty bucks in tools, petal dusts, and brushes.  We intended to freeze the paste and envisioned endless available hours to practice and hone our newly acquired skills.  We received our first "commission" and spent a day modeling and shaping, shading and cooing.  But we still had six and a half POUNDS of almond paste in the freezer.

I've neglected this blog too long.  Although this is not a new recipe, I hope that you will be cheered to see what my beautiful sister and I came up with when we planned a two-day marzipan marathon for Thanksgiving.

Roughly the size of a golf ball!  Cutie Patootie!

This is the sort of event that tells you what you're made of.  Endurance.  Stamina.  Attention to detail.  Restraint.  (Have you ever tasted these little treats filled with figs, nuts, chocolate, and bourbon?)

I'm going to let the photos do the talking.

I'm thankful for my sister.  She's thankful for her food processor.

We were both thankful for a light filled studio and homemade pumpkin spice lattes*.

W.I.P.  (Works In Progress.)

 We listened to music, taking turns playing D.J. and chatting about nothing important.  We giggled quite a bit.  There is something giddy about making things in miniature ~ something that makes you say everything is Itteh bitteh.  Our fingers cramped up a bit, our backs were sore, but there was a nice 2006 Cloudline pinot noir waiting for us at the end of night one, and a night's rest to recharge. 

Thankful, thankful, thankful!

The creativity and enjoyment of making these dandies make me wonder how to get a job doing this - because I cannot think of a more giddy way to get paid.  I know after about 200 pieces the shine might be off the apple, but still...

I could have done this alone, but I'm so thankful I didn't.  I am thankful I have parents who would take my threenager for two days and one night, giving me the opportunity to focus on anything.  I'm thankful for my hubby who cooked us the BEST burgers on night one to replenish our energies.  I'm eternally thankful for my sister, who not only took the class with me in the first place, but continues to be dragged (er, well, rather willingly) into Marzipan Marathons.  I fear that if we had more time, there would have been Marzipan Mischief, as well. 

But, we still have four and a half POUNDS of almond paste in the freezer, guys...

Without further ado, here is a sample of our Thanksgiving Bounty.  And a recipe for the homemade pumpkin spice lattes that kept us going!

Filled with a mixture of figs, dates, walnuts, pecans, citron, chocolate, cinnamon, and bourbon.

D'Anjou?  We do!

My (er) Lemons and Her Darlin' Clementines

Jamie and the Bartletts.  A new band?

The T-Birds got NOTHIN on these Pink Ladies.

Wee lil' mushrooms.  The only kind we'll eat.

Apricots: also filled with the fruit/nut mixture.  Sassy!

Not even Queen Anne was as pretty as these cherries.

Itteh. Bitteh.  Cherreh.  Pahhhh.  I couldn't help but try this.

I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving.  I'm thankful for every person who reads my little blog posts! 

Crock Pot Pumpkin Spice Lattes
from Good Morning America

*I doubled this for the size of my crock pot.  It made four HUGE (2 cup) mugs when doubled.

1/2 cup brewed espresso or 3/4 cup strong coffee
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin (plain, not pie filling)
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice OR (1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. ground cloves, 1/8 tsp nutmeg and a pinch of ginger.)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Whipped cream for topping.

In a slow cooker, add coffee and milk.  Whisk in pumpkin, spices, sugar, and vanilla. Cover, cook on high two hours.  Whisk again (or use an immersion blender like I did to give you some great froth) and ladle into mugs.  Top with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon.  These do not replicate the drink of the same name from a place that gets Fivebucks for them, but I think these were delish in their own way!

Sis, I think we should have tried to make the Indian corn...