Centrotavola di Carnevale
Carnival centrepiece

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- 250 g (8 1/2oz) all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 100 g (3 1/2oz) sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 orange
- 1 little lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Baking powder for 250 g (8 1/2oz) flour
- 125 g (4 1/2oz) ready made marzipan mix
- Natural food colours (red, yellow and blue)
- 20 g (3/4 oz) icing sugar for dusting
- Smarties
- Time:
preparation: 40 minutes
cooking: 15 minutes - Difficulty:
easy recipe - Nutrition Facts (amount per serving):
Calories: 353 (kCal) 18 % GDA (*) - 1476 (kJ)
Protein: 7.1 (g) 15 % GDA
Total fat: 8.1 (g) 12 % GDA
Total carbohydrate: 66.3 (g) 25 % GDA
Sugars: 32.8 (g) 37 % GDA
Put the flour together with baking powder and sugar in a bowl or on a work surface. Make a well in the centre and add the beaten egg, olive oil, 3 tablespoons of orange juice and grated lemon rind.
Slowly draw in the flour from the edge of the
well, stirring, and work until a smooth, elastic dough forms.
Divide the dough into 4 portions. Protect the work surface before going on.
Add 12 drops of yellow colour to the first portion and knead until the colour is homogeneous.
Add 12 drops of red colour to the second portion and knead until the colour is homogeneous.
Add 12 drops of blue colour to the third portion and knead until the colour is homogeneous.
Colour the fourth portion in orange with 3 drops of red colours aand 9 of yellow colour.
We suggest you to wash your hands at every change of colour.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line the bottom of 2 baking pans with waxed paper.
Roll out every portion of the dough on lightly floured surface, beginning from the centre, to a thickness of 2-3 cm (1in); you have to use a long pasta rolling pin for this.
Cut the dough into strips, vertically and horizontally. You have to obtain square or rectangle shapes.
Knead every rectangle or square with your hands to obtain a little ball with a cherry dimension.
Bake for five minutes.
Meanwhile knead the marzipan with icing sugar. Give it purple colour with 9 drops of red and 3 drops of blue food colours. Roll out marzipan on a work surface where you have sprinkled some icing sugar. Then cut the sheet into strips; coil every strip as you can see in the photo.
Prepare the centrepiece. Put the baked cookies on a dish alternating the colours. Add the marzipan strips and smarties. Look at the photo for more details.
Note
- - Obviously you have to eat this centrepiece at the end. These cookies are very tasty.
Prepare this centrepiece for a buffet too to decorate your table! - - You can choose other natural food colours for the cookies.
- - You can prepare it ahead, the day before.
- - Be careful not to cook too much these cookies; they're very little!.
- - Nutrition facts are without smarties.
