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Goan cashew marzipan
Maçapão: Goa's cashew marzipan, cooked with sugar and egg white and pressed into bright little Christmas shapes
Where Europe makes marzipan from almonds, Goa uses its own crop: cashews. Maçapão is a Portuguese legacy that Goan Catholic families make every December, pressing the cashew paste into rubber or plastic moulds of stars, flowers, fish and bells, tinted pink, green and yellow, for the Christmas kuswar tray. Ground cashews are cooked with sugar syrup and a little egg white (which gives it its smooth, pliable texture) until it leaves the pan, then kneaded, coloured and shaped. It tastes rich, sweet and buttery, softer and creamier than almond marzipan. Because of the egg white, it is vegetarian with egg rather than vegan. The common mistake is grinding the cashews too long, which releases their oil and gives a greasy, sticky paste; pulse them in short bursts. Chef's tip: when the mixture is ready, a small piece rolled between your fingers should feel like soft play dough and not stick; if it does, cook it a few minutes longer.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
- 9 oz raw cashews
- 9 oz sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 egg whitelightly beaten
- ¼ tsp almond essence
- 2 tbsp icing sugar for dusting
- 3 drops food colours (pink, green, yellow) (optional)of each
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Soak 9 oz raw cashews in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain, pat dry and pulse in a grinder in 3-second bursts until finely ground. Do not run it continuously or it turns oily.
35 minStep 2: Boil 9 oz sugar and ½ cup water in a heavy pan over a medium heat for 5–6 minutes to a one-string syrup.
6 minStep 3: Lower the heat, add the ground cashews and stir for 5 minutes until thick.
5 minStep 4: Stir in 1 egg white and keep stirring on a low heat for 8–10 minutes until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and gathers into a soft mass. Add ¼ tsp almond essence.
10 minStep 5: Tip onto a surface dusted with 2 tbsp icing sugar for dusting and knead while warm until smooth and pliable.
5 minStep 6: Divide into portions and knead a drop of 3 drops food colours (pink, green, yellow) into each. Press into dusted moulds, unmould onto a tray and leave to dry for a few hours.
20 minStep 7: Store in an airtight tin in a cool place for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does goan cashew marzipan take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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Perfect for:Christmas