Just in case you are running short on ideas for decorating puddings at Christmas, I can recommend Dr Oetker’s soft gold pearly balls. They are perfect for throwing over trifles, cupcakes or Pavlova, see above and looking suitably festive. They are much nicer than those hard silver balls you might be used to as they are soft and have a pearly matt finish. If you are a keen baker you might like to note the company is doing a Bake TV competition on its Facebook page.
The Dr Oetker marzipan is also good, I was supposed to make something out of the packet the company sent me, but I ate it all before cooking. I can’t be trusted with marzipan.
Oh dear, all the marzipan gone? Sometimes this happens here, too.
The gold balls look pretty, but where’s the fun in them being soft? Isn’t part of the Dessert Roulette ‘who-breaks-their-tooth-on-the-silver-balls’? Or is that just in our family? Famously ’twas my sister, many years ago but this even is still talked about. Couldn’t have happened to a better person.
Thanks for the recommendation for the gold balls – but I agree that there is something odd about them being soft! I used them as decoration on some iced vanilla and clementine flavoured biscuits as gold seemed more appropriate than silver. The silver crunchy ones taste a lot sweeter too.
We are a marzipan-loving family too. The fruit cake is obviously a necessary requirement but more to be eaten on the basis of “eat what you dislike most first” before we can really enjoy the marzipan and icing. My younger son (now 18) always answers “marzipan” when asked what his favourite food is!
If there’s ever any left over I make stuffed dates with small sausages of marzipan then rolled in sugar – possibly the easiest festive sweetmeat and always appreciated as a gift.
Best wishes for a happy 2012 – I’ve enjoyed your posts this year.
Susan