Marzipan Cookies

Source: C & H Sugar Kitchen

Beautifully decorated fruit miniatures made of a butter-almond dough.

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
Red, yellow and green food color

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in flour and almond extract until mixture looks like meal. Divide into 4 equal parts. Color one part of dough red, one green and one yellow and one orange. Shape cookies as described below. Bake for 30 minutes or until set but not brown.

RED DOUGH: Shape into apples and strawberries.

Apples
Form small balls. Insert a tiny piece of cinnamon stick into top as a stem and a whole clove in the bottom as the blossom end. For blush: Dilute a bit of red food color with water and brush over balls.

Strawberries
Shape dough into small, heart-shaped balls. For texture, prick with the blunt end of a toothpick. Roll each berry in red sugar. Form stem and collar-like leaf with pieces of green dough.

YELLOW DOUGH: Shape into bananas and pears.

Bananas
Shape dough into rolls, tapering ends. Flatten tops slightly to make plans of banana and curve each slightly. Paint on "stripes" with diluted green food color.

Pears
Shape dough into small pear shapes. Insert small piece of cinnamon stick in narrow end for stem, clove in bottom. Brush diluted red color on "cheeks."

ORANGE DOUGH: Shape into apricots and oranges.

Apricots
Shape dough into small balls. Make a crease down one side of each with a wooden pick. Insert a whole clove in each for stem. Brush with diluted red color.

Oranges
Shape dough into small balls. Insert whole clove in each for "blossom" end. prick all over with wooden toothpick to make skin textured.

GREEN DOUGH: Shape into apples and green peas.

Apples
Form small balls. Insert a tiny piece of cinnamon stick into top as a stem and a whole clove in the bottom as the blossom end. For blush: Dilute a bit of red food color with water and brush over balls.

Green Peas
Form dough into 1 1/2-inch rounds. Divide a rounded teaspoonful of dough into five small "balls" or "peas." Place "peas" in a row on each round, then fold up bottom half of round so "peas" are peeking out. Pinch ends together to secure.