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Calissons d'Aix Recipe

Calissons d'Aix a Sweet Candy

David Scott Allen I Cocoa & Lavender
This recipe takes time. It's a fun culinary project with a sweet result. You need to leave enough time (about a week) for the fruit paste to reach the right consistency.
3 from 2 votes
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 27 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine French, Provencal
Servings 4 dozen

Ingredients
  

For the Fruit Paste:

  • 250 g Ground Almonds
  • 250 g confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 - 3 tbsp orange blossom water
  • 500 g Melon Confit cut into small pieces *
  • 50 g Orange Confit cut into small pieces

For the Royal Icing:

  • 1 Egg white
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Special Ingredient:

  • 1 10 x15 inch sheet Wheat starch paper **

Instructions
 

For the Fruit Paste:

  • Place the ground almonds, confectioners sugar and orange blossom water into a medium saucepan and cook over low heat for about 7 to 8 minutes until a uniform paste comes together that, when touched, no longer sticks to your fingers.
  • Break this almond mixture into pieces and add to the bowl of a strong food processor.
  • Add the melon and orange confit pieces. Pulse a couple of times, then process until everything is fully mixed. You don’t want any big lumps of the fruit confit.
  • Place the wheat starch paper on a rimmed 10-inch x 15-inch baking pan, and set aside.
  • On a marble or stone countertop, using your hands, form the fruit paste into as flat a rectangle as possible.
  • Scrape the rectangle onto a piece of cling film, cover with another piece of cling film and roll to a rectangle approximately 10-inches x 15-inches.
  • Remove the top piece of cling film, and carefully flip the paste into the baking sheet on top of the wheat starch paper.
  • Remove the other piece of cling film and continue to press into the baking pan to fit the piece of wheat starch paper. If it’s sticking too much, use a wet spatula to smooth out the top.
  • Let the fruit paste sit, uncovered, in a warm, dry place for up to seven days until it reaches a firm and dry (only slightly tacky) consistency. Using a Calisson-shaped cutter, cut as many pieces as possible, and as close together as possible, to avoid wasting any of the fruit paste. It helps to dip the cutter in water from time to time. Also, you need to press hard on the cutter to get through the wheat starch paper. Alternatively, using a wet, sharp knife, cut the Calissons into elongated diamond shapes.
  • Set cut Calissons on a tray and let dry while you prepare the royal icing.

For the Royal Icing:

  • In a mixing bowl, beat together the egg white with the lemon juice on medium-high, until well blended. Sift in the confectioners' sugar and beat on low speed until it is well combined and smooth.
  • Lift the beaters and let some of the icing fall back on itself. If it forms a slight lump on top of the other icing, it is ready. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add a drop of water at a time until it’s the right consistency.
  • Scrape the royal icing into a pastry bag fitted with a fine round tip.
  • Start icing by outlining each Calisson, then filling in the middle. It sounds really tedious, but it goes pretty quickly.
  • Once you have done all the icing, place them on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. This will set the icing.

Notes

* You can substitute dried or glacéed apricots for the candied melon, but the flavour won’t be quite the same.
** Wheat starch paper can be replaced with rice paper – whatever you use needs to be edible. Parchment is not a good substitute.
Keyword Almonds, Citrus, Melon
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