Calisson d'Aix
Ingredients
- 230 g candied melon
- 30 g candied orange
- 20 g candied lemon
- 300 g ground almonds
- 180 g powdered sugar
- 3-4 tbsp orange blossom water
- 2 rectangular sheets of edible wafer paper
- 100 g water and 200 g sugar, for the syrup
- 1 large egg white and 160 g powdered sugar, for the royal icing
A calisson is a lozenge of almond paste in which candied melon does the work sugar usually does: the fruit is simmered in syrup until translucent, then ground with candied orange and lemon, almonds, icing sugar and orange blossom water into a paste that has to rest three days in the fridge before it can be shaped. The paste is rolled a centimetre thick onto a sheet of edible wafer, cut with the traditional pointed-oval cutter, and coated with royal icing that dries to a matte white shell over two or three hours.
Method
Boil the sugar and water into a syrup, add the candied melon and cook 15 minutes until it turns transparent, then add the orange and lemon. Drain and cool completely.
Process the candied fruits into a paste, then combine with the ground almonds, powdered sugar and orange blossom water in a mixer and knead until homogeneous.
Wrap the paste and rest it 3 days in the refrigerator (or at least 6 hours at room temperature).
Roll the paste out to 1 cm thick and lay a wafer sheet on top.
Cut out the calissons with an oiled lozenge cutter and set them aside to dry slightly.
Whisk the egg white with the powdered sugar until smooth for the royal icing.
Coat each calisson with a curved spatula, leave to dry 2-3 hours at room temperature, and store in an airtight container.
