Coloring Marzipan

Water-soluble food coloring can be used to tint marzipan, but keep the colors to soft pastel shades as much as possible. A green shade (such as for Princess cake) should usually be toned down with the addition of yellow. When adding color to a small amount of marzipan, or when you need only a hint of color, put a drop of color on a piece of baking paper and use the tip of a knife to add some of it to the marzipan. Knead the marzipan until the color is completely worked in. Use unsweetened cocoa powder to produce various shades of brown, unless for some reason you do not want or need the chocolate flavor; it is obviously a lot less expensive to use food coloring. Work the desired amount of cocoa powder into the marzipan and keep kneading until the marbled look is gone and the marzipan is smooth and evenly colored. If you add a large amount of cocoa powder, you may need to compensate by working in a bit of simple syrup or water to prevent the marzipan from getting too dry. To color marzipan bright white, use 4 to 6 drops of titanium dioxide for every 1 ounce (30 g) untinted marzipan. Note: Titanium dioxide should be used only for figurines or showpieces that will not be eaten.