Most of the world’s supply of Calissons – a unique almond paste candy – comes from Aix en Provence. Most visitors to Aix come away with a penchant for the distinctive candy. They’re hard to find, but taking the time to make them from scratch is worth the effort.
Cook’s note: This recipe uses raw eggs. Children, elderly people, pregnant women, and anyone with a suppressed immune system should avoid this food.
Prep Time: 1 hours,
Ingredients:
- 2 oz crystallized melon, diced
- 1 oz candied orange peel, diced
- 3 tablespoons Amandine liqueur
- 3 tablespoons orange flower water
- 2 eggs, separated
- 4 oz superfine sugar
- 3 oz ground almonds
- 10 oz heavy cream
- 2 oz superfine sugar
- Powdered sugar
Preparation:
Soak the melon and orange peel in the Amandine and orange flour water overnight, and then drain. Discard the soaking liquid. Line a tray of oval-shaped candy molds with plastic wrap and set aside. Cream the egg yolks, 4 oz sugar, and ground almonds. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream and plumped fruits into the egg mixture. Fill candy molds with the nougat batter and freeze until the candies are firm.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, and gradually add the remaining 2 oz of sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe the egg whites onto the paper in the same size and shape of the oval candies. Bake in a 200 degree oven for 90 minutes, until crisp. Serve each calisson topped with a meringue and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Makes 6 servings.
