Calissons
Calissons are a sweet from Provence - Aix-en-Provence is famous for them - made with almonds and candied fruit, covered with royal icing. This is a slightly simplified version, which is every bit as good.
Last modified on: February 12th 2012
Keywords for this recipe:SweetConfectionerySoftProvenceAlmondsAix-en-provenceFor 20 Calissons, you will need:
- 1
50 g Candied grapefruit peel - 2
100 g ground almonds - 3
80 g icing sugar - 4
1 egg white - 5
1 sheet of rice (wafer) paper - 6
125 g Royal icing - Total weight: 388 grams
How long does it take?
Time required for this recipe:
| Preparation | Start to finish |
|---|---|
| 1 hour 28 min. | 1 hour 28 min. |
At what time:
- When will I finish if I start the recipe at ... ?
When should I start for the recipe to be ready at ... ? - Work this out...
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 5 min.
Chop 50 g Candied grapefruit peel using food processor to produce small pieces of peel.
Stage 2 - 2 min.
Stop the processor, then add 100 g ground almonds and 80 g icing sugar.
Stage 3 - 3 min.
Switch on again and add the egg white a spoonful at a time until you have a smooth paste - calisson paste.
Stage 4 - 2 min.
Spread the calisson paste out roughly on a sheet of rice paper laid on a chopping board.
Put the paste between two rulers 1cm (0.4 inch) thick, simple iron bars in this case, but use anything you like (wood, plastic...).
Put the paste between two rulers 1cm (0.4 inch) thick, simple iron bars in this case, but use anything you like (wood, plastic...).
Stage 5 - 1 min.
Place a sheet of cooking parchment on top of the paste.
Stage 6 - 5 min.
Roll out the paste, guided by the rules either side, into a very even sheet.
Stage 7 - 15 min.
Cut out the calissons with a cutter, pressing down really hard (I give a light hammer blow on the top) so that you also cut through the rice paper underneath.
Stage 8 - 15 min.
Gather all the offcuts of paste, roll out again on the remaining piece of rice paper and cut out more.
Continue unti you have used up all the calisson paste.
Continue unti you have used up all the calisson paste.
Stage 9 - 10 min.
Prepare 125 g Royal icing.
Stage 10
Dip the top of the calisson (the side without rice paper) in royal icing. You can stick it on a fork to make this easier, but this isn't essential.
Stage 11 - 30 min.
Wipe off any excess icing on the sides with your finger and place the calisson on a baking sheet.
You will notice how, after a few seconds, the royal icing becomes smooth once the calisson is laid flat.
Do this with all the calissons.
You will notice how, after a few seconds, the royal icing becomes smooth once the calisson is laid flat.
Do this with all the calissons.
Stage 12
Leave to dry exposed to the air for 2 days, until the royal icing turns hard.
Your calissons are ready.
Your calissons are ready.
Remarks
Traditional calissons normally contain candied melon and orange.
If you are in a hurry, rather than waiting for 2 days, you can dry the calissons in a cool oven at 50°C (122°F) until the royal icing forms a crust.
If you are in a hurry, rather than waiting for 2 days, you can dry the calissons in a cool oven at 50°C (122°F) until the royal icing forms a crust.
Keeping
2 or 3 weeks in an airtight tin.
Nutritional information
| Whole recipe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Energetic value | Proteins | Carbohydrates | Fats |
| 1,308 Kcal or 5,476 Kj | 22 gr | 216 gr | 55 gr |
| 65 % | 8 % | 20 % | 8 % |
| Per 100 g | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Energetic value | Proteins | Carbohydrates | Fats |
| 337 Kcal or 1,411 Kj | 6 gr | 56 gr | 14 gr |
| 17 % | 2 % | 5 % | 2 % |
| Per piece | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Energetic value | Proteins | Carbohydrates | Fats |
| 65 Kcal or 272 Kj | 1 gr | 11 gr | 3 gr |
| 3 % | <1 % | 1 % | <1 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 20 Calissons : 5.82 €
- Per Calissons : 0.29 €
Note : These prices are only approximate.
Source
Home made. This recipe is dedicated to my grandmother Solange, who introduced me to the calissons of Aix.
This recipe uses (among others)
 | Royal icing: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: |
 | Ground almonds: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Amiens macaroons, Gâteau Nantais, Buckwheat almond biscuits, Beurre d'escargot, Amaretti, ... All |
 | Icing sugar: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Almond dacquoise, Little Christmas biscuits, Walnut paste, Nanou's chocolate cake, Half-cooked chocolate cake with raspberry coulis, ... All |
 | Candied grapefruit peel: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Chocolate mendiants, Grapefruit moelleux, Chocolate cream with a crunch, irish coffee mousse, Brioche royale, Chocolate thins with toasted nuts, ... All |
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In France it's call "azym paper" (try to google that around you).
Anyway if you cant's find this special one, traditional rice paper is a good second option.