need alternative to marzipan

[triciab325]

Hello...my daughter is about to turn 1 and we're doing a lady bug theme. I'm having cupcakes made and want to decorate them with lady bugs and daisies. There will be a handful of children her age there, and because of nut allergies, I don't want to use marzipan for the decorations. Is there something else like marzipan that I can use? Thanks for your help!!!

~Tricia

[mudbug]

persipan = ground Apricot Seeds, sugar and water to form a paste

There are numerous substitute recipes with ingredients such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, soy flour and cake crumbs instead of almonds but I don't know the recipes.

Here is one which might work:
To every 5 ounces of semolina flour add, 5 ounces of icing sugar, 1 egg white, 2 tablespoons of Birds Custard Powder and 2 teaspoons of almond essence OR same amount vanilla essence for nut allergic people.

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients together.
Beat egg lightly and add the essence of your choice to the lightly beaten egg.
Add egg mixture to the dry ingredients, kneading until it is a smooth paste.
Store in refrigerator sealed in Saran Wrap.

[chrose]

Triciab
You might have better luck and an easier time if you just pipe the cupcakes with colored decorators buttercream to make the ladybugs. You could make a large one as the icing for each cupcake.
If you're not thrilled with that idea and really want to get your fingers into it, try making a rolled buttercream. Here's a recipe thanks to baking911:

About Rolled Buttercream: Rolled buttercream is a firm dough that you can mold, shape and etc. versus regular buttercream that you can spread. It is equal parts of Karo and Crisco and without milk, butter or egg white/meringue powder. You will find that it is a softer covering than Fondant, so it can be harder to work with.

Recipe will cover a 9" round, 2-layer cake with a bit extra:

1 cup Crisco (shortening) or Sweetex
1 cup Karo clear corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon popcorn salt (or fine grained salt)
1/4 teaspoon lemon oil*
1/4 teaspoon orange oil*
* or 1/2 teaspoon total of any citrus oil(s)
2 pounds (7 to 8 cups) powdered sugar
Paste food coloring, if color is desired

Using a heavy-duty mixer, measure all ingredients into the bowl. If you wish to color the entire batch, add paste color at this time. (Make slightly darker than desired finished color). Beat till almost mixed together; the texture of soft pie dough. At this point, take out a small amount & store tightly wrapped in a plastic bag. This is used to soften icing if it gets too stiff (water cannot be added).

Turn out onto countertop lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Knead by hand for 2 - 3 minutes till all mixed. Check consistency frequently by taking a small piece & 'polishing' it with the palm of your hand. When it becomes glossy without sticking to your hand, enough sugar has been added. If it feels sticky, knead in more powdered sugar if it does.

Store tightly wrapped in double plastic bags in the frig. Allow to age at least 2 - 3 days. It may be kept, tightly wrapped for several weeks. Bring to room temperature before using.

To prepare the cake, layer & trim top edge so it is rounded. Crumb coat lightly with regular buttercream. Be sure it is smooth, as any imperfections will show thru the rolled icing. Remove room temperature icing from bags, and knead for several minutes.

Roll out between sheets of plastic (or on a counter or board dusted with a mixture of powdered sugar & cornstarch. Be sure to lift & turn, redusting icing frequently to avoid sticking. Dust rolling pin, also.) until approximately 1/4" to 3/8" thick & large enough to cover top & sides of cake. Flip over & remove bottom plastic. Pick up top plastic with icing on it, turn over carefully & center over crumb coated cake. Carefully start to peel plastic away from icing. Fullness around sides can usually be worked out or cut off & smoothed with your hands. If the icing should tear, just put a small piece over the hole & blend with your hand.

You can use this to make your ladybugs, daisies and anything else you feel like adding. Take pics and post them when you're done if you like!

[Free Rider]

Royal icing was the first thing that came to my mind. Simple and few ingredients.

[siduri]

Royal icing is not very good to eat - dry and hard. Not nice for kids. I suggest either a rolled fondant, which can be easily colored too, but is chewy, and very easy to make, or a pistachio marzipan (beranbaum's cake bible has a recipe). People with nut allergies are not allergic to pistachio, which is not a nut, unless they have a specific pistachio allergy, but i never heard of that. (I knew a woman with a life-threatening cotton allergy, so anything is possible - and many oils and shortenings use mixed seed oils, one of which is often cottonseed - and of course people have all kinds of allergies, even, unfortunately, the dread chocolate allergy). Anyway, it's almost 1 AM where I am so too late to go looking it up and copying, but if you want it, or the fondant, i can do it tomorrow morning. Both are malleable and can be colored, and would allow you to make three-dimensional decorations, like overlapping ladybug wings.

[jessiquina]

how about using fondant?

[cakerookie]

I have a recipe for cold porcelain but you cannot eat that. I think I have an edible one I will check...

Rgds Rook

[m brown]

Rolled fondant is a great alternitive to almond paste.
Just be sure that once you've made the critters on the cupcakes they are served right away or wrapped in plastic wrap in the cooler.

[panini]

There's always chocolate, mixed to mold.

[m brown]

So many things to think about when it comes to feeding children these days,
Nut, Chocolate, Dairy, Egg, Preservitive, Food Coloring and Wheat Allergies.

Just my 2 cents.

[felixe the dog]

Just use rolled fondant.
You may find a dedicated chocolate manufacturer that can ensure no cross contamination, but if you can't I would stay away from chocolate for kids with nut allergies, most companies nowadays have a disclaimer similar to "processed on equiptment that processes nuts, sesame seeds.........."