Marzipan Pigs (German New Year's Tradition)

Marzipan Pigs are normally gifted at New Year's Eve. It is a German Tradition which I happen to celebrate.

Finally we come to one of the New Year's Eve tradition that I can combine with a simple how to! In German pigs, four leaved clovers, horse shoes, toadstool and a chimney sweep are all signs of good luck.

There are lots of theories about why pigs are a symbol of good luck, ranging from pigs being able to feed your family, to boars being the centre of a bulls eye, to losers being awarded a piglet as a consolation prize in the middle ages.

For New Years, many Germans give gifts of small Marzipan Pigs to their friends and family. Sometimes adorned with a four leaf clover, sometimes a horse shoe other times a toadstool.

So. Make your own Mazipan Pig:

Ingredients:
A block of mazipan (try and get white or at worse crea, a void yellow if you can), red food coloring, green food coloring, tooth pick for modeling.

Piece of card and cellphone for wrapping and presentation

1. Colorr your marzipan - a few drops of red should give you pink. Knead it thoroughly. Make some in green too.
2. Using the pink, make an oblong ball, 4 stumpy feed (make a sausage and cut off four pieces, re shape a little) a disc for nose, 2 triangles for ears and a curly whirly tail
3. Put the four feet together, place the ball on top. Press gently down and they should stick. If not, dab with a little water.
4. Add the nose and the ears. Again gently squeeze on. If they come off a little water should help.
5. Add the tail (a thin sausage curled up on itself)
6. With a toothpick add eyes

1. For the four leaved clover, take the green marzipan. Make four small balls and a small sausage.
2. Stick the four balls together. Gently flatten. Using a toothpick make an indention to make it heart shape. Repeat on all four sides.
3. Add the "stick" and stick to the pig.

Place on a small piece of card and wrap in cellphoane with a bow. Try and make it air tight. Marzipan can dry out and you want to keep them as moist as possible.

This makes a lovely New Year's Eve or New Year's Day activity. Would you make this one of your New Year's Eve Traditions?