This three-ingredient marzipan is quick to make and delivers a satisfying seasonal bake. Honey adds depth and a more traditional sweetness than refined sugar, making these treats a great way to showcase your own harvest. They store well and are easy to share — perfect for gifting or enjoying throughout the season.

For a rustic look, I added some ground skin-on almonds, grinding them to a slightly coarse texture. Making the bees will take more time — my kids are especially fond of them — but you can keep things straightforward by forming discs or using cutters. If you have a spare piece of foundation wax, it’s perfect for gently imprinting the surface. To finish, I brush the warm marzipan with egg yolk and pop it back in the oven briefly to give a golden sheen. 

Servings:  25 to 35 pieces             Preparation:  One hour 20 mins

Ingredients
250g     Ground almonds (or 125g each of ground and skin-on)
125g      Honey
1            Egg, medium, separated
50g        Flaked or whole almonds
30-50g Dark chocolate (optional) 

Tip:   If using a large egg adjust the recipe to 275g almonds and 135g honey

Method
Use a mini-chopper or a pestle and mortar to grind 125g whole skin-on almonds, if you’re using these. Aim for a fine texture, only slightly chunkier than pre-ground almonds.

1. Combine all the ground almonds (250g in total), honey, and an egg white in a bowl until you have a thick, evenly textured paste.
2. The mixture should feel slightly tacky and roll cleanly in your hands without sticking. If it’s too wet, add more ground almonds (about 20g at a time). If it cracks as you roll, add a little more honey (also 20g at a time).
3. Chill the paste for at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan (or 180°C conventional) and line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment.
5. For the bees, form the mixture into elongated egg shapes — mine were around 10g each. If it sticks, wet your hands slightly. Alternatively, form small discs or roll the marzipan between parchment sheets and cut into shapes. At this stage, you can decorate any discs with whole almonds or imprint patterns.
6. Bake for 10–15 minutes until lightly golden.
7. If making bees, brush the warm marzipan with beaten egg yolk then add flaked almond wings (you may need to pierce the surface first if a crust has formed). Return to the oven briefly (2 mins) but don’t let the wings burn! Any other shapes can also be brushed with the yolk and briefly put back in the oven – this will give a high sheen finish. Skip this step if you’ve imprinted any patterns though or the definition will be lost.
8. Let the bake cool completely before adding chocolate details. I piped eyes and stripes using a small cone of parchment paper with a fine tip.