Frutta di Martorana are the astonishingly realistic marzipan fruits that have been the jewels of Sicilian confectionery since the medieval period—hand-formed and hand-painted almond paste sculptures shaped into miniature fruits, vegetables, and other foods so lifelike that, from a short distance, they are indistinguishable from the real thing. The name derives from the Benedictine convent of La Martorana in Palermo (properly the Monastero della Martorana), where the nuns are said to have first created these marvels in the 12th century, hanging them on the convent's barren orange trees to impress a visiting archbishop with the illusion of a miraculous fruiting. The base is pasta reale (royal paste): blanched Sicilian almonds ground to a fine powder, combined with sugar (in roughly equal proportions), and bound with a small amount of water or glucose syrup into a smooth, sculptable dough. The paste is shaped by hand or pressed into ceramic molds (each artisan workshop has molds passed down through generations), then dried slightly and painted with edible vegetable-based pigments to achieve uncanny realism—the blush of a peach, the mottled green-to-yellow of a pear, the velvety texture of an apricot. The quality of the almonds determines everything: Sicilian almonds (particularly from Avola and the Val di Noto) have a sweetness and oil content that produces a marzipan of entirely different character from northern European versions. Frutta di Martorana are traditionally prepared for All Saints' Day (November 1st) and All Souls' Day (November 2nd)—the Festa dei Morti—when they are displayed in elaborate arrangements in shop windows and given as gifts. They are meant to be eaten, though many are so beautiful that recipients preserve them as decorations. Modern Palermitan confectioners have expanded the repertoire beyond fruits to include entire miniature meals: tiny pizzas, plates of pasta, even grilled fish, all sculpted from marzipan with breathtaking realism.
Use Sicilian almonds for authentic flavour. Grind almonds fine with sugar for pasta reale. Shape by hand or in traditional molds. Paint with edible pigments for realism. Traditional for All Saints'/Souls' Day. Both decorative and edible.
A tiny amount of almond extract intensifies the almond flavour if using non-Sicilian almonds. Let the shaped pieces dry for 24 hours before painting. Use a fine brush and thin coats of colour, building up gradually. Store in a cool, dry place—humidity softens the surface. A thin coat of gum arabic gives a realistic fruit sheen.
Using generic almonds (wrong flavour and texture). Over-sweetening the paste. Painting with non-food-safe colours. Over-drying (should remain slightly soft inside). Making too large (should be miniature and delicate).
Mary Taylor Simeti, Sicilian Food; Carol Field, The Italian Baker