Makes 36
6 oz (175g) icing sugar
6 oz (175g) ground almonds 6 oz (175g) castor sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond essence
few drops of green, red and yellow food colouring
For dusting icing sugar castor sugar
For modelling marzipan fruits a cooked marzipan is used because it is easier to handle and less likely to go oily. Sift the icing sugar on to a plate and add the ground almonds. Put the castor sugar and egg into a mixing bowl and set over a saucepan one quarter filled with hot (not boiling) water. Whisk until pale in colour and warm to the touch. Draw off the heat. Add the almond essence and ground almond mixture and mix to a smooth paste with a wooden spoon.
Turn mixture on to a work surface dusted with icing sugar. Add green food colouring to one quarter of the mixture and colour the remaining paste with red and yellow food colouring to make a deep strawberry shade. Knead the mixtures separately until smooth and evenly coloured. Wrap in waxed paper or cling film and leave to stand for 1 hour.
Roll the strawberry-coloured marzipan into a sausage shape and cut in 36 slices. Roll each slice into balls, tapering one end to make a strawberry shape. Roll out the green marzipan thinly and, using a star-shaped aspic cutter, cut 36 shapes. Using a matchstick, push a tiny star into the top of each strawberry, then roll each strawberry in castor sugar. Place in petits fours cases.