MARZIPAN POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter and dust with flour an 8-inch diameter circular cake pan. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Chop the chocolate coarsely and add it to the water. Lower the heat and melt the chocolate, stirring constantly. Let it cool for several minutes.
• Add chocolate to the flour. Using an electric beater, mix for 1 minute or until well blended.
• In another mixing bowl, combine egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Add to the chocolate mixture. Beat again for a minute until smooth. Pour the batter in the cake pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan; cool thoroughly on a rack.
• When the cake is at room temperature, break it up into small pieces. If you have a food processor, place it in the bowl and pulverize it to the texture of fine bread crumbs. This can by done by hand by placing cake pieces in a plastic bag and running over them with a rolling pin.
• In a third bowl, combine cake crumbs, walnuts, rum and preserves. Stir with at wooden spoon or your hands and blend thoroughly.
• Form a ball with 1/4 cup of the mixture. You should be able to make about 12 balls. Set aside.
• Cut the almond paste into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a little ball.
• Place one ball of the almond paste between two sheets of wax paper. Roll out each to a 5-inch diameter. Wrap the rounds of almond paste around the chocolate balls. Roll the balls into a roughly oval shape, somewhat like a potato.
• Place the ovals on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for 40 to 60 minutes to firm up the paste. Roll each oval in cocoa, shaking off excess, and serve at room temperature. You may poke little holes in each oval with a skewer to simulate potato eyes.