These first two photos simply show what you need to make the centre of the rose. To make a petal, you need to flatten a ball, so that you have one end very thin and the other end quite thick. The thin end is the top of the rose; the thick end is always the bottom of the rose.
The next two photos show how you form the centre of the rose. First, you roll the petal tightly to form the very centre, and you flatten the base so that you can sit it on the table. Then, you add two more petals around the very centre, as shown in the subsequent photos. In other words, the first three pieces of marzipan petals are used to form the centre of the rose.
This photo here shows the shape of the petals you need. The top petal is round in shape, and is used for the outer layers of the rose. The bottom, tear-drop shaped petal is only used for the centre (which you saw in previous photos).
Here, you can see the round petal is wrapped around the centre of the rose, but one side of the petal is left open (for overlapping with the next petal).
The next three photos just show how to build up the rose, as you continue overlapping the petals. Use about 5 round petals to form a nice rose shape.
This long, oval-shaped marzipan ball is for the final petal. It needs to be wide enough to almost cover the outside of the entire rose, to finish off the rose.
Now you compress the base of the rose slightly (to make the petals unfurl a little), and then cut the rose itself off from the base with a paring knife.
Use your fingers to curl the petals outward very gently. This gives the rose a more realistic look.
This final photo here shows what can be made using the basic principles above.
Acknowledgment: Many thanks to Chef N for patiently showing me how to make beautiful marzipan roses.
