Today’s Spotlight is on Marzipan.

Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar, honey, and almond meal, sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. It is often made into sweets; common uses are chocolate-covered marzipan and small marzipan imitations of fruits and vegetables. It’s often shaped and painted to look like realistic fruits and vegetables.

Marzipan is a common confection in Europe and has been used for centuries as both a sweet treat and a medium for food art. It’s also called almond candy dough.

Marzipan is made from:

• Ground almonds
• Sugar
• Egg whites
• Glucose syrup or honey
• Almond or vanilla extract
• Rose water

There are several regional recipe variations. For example, German marzipan is heated until dry, and French marzipan is not cooked.

There are several types of marzipan, including:

• White marzipan – Used for dying with food coloring and making three-dimensional cake decorations.
• Golden marzipan – Used to cover cakes, such as Battenburg cake and the traditional British Christmas fruitcake.
• Cashew-based marzipan – For those that did not like almond flavor
• Persipan – Is made out of apricot or peach kernels instead of almonds and is often used as a substitute in the event of nut allergies.

Other types of marzipan include:

• German marzipan, which is made by grinding whole almonds with sugar and partially drying the paste.
• French marzipan (called ‘massepain’), which is made by combining ground almonds with sugar syrup.
• Almond paste, which is made from equal parts almond and sugar, so it is less sweet.

In North America, almond paste is often used to refer to marzipan. Marzipan and almond paste are similar and rely on the same key ingredients of almond meal and sugar. However, the amount of sugar and texture differentiates the two.

Marzipan is sweeter, smoother, and more pliable than almond paste. Marzipan has a higher proportion of sugar, which makes it sweeter, smoother, and more pliable. Almond paste has a coarser texture.

Marzipan is made with a higher ratio of sugar to almonds than almond paste. One brand, for instance, has 28% almonds in its marzipan, and 45% almonds in its almond paste.

Marzipan is used as a candy or fondant, adding texture to traditional cakes, like German stollen, or rolled out and used like fondant.

 

History

Marzipan’s origins are disputed. Some say it originated in Persia, but others claim it came from Germany, Spain, Italy, or France. The history of marzipan is unclear. Some say it originated in Persia, while others say it originated in Germany.

• Persian origin –
  • In the 900s, a Persian physician named Rhazes wrote about the curative properties of a paste made from almonds and sugar.
  • It’s believed that the Turks introduced marzipan to Europe.
• German origin –
  • Legend has it that during a 15th century famine, the senate of Lübeck ordered bakers to create a replacement for bread.
  • The bakers used eggs, sugar, and almonds to make marzipan.
  • Marzipan became a specialty of the Baltic Sea region of Germany.

Other cities that claim to have invented marzipan include Toledo, Spain, Italy, Hungary.

 

A Holiday Treat

The earliest written references of “marzipan” come from Italy and Spain in the 16th century. Marzipan was already highly popular by the beginning of the 16th century.

Marzipan is used in Christmas cakes because it helps them retain moisture. Marzipan is also used to decorate holiday pastries.

Marzipan is often eaten during important celebrations because the ingredients are expensive. Marzipan is often used in Christmas cakes because almonds are in season when people start preparing for the holidays.

Marzipan pigs are given as gifts to wish people good luck for the year to come. In Germany and much of northern Europe, it’s considered good luck to receive a marzipan pig on Christmas or New Year’s Day.

 

Here are some fun facts about marzipan:

• The nuns of the convent of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio invented marzipan shaped into fruit.
• The Niederegger in Lübeck, Germany popularized marzipan.
• Marzipan is used in Tortell and some versions of king cake.
• In Italy, especially in Palermo, marzipan is often shaped and painted with food colorings to resemble fruit.
• In Sicily, May 9 and 10 are special days for eating marzipan.
• Marzipan can be used in place of fondant.
• Marzipan can be coated with gold leaf.

 

Here is a Marzipan Recipe for you to try:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp (90 g) blanched almond flour (see notes)
• 9 tbsp (70 g) powdered sugar or powdered Erythritol (see notes)
• 1 1/2 tbsp (20 ml) water or a liquid sweetener (see notes)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp almond extract (optional but very recommended)
• 1/2 tsp rose water food grade (optional)

Instructions:

1. First, process the almond flour and powdered sugar (I used Erythritol which I processed in an electric coffee/spice grinder until powdery) in a food processor.
2. Add the water (or your favorite liquid sweetener), almond extract, and rose water (optional) and pulse a couple of times until the dough holds together and forms a ball.
3. If the dough is too dry and doesn’t hold together, add a tiny bit more water (or syrup). Make sure to add just a little until a thick dough is formed. If it’s too sticky and wet, add more almond flour.
4. Take out the marzipan ball and knead it on a clean surface for about 30 seconds. You can now shape it into a log, wrap it up in cling wrap and refrigerate it. It will firm up slightly in the refrigerator.

If you use agave syrup or corn syrup, you should be able to store it in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks (probably even longer) or up to 3 months in the freezer. If you use water, use it within 10 days.

Here are some tips for making marzipan:

• Pulse the almond meal and powdered sugar in a food processor until smooth.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl and form it into a ball.
• Lightly knead the mixture on a work surface until it forms a smooth ball.
• Wrap the marzipan in plastic wrap and store it until you’re ready to use it.
• You can eat raw marzipan unless you’re allergic to eggs.
• Marzipan is made from 1 part ground almonds and 2 parts confectioners’ sugar.
• You can use marzipan to make sweet treats like: Candies, Icing sugar, Fruit cakes, Cupcakes, Fruit breads.

Consumption

On average, marzipan is consumed 1.43 times every year. In Norway, 45 million marzipan candies are eaten every year. In 2021, 29.4 million people in Germany never ate marzipan.

 

Celebrating Marzipan

National Marzipan Day is celebrated on January 12 every year. A lousy day if you think we should all be dieting at that time. But I digress. Let us know in the comments if you like Marzipan to accompany other foods or if you eat it by itself? We won’t tell if you are taking a break from your diet!