A
lso called almond paste, this simple but delicious mixture of almonds and sugar is a true wonder! You can dip marzipan into the chocolate, shape it in a form of the fruit, cover a wedding cake with it, or it can be a major ingredient of your favorite cookies! On top of that, you can also easily make it at home, and I’ll tell you how!
Who Invented Marzipan?
There is a belief that this elegant delicacy originated from Persia. Back in the 9th century, there was a certain nameless Persian doctor who wrote a medicine book where he mentioned the curative qualities of almond and sugar paste. The crusaders brought the sweet remedy to Europe where it was wholeheartedly welcomed by the sugar craving rich European aristocrats. Queen Elizabeth I of England and French king Louis XIV were addicted to this delight – they even believed that marzipan is a strong aphrodisiac! When sugar production became cheaper, marzipan became available to the less fortunate. Today you can find it in almost any store, in numerous shapes and combinations!
How to Make Marzipan at Home?
It is super easy! You need three ingredients – almond flour or almond meal, powdered sugar and simple syrup, which is a syrup made of same quantities of sugar and water. There are lots of different recipes out there, and many of them use raw egg whites as a binder, but since I am a food safety freak, I never use those for making almond paste. Instead of eggs, in this case, syrup is proved to be a highly efficient binder, and you don’t have to worry about Salmonella! Some recipes call for almond extract, so if you would like your marzipan to taste stronger, feel free to pop in a few drops. I, personally like to add some vanilla powder to my marzipan. In Europe, good quality marzipan contains equal amounts of almonds and sugar, while marzipan for making decorations contains more sugar than almonds. The first one is usually used for dipping in chocolate or for baking, while the higher sugar ratio marzipan has a smoother texture and is more suitable for covering cakes and sculpting decorations.
How to Use Marzipan?
Where do I begin? Marzipan is not only tasteful, but its usage can be so versatile!
- Shape almond paste into a thin log. Cut out small pieces and dip them into the tempered chocolate.
- Make small marzipan fruits or animals and dye them with food colorings.
- Roll out your marzipan and use it to cover a cake or a wedding cake instead of rolled fondant.
- You can make roses or other flowers and decorations out of marzipan.
- Incorporate almond paste into cakes or other baked goods as an ingredient – add it into cookies, Danish pastry, tarts, Christmas stollen cake, etc.
Marzipan Dipped in Chocolate Recipe
by:Tereza Alabanda,The Pastry Maestra
PRINT PDF (EN) ISPIŠI PDF (HR)Prep. time : 15 minutes
Cook time : 0 minutes
Ready in 15 minutes
Level : Basic
Ingredients:- Almond flour 100g (1.8oz)
- Powdered sugar 100g (1.8oz)
- Water 20g (4Tsp)
- Granulated sugar 20g (5Tsp)
- Milk chocolate 150g (5.3oz)
- Sprinkles
- Mix water and granulated sugar into a bowl and heat in the microwave until it boils, and the sugar dissolves. Leave the syrup to cool down.
- Put almond flour, powdered sugar and cooled syrup into a bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are combined.
- Place the mixture on the counter and knead to make sure it is uniform. If it is too sticky, add some powdered sugar.
- Wrap firmly in a plastic foil and store in the refrigerator.
- Roll out your marzipan to 5mm (about 1/4 of an inch) thickness, and cut out squares 3cmx3cm (1.2×1.2 inches) in size.
- Dip each marzipan square into tempered milk chocolate or melted candy melts and top them with sprinkles.
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