Marzipan is an exquisite delicacy that will appeal to many sweet lovers. Candies are made on the basis of marzipan, it is used as a filling for cakes and other confectionery. What marzipan is made of, we will learn in this article.

Marzipan is a mixture of ground almonds and sugar (sugar syrup or powdered sugar). If apricot pits (sometimes peach pits) are used instead of almonds, the confectionery product is not called marzipan, but persipan. Sometimes marzipan is also called a mass of other nuts, as well as products with it. For example, “marzipan” buns with peanuts are common in Russia.

The main ingredients of marzipan:

• almonds (bitter and sweet)
• sugar.

Bitter almonds are sometimes replaced with essence, almond liqueur, bitter almond oil, or omitted from the recipe altogether. If there is no bitter almond in the composition, then the resulting mass does not have a specific "marzipan" taste.

Sugar may be present in the form of powder or syrup, or may be substituted for another sweetener.

The exact proportions of the main ingredients are usually not disclosed, because. constitute a trade secret of confectionery firms.

Additional Marzipan Ingredients:

• flavorings (cocoa, liqueurs, orange peel, rose water, spices, etc.),
• dyes (natural or artificial),
• egg.

There are two main ways to get marzipan:

1. Cold method. The cold method of making marzipan is based on grinding the ingredients and mixing them together. In this case, powdered sugar is taken. Due to the oil content in almonds, the mass turns out to be plastic like plasticine and is easy to sculpt.

In the absence of high-quality almonds or for the manufacture of surrogates (for example, from apricot kernels), it is recommended to add an egg to the mass.

2. Hot method. The hot method of making marzipan involves the use of sugar syrup. Thick sugar syrup is added to the pre-crushed remaining ingredients (nut mixture). In order for marzipan to keep its shape well, it must be thoroughly kneaded like dough.

How to make marzipan at home

You can often find fake marzipan in the store, which has few natural ingredients, so you can make marzipan at home. To do this, you need to finely grind 150 gr. almonds.

A blender is suitable for grinding almonds.

Now you need to add 100 g of powdered sugar to the resulting crumb. To this mixture, it remains to add a spoonful of rum and water or milk. From this, a smooth dough is kneaded. From this mass, you can form round sweets, inside which you can place a nut or toffee, and you can pour chocolate on top.

Outside the 21st century is a century that erases the boundaries between cities, states and entire continents. Now there are few things that can impress or surprise, except for outlandish sweets. I will talk about a delicacy that has recently gained popularity and figure out what marzipan is and how to cook it at home.

Marzipan is an elastic paste that contains powdered sugar and almond flour. The consistency of the mixture resembles mastic.

There are several opposite versions of the origin of marzipan. One thing is certain, its age is calculated in tens of centuries.

Origin story

Italian version

According to one version, the Italians were the first to learn about marzipan. During a drought, high temperatures and beetles destroyed almost the entire crop. Almonds remained the only food that survived by a lucky chance. It was used to make pasta, sweets, and bread. That is why in Italy marzipan is called "March bread".

German version

The Germans have their own way of explaining this name. According to legend, an employee of Europe's first pharmacy, named Mart, had the idea to combine sweet syrup and ground almonds. The resulting mixture was named after him.

Now the production of marzipan has been established in all European countries, but the German city of Lübeck is considered the capital. There is a museum on its territory, where visitors can get acquainted with marzipans and taste more than five hundred species.

In Russia, this product failed to take root.

marzipan recipe at home

In the first part of the material, we learned that cooks use sugar and almonds to make homemade marzipan. The result is a plastic mixture, which is indispensable for creating figures, leaves, flowers. The elastic mixture is suitable for making sweets, cake decorations, biscuits, desserts, sweets in the form of exotic fruits.

You can buy marzipan at candy stores or make your own at home. The last option is suitable for housewives who like to do everything with their own hands.

Ingredients:

• Almonds - 100 g.
• Sugar - 150 g.
• Water - 40 ml.

Cooking:

1. For cooking I use peeled almonds. To remove the shell, I dip it for a minute in boiling water, then put it on a plate and easily remove the shell.
2. So that the almond kernels do not darken, immediately after cleaning, I douse them with cool water, put them in a mold and dry them a little in the oven. At 60 degrees, peeled almonds dry for 5 minutes. Next, using a coffee grinder, I make flour.
3. Pour sugar into a small frying pan with a thickened bottom, add water, bring to a boil and boil. I check readiness with a soft ball test. To do this, I scoop up a drop of syrup with a spoon and immerse it in water. If, after the mixture has cooled, it is possible to roll the ball, then it is ready.
4. I introduce almond flour into boiling sugar syrup and cook for no more than three minutes, stirring constantly. Then I spread the sugar-almond mixture in a bowl, greased with vegetable oil. After cooling, I pass the composition through a meat grinder.

Simple video recipe

According to my recipe, you will prepare a plastic mass suitable for forming a variety of jewelry.

If the marzipan crumbles or is too soft

1. The problem with crumbling during cooking can be solved by adding a small amount of chilled boiled water and then kneading the mass.
2. In the case of excessively soft marzipan, the addition of powdered sugar will help to make the consistency correct.

The finished product is suitable for decorating New Year's cakes, buns, pastries and pastries. I recommend storing in the refrigerator, after putting it in a plastic bag. Many daring chefs experiment with the taste of marzipan, adding vanilla essence, lemon juice, cognac, and wine to the composition.

How to make do-it-yourself marzipan figurines

In the manufacture of pastries, cakes and cookies, housewives use a variety of decorations and figurines from marzipan mixture.

Marzipan figurines are characterized by a light yellow tint and a pronounced smell of almonds. They are tasty, beautiful, easy to prepare with your own hands. Marzipan contains only sugar and almonds, so it is safe to use in children's cooking.

• Remember, homemade marzipan should not be kneaded by hand for too long, otherwise it will become sticky and unusable. If this happens, add powdered sugar to the mass.
• Ready marzipan can be given a certain color using food coloring. In a separate container, I dilute the desired dye, then I make a small depression inside the mass and gradually introduce the dye. In order for the mixture to have a uniform color, I knead it well.

Videos cooking figurines

figurines

• I make figures of people, flowers and animals from the marzipan mixture, which I use to decorate baked goods. If desired, even pancakes can be decorated with such figures. Often I sculpt berries, vegetables and fruits.
• To obtain a lemon peel, marzipan is lightly grated. To make a strawberry, I keep it a little for a couple, then rub it lightly. I make grains in strawberries with pieces of nuts, and I cook cuttings from cloves.
• Vegetables. I roll marzipan potatoes in cocoa powder and make eyes with a stick. To make cabbage from the almond-sugar mass, I paint it green, roll it into layers and assemble the structure.

Marzipan figurines will always find a place on the ceremonial table. They will surprise guests and decorate confectionery. Good luck with your culinary endeavors!

Marzipan is a mass made from ground almonds and sugar. To prepare the marzipan mass, the almonds are ground very finely into flour. Powdered sugar is made from ordinary sugar or fruit sugar - fructose.

For the preparation of marzipan, ground apricot and peach pits are sometimes used. In the latter case, such a mass is called peach.

Very rarely, to reduce the cost of products with marzipan, the mass is made from cheaper nuts, such as peanuts.

When and where marzipan was first made is not exactly known. Several countries claim the birthplace of marzipan mass: Italy, Hungary, France, Germany, Estonia, Spain.

There are references that marzipans were able to cook even in the ancient Byzantines and Persians one and a half thousand years ago.

Marzipan gained popularity in the 13th-14th century. According to various sources, the invention of marzipan is associated with a famine in Italy, when only almonds were the only food. According to others, marzipan was originally a medicine and was used, as they say now, for diseases of the nervous system.

It is not so important where and when marzipan was first invented. It is important that this delicious delicacy has survived to this day. And not only tasty, but also healthy.

Almonds contain vitamin E, which protects us from stress, nervous disorders, a powerful antioxidant. Perhaps those who say that marzipan was originally a medicine are right. After all, 20 almond kernels is the daily requirement of vitamin E.

How to make marzipan

Unfortunately, we rarely find ready-made marzipan mass. And what is sometimes sold cannot be accurately called marzipan. Most often, almonds are partially replaced in such marzipan masses with other nuts: walnuts, peanuts or hazelnuts. But these nuts, although useful, have completely different properties and cannot give that self-adhesive mass that almonds do.

But marzipan mass can easily be made by yourself at home. The main ingredient in marzipan is sweet almonds. For homemade marzipan, it is better to use fructose. To better reveal the taste of marzipan, bitter almonds are added to the mass or replaced with almond essence.

If you are lucky enough to buy bitter almonds (you can find them in specialized candy stores or online stores), add one bitter nut for every 20-50 sweet almonds.

You can make marzipan without bitter almonds and almond essence.

When preparing marzipan at home, you can add various spices, natural flavors: liquor, rose water, orange zest, paint with food colors in different colors.

There are two main ways to prepare marzipan: hot and cold. In the latter case, marzipan mass can be made with or without eggs.

Marzipan, prepared in a hot way, is used for sculpting various figures, covering large confectionery. Marzipan is made cold mainly for stuffing or to cover small confectionery.

Making marzipan cold is very easy. Sweet almond nuts must first be peeled, and then ground almost into flour. If there is no ready-made powdered sugar, then it is prepared from sugar. Almonds contain enough oil to form a plastic mass.

If other nuts are added with the cold method, then in order for the mass to keep its shape well and be plastic, an egg is added to it.

When preparing marzipan in the hot way, a strong sugar syrup is first prepared and then mixed with crushed nuts. The mass is well kneaded, like a regular dough.

How to store marzipan

Marzipan mass prepared at home can be stored for one to two months. Cold-cooked marzipan lasts less, especially when using eggs.

The finished marzipan mass must be wrapped in cling film or a plastic bag and placed in the freezer. Before use, remove the marzipan mass from the freezer and defrost at room temperature. To restore plasticity, slightly knead with your hands before use.

Can be stored simply in the refrigerator. But the shelf life is less and is about a month, depending on the method of preparation.

On the site you will find recipes for making marzipan at home, as well as recipes for marzipan sweets and decorations.

Marzipan is a sweet and aromatic dessert native to France and Italy. Known from old tales, marzipan is an elastic, thick mixture made from grated almonds and sugar. Marzipan mass allows you to work with it, like with plasticine, they mold decorations for cakes, various figures, and make sweets from it. Marzipan is easy to prepare at home, this sweetness will appeal to your household.

In order to prepare marzipan, you will need fresh sweet almonds - 500g and powdered sugar - 200g. There is an old secret in the preparation of real marzipan - for the aroma and richness of taste for sweet almonds, it is recommended to put a few bitter kernels. But since it is difficult to find it on sale, you can replace it with almond essence. The skins must be removed from the almond nuts. To do this, it should be soaked in water, preferably in hot boiled water, or boiled in boiling water for one minute. Throw the almonds into a colander and after the water drains, put on the board. Now the skin from the almond kernels is removed very easily - just press with two fingers, and they will be cleaned. Rinse the peeled kernels and fry in a dry frying pan for up to 15 minutes, stirring all the time. Grind the toasted almond kernels in a blender to a powder state. Cook a thick syrup from sugar and water, which should be sticky and viscous. Put the almond mixture into the syrup and cook for a few more minutes. Then we spread the finished mass on a board sprinkled with powdered sugar, and roll it out with a rolling pin. The marzipan mass is ready - you can sculpt it, cut it into pieces or roll it up. There is an easier way to prepare marzipan mass. Prepare the almonds, as in the previous recipe, then you need to finely grind it in a blender along with sugar, in a ratio of 3 to 1. Cognac or liquor, a little lemon juice, mix and work with the resulting raw material. If your marzipan is too dense, dilute it with warm water, and if it is too thin and does not mold, add powdered sugar to it. Marzipan should be stored wrapped in cling film, it dries quickly and loses its sticky quality. There are a lot of nuances for making marzipan. They put raisins, walnuts in it, it turns out delicious with the addition of cocoa powder, with candied fruits or dried fruits. It is also well colored with food colorings; children really like the multi-colored bright marzipan dessert. Candy is molded from it, it is covered with chocolate, used as a filling, or vice versa, nuts, cookies or pieces of fruit are placed inside the marzipan mass. In the confectionery business, it is widely used as a food decor - whole works of art are molded from it, which are not only beautiful, but also tasty. And marzipan is a rich source of vitamin E for the body.

Real marzipan made from freshly ground almonds is delicious.
In addition, a natural and healthy sweet for children: it contains only pure nuts and a little powdered sugar. Making your own marzipan is easy. And it can also be dyed with food coloring in a variety of colors and fashioned from this edible “plasticine” into a tasty and original cake decoration. Marzipan keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks, so you can cook it infrequently, but make quite a lot. Today we will tell you 2 recipes for making marzipan at home, as well as an alternative material for modeling jewelry - marshmallow mastic.

Marzipan with sugar

What do you need:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 st. l. Sahara
• 1/3 cup water
• 2-3 drops of almond essence

What to do:

1. Dip unpeeled almonds in boiling water for 1-2 minutes.

2. Drain the water, let the almonds cool slightly and peel. To do this, press hard on the core with your thumb and forefinger.

3. Dry the kernels in a pan, 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Make sure that the nuts do not begin to toast in any case.

4. Grind the nuts in a blender until puree.

5. Pour sugar with water, put the pan on medium heat and melt the sugar, stirring it constantly. As soon as the syrup boils, stop stirring and cook, only shaking the dishes. The syrup should thicken to such a state that a soft and viscous ball could be rolled out of it (naturally, cooled down). Be careful not to overcook the syrup or it will turn into a thick caramel.

6. Pour chopped nuts into the syrup and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add almond essence and cook 1 minute more.

7. Put the almond mass on the work surface, cover with cling film and cool. Roll out the cooled mass with a rolling pin and give it any shape. Store finished marzipan only wrapped in cling film as it dries out quickly.

Advice. Marzipan, prepared only with sugar, without the addition of powdered sugar, is soft and elastic. But it may not be possible to mold ideal figurines for decoration from it. But you will definitely get sweets or a great filling for baking. If you want marzipan to become even more elastic, pass it through a meat grinder.

Marzipan with powdered sugar

What do you need:

• 1 cup almonds
• 250 g powdered sugar
• 1 very fresh egg white
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2-3 drops of almond essence

What to do:

1. Pour almonds in a large saucepan with boiling water, put on medium heat, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. If the almonds are old, add a pinch of salt and cook for 5-7 minutes. Then drain in a colander and cover with cold water. Peel the almonds by squeezing the nut between your thumb and forefinger (it should literally pop out of the skin).

2. Put the almonds on a baking sheet and dry in an oven preheated to 120 ° C for 10-15 minutes. Cool completely. Then grind the almonds into flour in a blender. If the crumb turns out to be too large, pour it on a baking sheet and dry it in the oven, but not letting it fry, for 10-15 minutes. Then dare again.

3. Mix ground almonds and sifted powdered sugar in a bowl. Add protein, lemon juice, almond essence and mix until smooth.

4. Transfer the marzipan to a work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar and knead until elastic. Wrap the finished marzipan in cling film. In this form, marzipan cooked on protein can be stored in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Advice. If the marzipan is too dry, add a drop of cold water mixed with brandy or vodka in equal amounts. If too soft and sticky - a little sifted cornstarch.

Marshmallow mastic

What do you need:

• 320 g (4 packs) white marshmallow marshmallows
• 250 g powdered sugar
• 1 st. l. lemon juice
• food colorings

What to do:

1. Add lemon juice to marshmallows. Melt in the microwave or over a double boiler until doubled in volume. In the microwave, you will need 10-20 seconds for this.

2. Add food coloring of the color you want to the hot melted marshmallow and mix thoroughly.

3. In portions, add the sifted icing sugar and stir the mass with a spatula or spoon.

4. When it becomes difficult to stir, put the mass on a table sprinkled with powdered sugar and continue to knead with your hands until the mastic stops sticking to your hands. Then roll out with a rolling pin a layer 5 mm thick. Wrap the finished mastic in cling film and put in the refrigerator
for 30 min.

Advice. You can cover the cake with such mastic or fashion various figures, leaves, flowers and other decor to decorate the cake from it. Marshmallow paste is a pleasure to work with because it easily takes the desired shape and does not stick to your hands. To glue the parts of the mastic together, it is enough to moisten them with water. To make the color brighter, just add a little water.

marzipan coloring

Marzipan paste and mastic can be colored with ready-made gel or dry food coloring. Purchase the colors you need. If you can’t find any shades, you can mix them yourself. For example, a combination of red and blue dye will give a purple color, adding a little blue to a yellow dye, you can get different shades of green. Food colorings are made from natural sources such as plants and fruits.

You can make your own dyes. The orange color of marzipan will be given by carrot juice or fresh orange squeezed together with zest. A red tint can be obtained by squeezing cranberries or lingonberries. The best brown dye yields burnt sugar or cocoa powder. The hardest thing to get a green tone - it is made from spinach, blanched and rubbed through a sieve.

Roll the desired amount of marzipan into a ball, make a small indentation in it and drop the dye there. Knead the mass intensively with your hands. The better the marzipan is mixed, the more uniform the color will be. If the shade seems not saturated enough to you, add a little more dye and knead the mass again.