Marzipan Recipe

Do you know what Marzipan is? I've wondered what the difference of almond paste and marzipan are. After making both and doing a little reading up. I discovered that it depends on where you live. Here in the U.S. Marzipan and Almond paste are different. Marzipan has 75% more sugar where as almond paste has equal parts sugar and almond mea,l which I showed how to make last week in my post titled "Almond paste". We just skipped the other ingredients for basic simplicity, all was required other than the almond meal and sugar were the binder (egg white etc.) and almond extract.

In the UK, marzipan and almond paste are said to be the same. While marzipan has almond paste as the main ingredient and more sugar and a host of other ingredients, which take away from the taste. Almond paste also is used differently than marzipan and it's less sweet...still sweet, just less.

Uses: Marzipan is what's used to cover cakes, and those intricate shaped candies in the shops in Europe, because it's smoother and easier to create fruits and animals.The extra sugar aids in the malleable texture. When pastry chefs and bakers are making something a bit more elaborate with marzipan, they incorporate other ingredients like rose water, creams and infuse other flavors. You can too.
Almond Paste on the other hand is used to mix into cakes and pastries. It can still be flavored and colored, but isn't easily rolled out like marzipan, for covering cakes or making edible figures, because it lacks the elasticity.

This recipe comes together quite fast, 5 min. or less and yields 1 ½ lb.

If you made the Almond paste with me last week you are halfway done.
If not hop on over to get the recipe and come back here to make up your very own marzipan. Just click on the almond paste link in the recipe, that follows.

Ingredients
1 lb./16 oz. almond paste
3. c. powdered sugar (sifted)
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten or pasteurized egg whites.
Or and equivalent of two eggs...about 1/4 c. or less ..I've never measured the other ingredients like glucose or corn syrup.

1. Coarsely chop up almond paste with a knife until it is in small quarter size chunks and place the almond paste in the bowl of a large stand mixer.

2. Add the powder sugar to the mixing bowl and mix them together on low speed with the paddle attachment until the almond paste has broken down and everything has a fine sandy texture.
(You can achieve this step with your hands in a medium to large mixing bowl.)

3. With the mixer still running on low add eggs until it all come together in a ball . (you may find that you don't need all the egg whites)

4. Once the marzipan has formed a ball, take it out of the mixer, dust your work surface/counter with powdered sugar and knead the marzipan until it is completely smooth and has a nice pliable texture.



Links for more
Kitchn