Indulge in the sugary delight of marzipan with this easy-to-follow recipe. The sweet, almond-based confection presents a world of possibilities!
Marzipan combines almond flour, sugar, and a touch of almond extract, to create a candy-like confection that melts in your mouth. What’s even better is its versatility. The almond-based paste can be used in various sweet treats, from cakes and cookies to candies. With this recipe, you’ll get the perfect marzipan every time. It isn’t overly sweet, is streak-free, and has a smooth, pliable consistency.
Why You’ll Love Marzipan
Requires four ingredients – Marzipan with almond flour, sugar, almond extract, and a little water brings it all together – that’s all!
Easy to work with – As mentioned, the marzipan is very pliable, malleable, and non-sticky, allowing you to be creative. Form it into different shapes, take your cake decorations to the next level, experiment with molds, and more! Soon you’ll feel like a pastry chef!
Great flavor – Marzipan has an addictive sweet, nutty flavor and aroma. It’s so delicious you’ll find yourself snacking on some when those sugar cravings hit. Also, marzipan is a tastier alternative to fondant (for all the aspiring cake decorators out there).
Vegan – Traditional marzipan includes egg whites, but this vegan marzipan is made without eggs. Does it taste like traditional marzipan? Yes, but the egg whites aren’t necessary. Furthermore, many are hesitant about consuming foods containing raw eggs, so why not remove that concern from the equation?
Marzipan vs Almond Paste
“Marzipan” and “almond paste” are often used interchangeably and while similar, they are not exactly the same. Both are made from ground almonds and sugar, but the main difference lies in their texture, taste and usage.
Marzipan or almond candy dough, consists of a higher ratio of sugar to almonds for a sweeter taste, and has a smoother and more pliable consistency, making it ideal for shaping and molding into decorative designs.
Almond paste, on the other hand, contains a higher proportion of ground almonds to sugar for a deeper flavor, has a coarser texture and is less sweet compared to marzipan. Many marzipan recipes even use almond paste as an ingredient.
Marzipan Ingredients Notes
To make you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Almond flour: The type of almond flour you use is essential. This recipe calls for finely ground almond flour made with blanched almonds. You can also use almond meal to make marzipan, but that product is made from almonds with intact skins and will yield darker marzipan. If you don’t have finely ground almond flour, make your own with a high-powered blender or food processor.
- Confectioners’ sugar: This type of sugar helps achieve smooth marzipan. As you know, confectioners’ sugar is granulated sugar and cornstarch. The cornstarch is a binder that allows the ingredients to come together into a smooth ball.
- Almond extract: A little almond extract makes marzipan more flavorful and aromatic.
- Water: A little moisture helps bring the dry ingredients together.
You’ll find the complete ingredients list with amounts in the recipe card below!
How to Make Marzipan with Almond Flour
- Combine the dry: Use a food processor to combine the sugar and almond flour until fine and powdery. You want to get it as fine as possible to prevent gritty, crumbly marzipan.
- Add the wet: The almond extract and water go in, then the mixture is processed until it forms a smooth ball. Add the water slowly to avoid overhydrating the marzipan.
- Knead: A quick 30-second knead helps bring the marzipan together. Do not dust your work surface with confectioners’ sugar or flour. If you have a marble slab or a marble cutting board, this is the time to use it.
- Shape: Roll the marzipan into a log, then wrap it in plastic. Air exposure will harden marzipan.
- Chill: There isn’t a set time to chill it. Just leave it in the fridge until you want to use the marzipan.
Variations and Substitutions
Have extra confectioners’ sugar on hand – If the marzipan is sticky, dust your work surface with confectioners’ sugar and knead to absorb the excess moisture.
Use another extract – If you want to scale down the almond flavor, try vanilla extract. Rose water is also a popular addition to marzipan. It adds a lovely floral note and subtle aroma.
Make the almond flour – Doing so is easy. Add blanched almonds to a blender or food processor, and blitz until you have a fine powder. Sift to remove any lumps, then measure what you need.
Add color – To color marzipan, add a small amount of gel food coloring to the marzipan with a toothpick or cocktail stick, then knead it in until the color is evenly distributed.
How to Use Marzipan
Marzipan has many uses in both baking and confectionery, here are some ways to use marzipan:
Cakes: Similar to fondant, both are a kind of sugar paste that are used to decorate and cover cakes. There are many incredible cakes to add marzipan such as princess cake (prinsesstårta), battenberg cake, lübecker marzipantorte and almond torte. Marzipan can be used to create almond-flavored icing for cakes and cupcakes.
Cookies: Often used as filling in cookie dough and popular include bethmännchen cookies, amaretti cookies, almond horns (mandelhörnchen) and almond joy cookies.
Candy & Chocolates: Marzipan is a sweet treat widely available during the Christmas season taking on many sweet forms including truffles, bonbons, chocolate logs and nougats. I love making these these marzipan chocolate candies during the holiday season.
Decorative Shapes & Figurines: Marzipan is used to shape fruits, animals, Santas, angels, or even hearts on special special occasions like weddings or Valentine’s Day, babies for baby showers, and eggs for Easter celebrations.
Bread: Sweet and braided breads are often add marzipan for a touch of sweetness including babka, challah and brioche breads. Christmas stollen and panettone are a couple of examples of fruit breads that are filled candied fruits, nuts, and a layer of marzipan.
Pastries: Marzipan is often used as a filling in pastries including croissants, Danishes, strudel, pinwheels, tarts and puff pastries.
Take the time to experiment with it, get a feel for the paste, and discover how you like to use it.
Storage and Freezer Tips
Marzipan doesn’t have to be refrigerated (a cool, dry place will do for 2 weeks), but I recommend refrigeration because it prevents the confection from getting too warm. To refrigerate, wrap marzipan in plastic and leave it as is if you plan to use it soon, or transfer it to a zipper bag or airtight container to store it longer. It will keep up to 6 weeks in the fridge.
Easy Homemade Marzipan with Almond Flour
Indulge in the sugary delight of marzipan with this easy-to-follow recipe. The sweet, almond-based confection presents a world of possibilities!
Ingredients
- 2 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar
- 1 cup almond flour, finely ground
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2-3 tablespoons water, room temperature
Instructions
- Add the sugar and almond flour to the bowl of a food processor and process on low for 2 minutes or until the sugar and flour are well combined and powdered. Occasionally stop the food processor and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides.
- Pour the almond extract and 2 tablespoons of water into the flour and sugar mixture – process for 2 minutes. If it doesn’t form a smooth ball after this time, add more water, but only add water in 1 teaspoon increments and process the mixture for 45 seconds before adding more. You will know the marzipan is ready when it resembles play dough, fondant, or a less sticky mochi.
- Transfer the marzipan to a clean work surface (do not flour the work surface) and knead for about 30 seconds to ensure that everything is well-combined and smooth. Occasionally, you’ll have unincorporated dry bits.
- Roll the marzipan into a log, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate. It will firm up slightly once chilled.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 367Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 2gSugar: 67gProtein: 4g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
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