Gimme Marzipan!

[Afishnado]

Besides Ikea, does anyone know where to get good marzipan treats?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Besides Ikea, does anyone know where to get good marzipan treats?

marzipan treats

or, I have even made my own, at home ...

[lala]

Cost Plus usually carries German brand marzipans.

[LEdlund]

Neuhaus Chocolates on University between 4th & 5th (downtown) sells Marzipan. I've never had it so I can't attest to the quality. It's pretty though.

[Bruce Burger]

I've been unimpressed with a few pieces I've had at Neuhaus -- too sweet and not fresh -- but I haven't exhaustively sampled them or their competition. I did easily find a lot of serious-looking marzipan sources on the web, but I haven't got around to ordering any yet.

[ludja]

If there are any german delis/butchers in town they are likely to have marizpan imported from Germany...

[andiesenji]

Marzipan is so easy to make and the result is much better than the commercial product you should at least try it.

One caveat, you do have to have very flavorful almonds. Even though almonds are grown locally, I prefer the ones from Spain because they have a lot more flavor. I also add just a few (very few) bitter almonds to every batch because that also increases the flavor.

Almost every recipe I have, going back to the 18th century, include the bitter almonds.

I usually separate the batch and add other flavors to them. Rose water is a great complement to the almond flavor.

If you want a recipe you can email me at asenji@earthlink.net

[Afishnado]

Wow, can you post a few old marzipan recipes? Thanks!

[Gifted Gourmet]

both cooked and uncooked recipes for marzipan

a few more

and yet more

so this ought to give you some idea of how to proceed .. I have made marzipan and enjoyed it immeasurably ... baked with it with much success as well ...

[andiesenji]

Wow, can you post a few old marzipan recipes? Thanks!

TRUE MARZIPAN

4 cup blanched almonds ground very fine

6 bitter almonds ground very fine

set aside.

In a sauce pan mix:

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Water

Boil to softball stage; cool till it can be touched without burning your finger.

add: 1/4 cup Orange juice

1 tb Rose water *

1/2 oz Pure almond extract

Mix almonds, syrup and rest of ingredients in a bowl.

Turn out on a board dusted with powdered sugar.

Knead until smooth, store well covered in refrigerator for about a week.

Roll small balls to be dipped in chocolate

Roll out into a slab about 3/8 inch thick and cut into shapes with small cuters.

Paint with colors or dip in chocolate.

or use in any way desired.

*Rose water is available at any middle eastern market or at a pharmacy.

Marchpane and Marzipan

Marchpane was the medieval precursor of Marzipan. A wonderful amalgam of sugar and pulverized almonds, it was pounded in a mortar and rolled out into a sheet, then crisped and given a toasty flavor by being baked in the oven. A food processor or blender speeds things up tremendously. I find that a blender does a better job of compacting the processed almonds into the firm mass that you would expect from a pestle and mortar. Sometimes it was iced, using a mixture of ordinary sugar and rose water (not confectioners' sugar). The icing was baked onto the marchpane, forming a crispy, crunchy coating. At other times cookie cutters were used to cut out shapes of animals. The problem with it was that it could only be used in flat sheets and crumbled away very easily.

By the Victorian era, marzipan was made by the addition of an egg and sometimes brandy or sherry, resulting in a much more malleable sweetmeat that would hold its shape. Three-dimensional animals could be made, marzipan fruits and cake decorations. Marzipan was often used to stuff sugarplums and other candied fruits, filling the hole vacated by the pit.

Sometimes in the larger fruits like peaches, an almond was wrapped in marzipan first, and then tucked inside.

Homemade marzipan is as different from the dry, sawdust-like, boxed commercial "marzipan fruits" as you can imagine. It is soft, succulent, and intensely flavorful - especially when improved with a good dash of brandy.

To Make a Marchpane

"Take two pounds of Almondes beeing blanched and dryed in a seive over the fire. Beate them in a stone mortar, and when they be small, mix with them two pound of sugar being finely beaten, adding two or three spoonfuls of Rosewater, and that will keep your almondes from oiling.

When your paste is beaten fine, drive it thin with a rowling pin, and so laye it on a bottome of wafers. Then raise up a little edge on the side, and so bake it. Then ice it with a little Rosewater and sugar, and put it in the oven againe. When you see your ice is risen up and drie, then take it out of the oven and garnish it with pretty conceits, as birds and beasties, being caste out of standing moulds.

Sticke long comfits upright in it, cast bisket and carrowaies in it, and so serve it.

Gild it before you serve it. You may also print off this marchpane paste in your moulds for banquetting dishes."

Recipe taken from: Delights for Ladies, to Adorne their Persons, Tables,Closets, and Distillatories, With Bewties, Banquets, Perfumes and Waters. By Sir Hugh Plat. 1600

[Afishnado]

Wow, thank you people!

[Behemoth]

If there are any german delis/butchers in town they are likely to have marizpan imported from Germany...

If you want the real deal ne plus ultra of marzipan, look for the German brand Niederegger Lübeck.

I had always been lukewarm on the whole almond paste thing (apart from those moroccan deer-horn cookies...ye gods) but the first time I tried these babies I became an unabashed besotted uncontrolled addict. There must be some deal with the devil involved here. My brother in law lives in Lübeck so I've bought them factory direct -- coolest store ever.

[Abra]

I've been using the bulk organic Sicilian marzipan I can get locally, but I'd love to try making some. Where can we get bitter almonds?