You may have seen it at Christmastime or even recognized the name from the Nutcracker ballet (there's a whole dance dedicated to marzipan), but do you know what is marzipan and how it's made?
The sweet confection is often used to make cute holiday treats by molding into the shape of bite-sized fruits or even adorable little animals. When painted in bright colors, marzipan becomes magically transformed in a way that'll make both kids and adults smile. You might find marzipan-shaped Santas at a bakery or marzipan folded into flaky croissants, breads, and other pastries. But it can also be dipped in chocolate or used as a filling or decoration for your favorite cakes. With its nutty flavor and unique, paste-like texture, marzipan is even considered a Christmas tradition from around the world. In fact, many countries claim authority over the novelty treat.
If you're new to marzipan and looking for ways to use it (or you simply want to know how it differs from almond paste), read on for everything you need to know about it.
What Is Marzipan?
Marzipan is simply just a paste made from ground almonds and sugar. Depending on where you live in the world, there might be other ingredients added. In fact, marzipan is a common confection found in many different parts of the Middle East and Europe. Countries like Germany, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom all have their own marzipan traditions. But no matter where you live, marzipan is a sweet, nutty treat. The texture is soft yet pliable and easily molded into fun shapes.
How Is Marzipan Different from Almond Paste?
Good question! Though both marzipan and almond paste are made from ground almonds, there's actually a pretty big difference between the two. Marzipan is more of a ready-to-eat confection, while almond paste has a coarser texture and it's not as sweet. Almond paste is better used as an ingredient in baking, but marzipan can be enjoyed on its own—just like candy!
How to Use Marzipan
Whether you make your own or buy pre-made marzipan candy dough, there are so many different ways to use the almond treat. You can mold it into figurines and get creative with edible paint by creating little marzipan mushrooms for your yule log or marzipan-shaped fruits that you can box up as a DIY holiday food gift. Or, keep things simple with slices or mounds of marzipan dipped in melted dark chocolate. Marzipan can also be rolled out similar to fondant for decorating cakes. Aside from just looking cute, marzipan is also a wonderful ingredient that can be used for folding into pastries, challahs, or stollen (a traditional Christmas bread).
