Homemade Marzipan Confections
Marzipan from scratch, from ground almonds and sugar syrup — not from a bought block. You taste the difference immediately.
Two points decide it. The almonds are ground only to a fine flour and not a second longer: past that the oil comes out and the paste turns greasy. And the long beating after the egg goes in — 15 to 20 minutes — is not a ritual: it is precisely what makes the almonds give up their oils and the paste turn elastic.
Ingredients
- 500 g blanched almonds
- 500 g sugar
- 1 pinch of cream of tartar
- 1 egg
- Water, as needed
- Fresh mint leaves, to decorate (optional)
Method
- 1
Grind the blanched almonds to a fine, even powder, about the texture of flour. Be careful not to over-process them, or they release their oil too early and the paste goes greasy instead of sandy.
- 2
In a pan, put the sugar with the pinch of cream of tartar and just a splash of water. Set it over the heat and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until you have a thick syrup (soft-ball stage: a drop in cold water can be rolled into a little ball between your fingers).
- 3
Put the ground almonds in a bowl and pour the hot syrup over them while beating hard with a wooden spoon.
- 4
The marzipan stage: once the mixture is lukewarm, add the egg. Carry on beating for 15 to 20 minutes. This step is essential: the long beating is what lets the paste release its essential oils and gain its characteristic elasticity.
- 5
Take small portions and roll them into balls the size of a walnut. Set them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. With a sharp knife, score a cross in the top of each one.
- 6
Bake at 160 °C for 8 to 10 minutes. Take them out as soon as they begin to colour; the inside should stay soft. Let them cool before decorating with fresh mint leaves.