Although ready-made Marzipan is easily available, the homemade version is much more tasty and very easy to create. Not only do you know exactly what’s in it but you can adjust the flavoring and texture according to your  liking. Here are two basic Marzipan recipes:-

Basic marzipan recipe

Ingredients:200g almond (blanched), 200g of powdered sugar, 50 ml water Preparation: Dry the almonds spread out on a tray for one or two days at room temperature or you can put it in the oven for a couple of hours and gently roast at a very low temperature.  Grind,  then mix with the half of the  icing sugar. Make a syrup with the other half of the sugar and water, by simmering it over low temperature.   Let it cool  and mix with  the sugary ground almond. Knead this into a dough by gradually adding the remaining  ground almonds. Tip:If you use unpeeled almonds, first blanch them in hot water, then rinse and peel them, then let them dry as above.

Marzipan recipe with eggs

Ingredients:350g ground almonds, 175g icing sugar, 175g granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, ½ tsp almond extract, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp brandy. Preparation: Mix the two sugars in a glass dish, then add the eggs and stir. Boil some water in a saucepan, put the glass bowl over the steam, and whisk for about 10 minutes until you get a thick cream. Place the bowl in cold water, then stir in the almond essence, lemon juice and brandy. When completely cooled, sprinkle in the ground almonds and knead it to a smooth dough.

Tips

• You can supplement the dough with flavourings and food dyes. To add a more authentic flavour, add a few drops of rosewater!
• If the marzipan is too soft – add more icing sugar, if it is too hard, knead with wet hands and add a few drops of lemon juice, alcohol or water.
• To make the marzipan a bit more bitter, add a couple of drops of almond extract essence – (bitter almonds also are a bit difficult to get in the shops  because they can be toxic in large quantities).
• To store for use later, form the marzipan dough into a sausage shape or a cube then wrap in clingfilm and keep in the refrigerator – it can last for at least a week or two.
• In modern recipes the eggs are not cooked but mixed raw with ground almonds, sugar and aromas. However, this version is not suitable for everyone (e.g. pregnant women) and has to be used immediately.
• There are also a few recipes adding just egg whites, these are better  for making decorations. Just add 1 large egg white to the basic recipe (N.B.the egg is raw!)
• You can combine peanuts, walnuts or pistachios  with the almonds too.
• The original Persian marzipan was made with honey, not sugar and used to be consumed as an aphrodisiac. For a long time in Europe you could only buy it in pharmacies!