Marzipan: what it is, how it is prepared, composition and benefits
Marzipan is a mass consisting of almond flour and sugar. Different manufacturers choose their own original combinations of ingredients, but all create delicate sweets that melt in your mouth. Some may be sweeter, others may have a pleasant aroma of roasted almonds, or even have a hint of bitterness.
The secret of good real marzipan lies in using high-quality almonds, skillfully roasting them and adding a small amount of sugar. Give in to temptation and enjoy marzipans in the form of candies, which are available in the online store laviva.com.ua.
Almonds grow in an ideal Mediterranean climate. The California variety, which has many sweet fruits, is often used for production.
The life cycle of almonds consists of different phases. As soon as the almond tree wakes up, buds grow on the branches. This is a sign of the upcoming flowering. From mid-February to mid-March, beautiful light pink and white flowers appear. The almond tree needs bees, and the bees need pollen, so they swarm the plantations in search of it during the flowering period. The fruit grows from each pollinated flower.
How is marzipan made?
At the beginning of production, different types of almonds are mixed (sweet with a small amount of bitter). Production may vary slightly, so let's look at the basic classic recipe for marzipan. Almonds, which still have a brown seed coat, are scalded with hot steam. During blanching and mixing on rotating rollers, they are cleaned. Then the cleaned kernels are washed in a drum with water. Marzipan paste consists of almonds and sugar (the proportion may vary in different recipes). These basic ingredients are mixed together.
An experienced master controls the roasting process in heated copper boilers. 20-kilogram portions of the mass can be roasted in 45 minutes. At 85-95 degrees, the sugar begins to caramelize, and the remaining water evaporates. The temperature and duration of this stage play a large role in the formation of taste and unique aroma. Several granite rollers grind the almond-sugar mixture to a pulp. Using dry ice, the mixture is cooled to about 65 ° C. This step prevents the recrystallization of the sugar or the formation of condensation.
To create different flavors, dried fruits, aromatic spices, crunchy nuts, cocoa, orange zest or strong spirits can be added to the base mass. Such additional ingredients guarantee special taste sensations.
To prepare marzipan according to the classic recipe, prepare:
- sweet almonds;
- bitter almonds;
- sugar (it can also be replaced with syrup or powdered sugar).
The higher the percentage of almond flour (for example, 70%), the more bitter the nut may be. If the almond component is less (for example, 30-50%), the taste of the delicacy will be sweeter and more delicate.

To make marzipan at home, you need to peel the kernels. To simplify the peeling, you can blanch the nuts in boiling water for 1 minute. Rinse the peeled kernels with cold water and dry them in the oven or in a frying pan. Next, you need to grind the nuts into powder, for example, using a coffee grinder, and combine with powdered sugar. Or bring sugar and water to a boil and cook the syrup, to which the crushed almonds are then added. Knead the dough. You can pass it through a meat grinder three times to obtain greater elasticity. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a spoonful of water, and if it is too thin, you can add more powdered sugar. The mass is stored in the refrigerator and in cling film for 2-3 weeks.
Marzipan recipe 1:
- 200g of raw almonds
- 200g of powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp. cognac, or white wine, or 2 ml of essence (for flavor)

Marzipan recipe 2:
- 1 tbsp. of a mixture of ground almonds
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1/3 tbsp. water (boil the sugar in water until thick, but do not caramelize)

There is no recipe for marzipan without almonds, if a substitute for this type of nut is used, then it is no longer marzipan, but a different product. So, a mass based on apricot kernels and sugar is called persipan. Sometimes peach kernels are also used.