Peter Greweling, Culinary Institute of America

Technique Theory: Marzipan

Appears in
top 1000Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner (2nd edition)
Chocolates and Confections

By Peter Greweling and Culinary Institute of America

Published 2013

  • About
There are two general methods for producing marzipan: the German method and the French method. In the German method, the almonds are combined with sugar, cooked together, and then ground into a paste. This method is not commonly used by artisan confectioners. The method for the more applicable French marzipan is as follows:
  1. BLANCH THE NUTS IN BOILING WATER. ALLOW THEM TO SOAK FOR 5 MINUTES. The nuts are blanched to hydrate them, facilitate the removal of the skins, if necessary, soften them for grinding, and pasteurize them. Using unblanched nuts is likely to result in separated marzipan due to insufficient water content. Although untoasted almonds do not have as much flavor as toasted almonds, they are traditionally used in order to make a lighter-colored marzipan, which may then be colored and painted more easily. Untoasted almonds also provide greater resistance to rancidity, and therefore a longer shelf life, than toasted nuts do. The formulas in this book use both untoasted and toasted nuts. When toasted nuts are used, the temperature of the sugar used has been reduced to compensate for the moisture loss during toasting. Marzipan may be made using a variety of nuts in addition to almonds. Most often these nuts replace 50 percent of the almonds in the formula, but a higher percentage of other nuts may be used with success, depending on the fat content of the nut chosen. High-fat nuts, such as macadamias, are extremely likely to separate during grinding, and are better used in conjunction with almonds rather than in place of them.
  2. COARSELY CHOP THE NUTS. Chopping the nuts after blanching exposes more surface area for the cooked sugar to adhere to and facilitates grinding.
  3. COOK SUGAR, GLUCOSE SYRUP, AND WATER TO THE DESIRED TEMPERATURE. As always, the temperature to which sugar is cooked controls the moisture that remains in the syrup. (See Standard Wet-Sugar Cooking Technique and Theory.) Cooking the sugar to a high temperature results in marzipan that is firm but susceptible to separation. Conversely, cooking the sugar to a lower temperature makes for a softer marzipan that is less likely to separate.
  4. POUR THE COOKED SUGAR OVER THE CHOPPED NUTS IN A STAINLESS-STEEL MIXING BOWL. MIX TOGETHER LIGHTLY. Mixing the sugar with the nuts ensures evenly distributed ingredients. Excessive stirring should be avoided, as it can cause crystallization of the sugar.
  5. POUR ONTO A MARBLE SLAB AND ALLOW TO COOL TO ROOM TEMPERATURE. The marzipan is ground more efficiently when it has first cooled to room temperature. Grinding hot marzipan causes it to stick to the inside of the bowl.
  6. GRIND IN A FOOD PROCESSOR UNTIL THE DESIRED DEGREE OF SMOOTHNESS IS ACHIEVED. The traditional tool for grinding marzipan is a mélangeur, or roller refiner. This is arguably still the best method, but very good quality marzipan can be made using powerful commercial food processors. Whatever machine is used, the nuts should be ground in increments that are not too large for the machine to handle. The marzipan should be ground until it forms a uniformly smooth dough.
  7. PRIOR TO USE, ALLOW TO COOL TO ROOM TEMPERATURE OR WRAP WELL AND STORE OVERNIGHT. Immediately after grinding, the marzipan will be hot from the friction of the machine, and very soft due to the elevated temperature. It must cool completely before it can be used. When stored overnight, tightly wrapped, the marzipan will become firmer still.