Marzipan

A paste of ground almonds and sugar, marzipan is sold in block form or made into varying miniature shapes of fruit, vegetables or animals. It is used in baking, as a tart filling, to stuff dates and sweetmeats, or can be rolled out into thin sheets to decorate and cover fruit cakes and cassata. Though marzipan is often said to have been named after the Latin marci panis (Mark’s bread), it is more likely to have come from the Middle East, where it was originally made from sugar, ground almonds and rosewater. It was regarded as a delicacy and sometimes covered with gold leaf.