“What is marzipan? “Gorgeous dessert and sweet medicine, step by step recipe.” Marzipan

Today we will talk with you about unusual sweets. Although this delicacy is widespread throughout the world, many still do not know what marzipan is. What is it? Where did this name come from? Is it possible to make sweets at home? Is this product good for human health? We will talk about all this further.

Marzipan. What is it, the history of the delicacy

Marzipan is quite widely known in the confectionery business. In Europe, in general, it is considered one of the most delicious delicacies. However, marzipans are very expensive, as the best almonds are taken for its preparation.

This delicacy is translated from German as “March bread”. It consists of powdered sugar and ground almonds to a powdery state. All this is turned into a paste, from which you can make various figures, sweets, flowers, various decor elements for cakes.

In European capitals, there are entire museums dedicated to this delicacy. There you can find whole sculptures, and even all kinds of models of buildings.

In the old days, marzipan delicacies were given to emperors and kings. Today in Europe, the tradition of giving marzipan figurines on Valentine's Day and Christmas is popular.

If we talk about its origin, then it is not known exactly who and when invented this delicacy. There are several stories about this.

According to the first of them, marzipan was invented in Italy, when the entire crop died, with the exception of almonds. At this time, they learned how to make flour from almonds, and already from it they prepared almond pizza, almond bread, pasta with almond sauce, sweet marzipans.

According to the second version, this is a delicacy from Spain, namely from the highlands of Navas de Tolosa. Here is the next story. During the battle against the Moors (1212), although the victory turned out to be for Spain, a lot of men died.

It became difficult to cultivate the land. But the find turned out to be almonds and sugar, which was among the spoils of war. So in the monastery of San Clemente, the monks ground almonds and sugar, thereby preparing marzipan.

There is a third version, according to which marzipan comes from the Ottoman Empire. Some claim that it was popular there as early as 800. When the Arabs decided to conquer the lands, the spread of marzipan began.

As you can see, the appearance of delicacy everywhere is associated with the war or hostilities, but which version is more reliable is still unknown.

What is in real marzipan

In principle, the composition of marzipan has retained its traditional character to this day. For the preparation of confectionery sweets, only high quality almonds should be taken, the content of which should be at least 33%.

But, like any dish, marzipan has undergone changes with age. Now in its composition you can find pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, pineapples, oranges, rum, liquor, egg yolk. But only the proportions of almonds and sugar must be respected.

To date, Germany is considered the best producer of marzipan. It is in the city of Lübeck that the best confectioners live, who keep their secret of this delicacy in secret. There is an opinion that their secret is the addition of one bitter almond to a hundred sweet ones.

How to cook marzipan?

You can also prepare this delicacy at home. Following the technology, you will get marzipans no worse than in the famous factories for its manufacture. In addition, cooking it with love, your family will definitely feel it.

Combine water and sugar in a saucepan, put it on fire and bring to a boil. They should boil for thirty seconds. The end result should be a syrup.

Almonds should be ground in a coffee grinder until a dusty substance is obtained. Combine ground almonds and powdered sugar, mix everything with a mixer at medium speed.

Without turning off the mixer, add the resulting syrup to the almonds and powder. It must be poured hot. Stir a little more.

Now you should wait until the paste cools down a bit. After that, knead it well with your hands. The result should be a “smooth plasticine”.

In this state, it can be cut into pieces or sculpted into figures and decor as decorations, painted with food coloring.

• Tips and tricks, thanks to which you can cook the most delicious marzipan:
• The main rule is that at least 33% of almonds should be contained in the sweet mass.
• While sculpting, sprinkle the marzipan with granulated sugar, so it will not stick to your hands.
• If you need to color the marzipan, use only food coloring.
• The shelf life of marzipan is 1 month, but provided that it is refrigerated and tightly wrapped in cellophane. If eggs are used in the recipe, then it is advisable to eat such sweets as quickly as possible.
• It is best to fasten the individual elements of the figures with egg white, which is an excellent food glue.
• If the sweet mass is too soft, add a little powdered sugar to it and mix well.

The benefits and harms of marzipan

The fact that marzipan contains almonds makes it very useful. This is also because this delicacy is not amenable to heat treatment, so all the beneficial substances of almonds are not lost.

What is useful in it? This is the content of a series of vitamin B, vitamin E, which are very necessary for the body. Also, the sugar found in marzipan produces serotonin (the hormone of joy).

Thanks to these properties, this delicacy was once used to treat depression, nervous breakdowns, and apathy.

The positive impact can be summarized:

• strengthens the myocardium;
• blood vessels are cleansed, their walls are strengthened;
• excess cholesterol is removed;
• the liver works better;
• joints are strengthened;
• the body is protected from bacteria and viruses.

The harm of this confectionery product is the same as that of all the others. With excessive use, deterioration of the condition of the teeth, metabolic disorders. The presence of sugar imposes a restriction on their use by patients with diabetes.

But in general, this is a very useful and tasty confectionery product. In moderation, you can enjoy it in moderation.

How? You haven't read yet:

Marzipan is a confectionery product that can be eaten raw or used as an ingredient in desserts. It has a bright nutty taste, because it contains almonds, peanuts or other types of nuts. What is marzipan made of, how is it useful and harmful to humans? What kind of nut treats can be prepared in the home kitchen?

The composition and calorie content of marzipan

The standard composition of marzipan includes a sweet syrup of water and granulated sugar and almonds, crushed to a state of flour. As a rule, the nut mass consists of bitter and sweet fruits (the amount of sweet nuts should prevail). The dessert recipe may vary depending on the preferences of the manufacturer. For example, they often use a different type of nuts, include flavors, flavors, etc. in the dough.

Often confectioners call marzipan any kind of desserts based on nut flour. In Russia, marzipan buns made with peanuts are very popular among those with a sweet tooth. In different parts of the world, mozartkugels are prepared - marzipan sweets covered with chocolate or sugar icing.

The calorie content of marzipan per 100 g is 479 kcal, of which:

• Proteins - 6.8 g;
• Fats - 21.2 g;
• Carbohydrates - 65.3 g;
• Dietary fiber - 0 g;
• Water - 0 g.

The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is 1:3.1:9.6.

The composition of marzipan contains a large amount of almond crumbs, which means that the dessert is rich in the following nutrients:

• Vitamins E, C, A and group B;
• Macronutrients - potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium;
• Trace elements - iron, iodine, zinc, fluorine, copper, manganese.

On a note! Marzipan should be stored in a plastic bag. Otherwise, the delicacy will quickly become stale. Experts advise storing the dessert in a cool room and bringing it to a warm room in advance of use to warm it up.

Useful properties of marzipan

The benefits of marzipan for the human body depend on its constituent ingredients. As a rule, the dessert has those useful properties that are inherent in the nut used in it.

The main purpose of the dessert is to surprise the consumer with the unusual taste of marzipan, its nutty aroma and sweetness. The medicinal properties of the product in this case fade into the background. Nevertheless, experts identify the following useful properties of marzipan:

1. Quickly replenishes the lack of energy. Marzipan is considered a high-calorie product, so it gives a feeling of satiety during quick snacks.
2. Strengthens the protective function of the body, helps fight depression. Marzipan contains a large amount of vitamin E, so the delicacy is considered quite useful for the general emotional state of a person, the functioning of his brain and nervous system. Vitamin E also strengthens the immune system.
3. Beneficial effect on the condition of the heart, hair and nails. The ingredients from which the dessert is prepared contain a lot of useful vitamins and microelements that strengthen human health. All nutrients are almost completely included in the finished product. This is due to the fact that most marzipan recipes do not involve boiling or baking the dish, during which the beneficial substances are heated and evaporated.

Contraindications and harm of marzipan

Doctors, speaking about the dangers of marzipan, focus on the fact that the product is high in calories and hard to digest by the human stomach. In this regard, the following categories of consumers should refuse delicacies:

• diabetics;
• overweight people;
• suffering from diseases of the liver and pancreas.

Doctors say that marzipan can harm the body of even a healthy person if you regularly consume sweets in unlimited quantities.

Experts advise giving preference to home-made marzipan, rather than store-bought. If there is no time to prepare a dessert, buy a treat that does not contain harmful chemical impurities. To do this, carefully read the composition of marzipan before buying it.

Allergy sufferers should partially abandon the nut dessert. For example, if you are allergic to almonds, you can eat marzipan, but only marzipan that is made with peanuts or other nuts.

How to cook marzipan?

There are two main ways to prepare a nut treat:

1. Hot. All ingredients are poured with hot syrup of water and granulated sugar and kneaded into the dough of the desired consistency.
2. Cold. All dry and loose ingredients are mixed together without the use of syrup. In this case, powdered sugar gives sweetness to the dessert. As a result, the confectioner receives a plastic mass from which any figures can be molded. Often this way of making a dessert involves the use of eggs. It is thanks to them that the finished dish will be quite elastic and not too dry.

Note! As a rule, the presence of eggs in the composition of marzipan indicates that second-class nuts, not rich in oil, were used for its preparation.

A simple step by step hot cooking marzipan recipe:

• Set up a water bath.
• In a large metal bowl, mix 4 proteins and 150 g of fruit sugar, previously ground into powder.
• Heat the resulting mass in an already boiling water bath.
• Stir the ingredients constantly and do not remove from the stove until they turn into a homogeneous thick cream.
• Add a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 430 g of ground sweet almonds and a few crushed bitter nut kernels to the mixed cream. If you don't have bitter almonds, replace them with 3 drops of the appropriate essence.
• Knead the resulting mass until you get a smooth and firm dough.
• The product is ready to use! If desired, it can be given any shape or put on a dish in the form of bread.

Making marzipan cold is even easier. Follow the step-by-step instructions and you will get marzipan dough, ideal for sculpting various figures:

1. Knead the dough using 200 g of honey and 0.5 kg of sweet almond flour. If you do not have honey, replace it with powdered sugar in the same amount.
2. While kneading it, slowly add a few drops of water. It is needed for the elasticity of the dough.
3. Next, form it into candies or any shape that you need. Dessert is ready!

Tips from a professional pastry chef! If you decide to experiment and add a new ingredient to the standard marzipan recipe, remember the two main rules for making this dessert:

• Nuts and sugar (or powdered sugar) should be used in a ratio of 3 to 1. If this rule is violated, the dough will come out too brittle or sticky.
• Any additives (candied fruits, drying, etc.) should be added to the dessert after kneading the dough.

Marzipan Recipes

Confectioners consider marzipan not only as a ready-made dessert, but also as an ingredient that requires additional processing and improvement - using it with various products, experts get a radically new culinary dish.

Consider several recipes for desserts with marzipan:

• Lemon Poppy Cheesecake. Grind 150 g of sugar cookies and mix them with 70 g of melted butter. Put the resulting mass on the bottom of a detachable baking dish. Leave the mold in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Next, beat 400 g of cream cheese with 80 g of granulated sugar, 3 tbsp. l. low-fat sour cream and 2 pcs. chicken eggs. Add to the resulting mass 100 g of grated marzipan, 2 tbsp. l. poppy and 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice. Beat the cream thoroughly until smooth. Pour it into a baking dish on top of the cookies. Bake the cake in the oven for an hour. Cool the finished dessert and refrigerate overnight. Only after that you can start drinking tea.
• Cake with marzipan "Princess". Combine 4 yolks with 3 tbsp. l. granulated sugar, 2 tbsp. l. starch and 1 tsp. vanilla. In a separate bowl, heat 250 ml of milk and pour it into the mass with yolks. Thicken the resulting mixture by putting on fire. Do not forget to constantly stir the cream so that it does not burn. Transfer the finished cream to a clean plate and refrigerate. Meanwhile, soak 1.5 tsp. gelatin in 2 tbsp. l. hot water and leave to dissolve. Whip 500 ml cream with 50 g powdered sugar. Select from the resulting mass 2 tbsp. l. and add them to the already dissolved gelatin. Thoroughly mix the gelatin mass and combine it with the remaining cream. Whip the cream with gelatin until firm peaks appear on their surface. Now start shaping the cake, for this you will need ready-made biscuit bases (3 pcs.). If you have time, you can make your own biscuit. Put 150 g of raspberry jam on the first cake, and a little cream on top of it. Cover the cream with a second cake, spread with cream from the refrigerator and a small amount of cream. Place the third on top of the second cake. Brush the top of the cake and its sides generously with the remaining cream. Cover the finished cake with elastic marzipan (500 g), like mastic.
• Pears in puff pastry. To implement this recipe, you will need to purchase 700 g of ready-made puff pastry in the store or cook it yourself. To start, cut 100 g of marzipan into small pieces and add 4 tbsp. l. cream. Thoroughly mix the ingredients to obtain a homogeneous mass. Wash the pears and remove their seed boxes by cutting the fruit in half lengthwise. Each half of the pear should be decorated with transverse cuts so that it does not break into pieces, but stays together. Drizzle the pears with a little lemon juice. Cut pear shapes from the dough so that they are larger than the fruit halves that you have already prepared. Put marzipan cream and pear on the dough. Sprinkle the dessert with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Bake for about 25 minutes.

Marzipan is a traditional Christmas dish in Germany and Holland. It is difficult to say in which part of the world they first learned how to make marzipan. Historians cannot give a definite answer: some of them are sure that this happened in Italy or France, other experts suggest that the sweetness was invented in Estonia or Germany. By the way, its name came to us from German, in translation from which it means “March bread”.

There is also no consensus on the circumstances under which the recipe for this dessert appeared. Some historians are inclined to the version of crop failure: in a lean year, people did not have flour for baking bread, so they used another raw material - almonds. There is also a version that sweetness was invented to combat bad mood and depression.

Marzipan is optimally suited for filling confectionery products, as well as making edible figurines for decorating cakes. The sweet product is even used to make liquor.

In various parts of the world, people create museums dedicated to marzipan. So, in Hungary there are 4 such establishments!

Confectioners regularly invent new recipes for delicacy, today the world knows 500 types of marzipan. Most of the recipes are in the public domain, and anyone can use them, but in the city of Lübeck, confectioners prefer not to reveal their unique, ancient secret of making marzipan.

How to cook marzipan - look at the video:

Nut flour dessert is a high-calorie and satisfying product that is liked by almost all sweet tooth. However, you should not abuse it - it is hard to digest and can provoke an increase in blood sugar levels or rapid weight gain. Making marzipan at home is not difficult. If there is no time for cooking, go to the store for a treat; marzipan is easy to buy at any pastry shop.

The word "marzipan" many have heard repeatedly. But not everyone knows what kind of product it is?

This is not a vegetable or fruit, and not even a product of natural origin, it must be cooked. Marzipan is a sweet that is popular all over the world and is one of the favorites.

In Europe, the marzipan confectionery is considered one of the most delicious. Pleasure is not cheap.

Indeed, for the preparation of marzipan they use selected, it is clear that expensive, almonds. Now we will tell you everything about marzipan: its useful qualities, harm, cooking method, history of origin and much more.

The second name of marzipan is "March bread", which is translated from German. To prepare it, you need powdered sugar and almonds, ground to a powder..

These two ingredients are turned into a malleable paste, from which you can create a variety of masterpieces.

Figurines, flowers, animals - all kinds of beautiful decorations for confectionery products.

Marzipan is so popular in Europe that you can even see museums of this delicacy and sculptures from it.

In the old days, this product was presented as the best gift for emperors and kings.

Today, delicious marzipan figurines are given for Valentine's Day and Christmas.

Where did marzipan come from

No one can say for sure how the first marzipan appeared. There are enough origin stories. According to one of them, the product was first made in Italy. Once there was a very lean year in the country, all the crops were gone.

Of the foodstuffs, only almonds survived. Then flour was made from it. Bread, pizza, pasta were already made from this flour, and marzipan sweets were also invented.

The following story names Spain as the country of origin of marzipans. In ancient times, there were battles against the Moors. Spain won, but with maximum losses. Many men died.

Then there was practically no strong part of the population of the country. In everyday life, this was reflected in the fact that there was no one to cultivate the land for growing crops. Local monks managed to find a way out.

They took sugar and almonds from the trophies obtained in the war. Both products were ground into powder, and then goodies were prepared from it.

The third version says that the Ottoman Empire is the birthplace of marzipan. It spread to other continents when the locals went to war on the nearest lands.

Traditionally, marzipan is made from high quality almonds and sugar. Today you can find many variations with the addition of various ingredients.

Sugar and almonds are the basis, and pine nuts, pineapples, rum and liquor, lemon juice and zest, egg yolk, orange are used as additional components. These products give different flavors and shades to the product.

Germany is the leader in the production of sweets. The most delicious marzipans are prepared in the city of Lübeck.

There is a legend that they have their own special secret, which is to add one bitter almond to a hundred sweet and high-quality almonds. In this case, the delicacy will be incredibly tasty.

How to make marzipan at home

Do you want to try this product? Do not rush to run to the store looking for sweets, cook at home yourself. To do this, take almonds, powdered sugar, granulated sugar and water. To begin with, a syrup is made from sugar and water.

Then, in a coffee grinder or blender with a special fine nozzle, grind the almonds to a powder state. Before this, the almond nuts must be peeled and thoroughly dried in the oven.

Powdered sugar and almonds are combined with a mixer. While stirring everything at medium speed, gradually pour in the prepared hot syrup. Mix everything until smooth and set aside to cool.

When the paste has cooled, it is kneaded like a dough until it is plasticine. In principle, the product is ready for use.

But you can add food coloring and make different figures, flowers, decorations. Then it will be more interesting to eat, especially for kids.

To make marzipan sweets excellent, remember a few secrets of their preparation:

* The amount of almond powder in the sweet mass should be at least a third.

* So that when sculpting the delicacy does not stick to your hands, lightly sprinkle it with granulated sugar.

* For coloring sweets, take only food coloring.

* It is optimal to store marzipan in cling film and in the refrigerator. Then he can lie there for a month. If eggs were one of the ingredients in the preparation, then it is better to eat the product as quickly as possible.

* Egg white will help to connect the small details of jewelry and marzipan compositions. It is a kind of food glue.

* After cooking, the pasta turned out to be quite soft and pliable, sometimes even torn into pieces. Don't panic, the situation is easy to fix. Add some more powdered sugar and knead the paste again.

Useful properties of marzipan

The delicacy of marzipan is not only tasty, but also healthy. Due to the presence of almonds in it. All its useful qualities are preserved, since the product does not lend itself to any heat treatment. The presence of vitamins is undeniable.

Sweetness helps with depression, bad mood, because almond sugar contributes to the production of the hormone of joy - serotonin.

Other useful features include the following:

1) An excellent healer of blood vessels: cleans them and strengthens the walls.

2) Promotes the release of bad cholesterol from the body.

3) Improves the functionality and functioning of the liver.

4) Strengthens the joints, as well as the myocardium.

5) Helps to strengthen the protective barrier against viruses and bacteria that try to enter the body.

Do not forget about the precautions. Due to the presence of a large amount of sugar in the composition, the product should be limited to diabetics. Overeating marzipans threatens with poisoning, damaged teeth and metabolic disorders.

Marzipan is a sweet and aromatic dessert native to France and Italy. Known from old tales, marzipan is an elastic, thick mixture made from grated almonds and sugar. Marzipan mass allows you to work with it, like with plasticine, they mold decorations for cakes, various figures, and make sweets from it. Marzipan is easy to prepare at home, this sweetness will appeal to your household.

In order to prepare marzipan, you will need fresh sweet almonds - 500g and powdered sugar - 200g. There is an old secret in the preparation of real marzipan - for the aroma and richness of taste for sweet almonds, it is recommended to put a few bitter kernels. But since it is difficult to find it on sale, you can replace it with almond essence. The skins must be removed from the almond nuts. To do this, it should be soaked in water, preferably in hot boiled water, or boiled in boiling water for one minute. Throw the almonds into a colander and after the water drains, put on the board. Now the skin from the almond kernels is removed very easily - just press with two fingers, and they will be cleaned. Rinse the peeled kernels and fry in a dry frying pan for up to 15 minutes, stirring all the time. Grind the toasted almond kernels in a blender to a powder state. Cook a thick syrup from sugar and water, which should be sticky and viscous. Put the almond mixture into the syrup and cook for a few more minutes. Then we spread the finished mass on a board sprinkled with powdered sugar, and roll it out with a rolling pin. The marzipan mass is ready - you can sculpt it, cut it into pieces or roll it up. There is an easier way to prepare marzipan mass. Prepare the almonds, as in the previous recipe, then you need to finely grind it in a blender along with sugar, in a ratio of 3 to 1. Cognac or liquor, a little lemon juice, mix and work with the resulting raw material. If your marzipan is too dense, dilute it with warm water, and if it is too thin and does not mold, add powdered sugar to it. Marzipan should be stored wrapped in cling film, it dries quickly and loses its sticky quality. There are a lot of nuances for making marzipan. They put raisins, walnuts in it, it turns out delicious with the addition of cocoa powder, with candied fruits or dried fruits. It is also well colored with food colorings; children really like the multi-colored bright marzipan dessert. Candies are molded from it, covered with chocolate, used as a filling, or vice versa, nuts, cookies or pieces of fruit are placed inside the marzipan mass. In the confectionery business, it is widely used as a food decor - whole works of art are molded from it, which are not only beautiful, but also tasty. And marzipan is a rich source of vitamin E for the body.

Marzipan is a plastic, sweet mass. It is used to decorate sweets, as a filling or as an independent delicacy.

The recipe for marzipan at home is actually quite simple. It is only necessary to prepare the necessary ingredients and familiarize yourself with the cooking technique.

What is marzipan

The sweetness is a mixture of almonds and sugar.

Almonds are ground to a state of flour and combined with crushed sugar (in the form of powder or syrup).

If almonds are replaced with peach or apricot pits, a similar mixture is obtained, which is called persipan.

Sometimes almonds are replaced with other nuts. But they do not have sufficient lubricity. The mass obtained from other nuts is not as plastic and does not hold its shape as real marzipan.

History of occurrence

The true origin of marzipan is unknown. According to various assumptions, it could be first invented in: Italy, Germany, France, Hungary or Estonia.

There are several versions of the creation of this sweet:

1. According to legend, in a lean year, almonds were the only product that could be saved. So they began to make almond bread and other dishes from it, also sweet marzipans.
2. In another interpretation, marzipan originally served as a remedy for mental distress and disorders. He is credited with the property of having a beneficial effect on the nervous system and calming.

In some countries, the treat has become a traditional treat at Christmas (for example, in Norway or Holland).

In the usual execution, marzipan is usually made in the form of:

• sweets, which are covered with a layer of chocolate or sugar icing on top;
• cookies or "marzipan bread";
• marzipan liqueur;
• various figures (for example, fruits, flowers or hearts); in such cases, dyes are present in the recipe to give the desired color;
• as a decoration for various desserts.

Compound

The classic composition of the product includes 3 main ingredients:

• sweet almond;
• bitter almonds;
• sugar.

Over time, the recipe has changed, and other components have been added to it:

• eggs;
• dyes (they can be natural or artificial);
• ingredients that give additional flavors and aromas (zest, liqueurs, rum, spices, rose water, cocoa, etc.);
• other types of nuts or fruits.

Also, depending on the recipe, sugar can be replaced with various sweeteners: honey, fructose or others.

Instead of bitter almonds, oil from these nuts or essence can be used.

Different manufacturers can change the proportion of the main components in the recipe, thus achieving a special, unique taste.

Kinds

According to the method of preparation, the following types of product are distinguished:

1. Hot. The essence of the method is that chopped nuts are poured with sugar syrup.
2. Cold. In this case, all components are crushed and thoroughly mixed. When cold cooked, marzipan may contain eggs.

According to the composition and method of application, there are:

• a white mixture that serves as a decor for various sweets and pastries;
• yellow marzipan; obtained by dyeing white and used as a filling for desserts;
• raw; produced and used for glazing.

Step by step cooking marzipan at home

The main ingredient in any recipe is almond flour. You can buy it ready-made or cook it yourself. For a richer taste, it is recommended to use freshly ground almonds.

A classic recipe for self-made treats. For him, you need to prepare:

• sweet almonds - 500 g;
• bitter almonds - 15 nuts;
• powdered sugar - 200 g;
• water - 200 ml.

Almonds must be soaked in cold water for several hours (minimum 1 hour). This will help peel it off. The longer it soaks, the faster it can be cleaned later.

Then the cleaned raw materials must be dried. This can be done in an open oven at the lowest temperature, a dehydrator, or a frying pan. It is important to ensure that it does not fry or overheat.

When the nuts are completely dried, they must be crushed with a coffee grinder or blender.

Grind sugar into powder in the same way.

When all the ingredients are prepared, they must be thoroughly mixed (by hand or with a mixer).

Put the resulting homogeneous mixture out of the mixer and evenly spray with water at room temperature, which was prepared in advance. In this case, it is better to knead the mass continuously.

After that, place the mass in a container with a thick bottom and put on the stove.

As soon as the mixture acquires a homogeneous consistency, you can remove from heat.

Pour the mixture out and let it cool down. Cover with cling film. After cooling, you can give the mass the desired shape.

The finished mixture can be used in its pure form or other elements can be added to it: crumbs from any nuts, candied fruits, dried fruits. Or other favorite ingredients.

Having mastered the classic cooking option, you can complicate it and experiment with various additions.

Modeling from marzipan

Due to its plasticity and consistency, the paste resembles plasticine; any decoration can be formed from it.

Children enjoy joining this activity. They can sculpt figures that are familiar to them, as when playing with plasticine.

You can divide the marzipan into 2 parts: leave one white, and add cocoa to the other. Roll out white marzipan and wrap the second part in it, forming a roll. Glaze with chocolate on top.

You can form marzipan sweets with a whole nut inside (or other stuffing).

Color the resulting paste in separate parts in different colors using food coloring (for example, fruit juices). Next, create flat cakes from multi-colored cakes, fold them in the form of a cake and cut everything into squares, rhombuses or other shapes.

figurines

To give the final shape, you need to show imagination. Due to the plasticity of the product, there are a wide variety of options.

If desired, you can use special confectionery molds. It is enough to form a semblance of a pancake of the desired thickness and, using molds, squeeze a figure out of it.

Prepare templates from thick paper or cardboard. Then, with a knife, cut out the desired figure along the contour.

Easy to make animal figurines. They can be voluminous or simply repeat the silhouette of an animal from rolled marzipan. With the help of dyes to give the desired colors.

Funny animals are obtained from one large ball, on which the ears of the desired shape, paws and tail are attached. Due to the color and shape of the ears, the animal is recognizable, and the execution is very simple.

It is easy to make figures in the form of fruits or vegetables of various sizes. They can be an independent treat or serve as an addition to another dessert.

Thematic figurines: a Christmas tree for the New Year holidays, a pram for the birth of a child, a bride and groom for a wedding, fairy-tale or cartoon characters for a children's celebration, etc.

You can create numbers or inscriptions on the cake from marzipan (for example, on your birthday).

Numbers or letters of the alphabet for teaching children in the form of a game.

Flowers

There are also a lot of variations for making flowers:

1. Arrange the flower completely in one plane. Roll out the marzipan, cut out the petals, the center of the flower (if desired, the stem and leaves). Arrange the petals around the center and form a flower. Colorize with desired colors.
2. Roll out thin circles of small diameter. Connect them at the base and form a flower bud. The size and number of petals to determine on their own.
3. Roll into a small ball, about 1 cm in diameter. Then roll out flat, long strips. Collect them with an accordion and attach to the ball. A lush flower will gradually form.
4. You can prepare a template with the outline of a flower, cut out the desired shape and color it.

Marzipan for cake

Hot marzipan is well suited for pouring the cake.

You will need:

• chopped almonds - 350 g;
• powdered sugar - 175 g;
• vanilla extract - 3-5 drops;
• lemon juice - 1 tsp;
• eggs - 2 pcs.

This amount of products will be needed to prepare 700 g of finished marzipan.

Beat eggs well and add powdered sugar to them.

Place the mixture in a water bath and cook until it acquires the consistency of thick sour cream. At the same time stir constantly.

Then remove from heat, add the rest of the ingredients and stir.

Put the resulting paste on the table, sprinkle with powder and knead until smooth.

Use the pasta for decoration while it is still hot. After cooling, it retains the shape that was given to it.

To make delicious marzipan yourself and save it, you need to follow these recommendations:

1. Use only fresh almonds so that they do not have a rancid taste.
2. The use of bitter almonds is optional. But it is he who helps to reveal a rich, unique taste.
3. Sometimes almonds are peeled with boiling water to speed up the process. This will really turn out faster, but the nuts at the same time lose their rich taste, and the oil is partially washed out, on which the plasticity of the mass depends.
4. It is recommended to store marzipan in a film in the refrigerator.
5. If there is too much sweetness, then some can be frozen. Defrost must be at room temperature.
6. To achieve homogeneity of the mass, you can place the mixture in a water bath.
7. If the almonds are dry and not producing enough oil, you can add a little water to the mixture. So it will become more plastic.