As christmas approaches , quite a few people wrote in asking for marzipan recipes and although I am not a big fan of it personally as I don’t do much cake decorating and it is a tad on the sweeter side for me , I do agree that this homemade version is not only a breeze to make but infinitely better tasting !
Marzipan is quite basically almond paste and icing sugar that is bound with some egg whites or whole egg. Once kneaded into a dough, it is quite malleable . It can be coloured , rolled and shaped. Marzipan can be used in most ways that fondant can. It is also used in cakes, cookies and pies. It is traditionally modelled into miniature fruits and veggies to top cakes. In particular , marzipan is used to drape traditional wedding cakes and European cakes like the Battenberg cake , the Princessatorta and the Simnel cake . And of course christmas fruit cakes !
It’s actually really simple to make and this version is from the Great British Bake Off. Because of the less amount of egg white to the dry ingredients , the marzipan is safe to consume . But if you prefer an egg free version, you can also try a equally easy one which uses water and lemon juice !
This easy homemade marzipan has a pure and strong almond flavour ! You can replace half the almonds with an equal weight of ground pistachios or walnuts. Don’t try reducing the sugar though.. sadly doesn’t work .
It is pretty amazing how three ingredients converts into this smooth pliable dough in a matter of minutes. So when u get your Christmas baking started , do give this a go .. or a knead ?
If you don’t feel like grinding your almonds, you can pick up some Almond flour
Easy homemade marzipan
Ingredients
- 125 grams or 1 scant cup almonds or almond flour
- 150 or 1 1/4 grams cups icing sugar
- 1 egg white
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
For the egg free version, replace the egg white with:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- If using whole almonds , keep them in boiling water for 5 minutes , slip the skins off and dry completely. In a blender or food processor , pulse it with the icing sugar until a fine powder is formed .
- Mix the egg whites with the salt / lemon juice with the water. Keep aside.
- Food processor method : sift the icing sugar and ground almonds. Run it in the processor and pour the egg white ( or lemon juice-water) and extract slowly in . Process until a smooth dough forms.
- By hand : sift together the ground almonds and icing sugar mixture. Add the egg white (or lemon juice -water) and extract and mix until a rough dough forms. Knead for few minutes (adding a little icing sugar if it gets sticky ) until a smooth dough forms.
- To colour , add a drop of gel food colour and knead until colour is uniformly distributed . Add more colour and knead as needed.
- Wrap in plastic wrap well and refrigerate for few hours before using.
Notes
- This can be stored upto a month in the refrigerator and soften a bit at room temperature before using .
- Roll out on a surface dusted with icing sugar when using.
- Make sure the marzipan is wrapped really well as it dries out quickly .
- This makes a little more than 250 grams marzipan (enough to over an 8 inch cake). Double or triple this recipe as needed.
- If making the egg free version , add a few drops of water while kneading if it seems too dry.
- I find almond extract very strong so use it cautiously. If you use it , add as per your taste.
Hi ! I am Seema.I am also a vegeterian,so i was looking out for an eggless marzipan receipe.pls let me know if at all we can cook this.and how to make sugar solution.Ur receipes r nice.Since everyone has their own way of preparing
Thanks so much Seema… There is an eggless variation of the marzipan and yes, it can be cooked!
Is it okay to consume raw egg white,
I love cakes but not allowed to eat. This is the first about making marzipan is easy. Will try when I can.
Please do Bhavna! Why aren’t you allowed to eat cakes.. Any dietary restrictions? Pls let me know. There might be a way to work around it
It’s such an easy and awesome recipe-thanks so much !!
Thanks Ambika… did you happen to try it?
great :-)… do let me know how it turns out Chandana !
I love cashews…and have plenty on hand…so thought of trying…thanks again!
Thanks so much Chandana… I have not tried it with cashews but it should work with any nut . Grind cashews to a fine powder and use as in recipe. But the cashew flavour will be prominent so hope you like cashews!
i just love your blog….and this recipe is just what i have been waiting for…! but just wanted to know if we can substitute almonds with cashew nuts…in the eggless version…? thank you very much and keep up rhe greeeeat job!