Marzipan is called not only fragrant, sweet candies or beautiful figures, but also the mass from which they are made. In turn, for the production of marzipan, take a raw mass, also called marzipan. Egg white, additional sugar or powdered sugar, as well as flavors and colors are added to it, and the finished product is used for filling or decorating various desserts.
History of marzipan
To make a paste from ground almonds and sugar, they learned in the East more than 1000 years ago. The Arabs brought the treat to Spain, where marzipan pasta treats quickly became a popular dessert available only to nobles. The high price of marzipan was explained by the fact that sugar in those days was worth its weight in gold. When the industrial production of granulated sugar was established, marzipan paste and products made from it became much more affordable. In the 18th century, raw marzipan was used to make bitter tablets taste better. In the 19th century, marzipan made in Germany became the most famous.
How to make raw marzipan mass
To make marzipan mass yourself, you will need:
- 1 ½ cups peeled sweet almonds;
- 1 ½ cups of sifted icing sugar;
- 1 large egg white;
- ½ teaspoon of bitter almond extract.
Place the peeled almond kernels in a blender bowl, add ½ cup powdered sugar and pulse. After the almonds have turned into a single mass, add the remaining powder. Continue chopping, then add the lightly beaten egg white and almond extract. These almonds can be stored for 3 months in the refrigerator if wrapped in plastic wrap. Instead of egg white, you can add egg yolk, such a mass will not be white, but yellow.
Sugar is added to the raw marzipan mass and marzipan is obtained. If the mass is 90%, and sugar is 10%, then this is the famous Lubetsky marzipan. The sweets contain 50% raw marzipan mass and the same amount of additional powdered sugar. The famous Swiss marzipan, in addition to raw mass and a small amount of powdered sugar, contains additional protein and lemon juice. Because of these ingredients, finished marzipan has a unique golden color. Yolk is often put into marzipan mass for making various figurines instead of protein.
Since almonds are not the cheapest nut, confectioners often make marzipan counterparts, making the raw mass from cheaper ingredients. So, there is persipan, which is made from peeled peach or apricot pits. In some cases, some almonds are used to give the characteristic flavor and aroma. Persipan contains more than half of sugar to remove the natural bitterness of apricot or peach kernels. Persipan is tougher than marzipan and is only used in baked goods. Pistachio marzipan - raw marzipan mass, in which about 10% of ground pistachios are put. It is this kind of marzipan that goes into the filling for the famous Austrian Mozartkugel sweets.
