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Making my own marzipan has been on my to-do list for a long time. But sometimes you think something is more complicated than it really is. Because this marzipan recipe is really so simple a child could make it (well maybe almost).
In the Netherlands serving marzipan is a tradition mostly used around Sinterklaas (december 5th) but it will also work really well for whatever other celebration you have.
Make Your Own Marzipan
You only need a few ingredients to start making marzipan:
- Almonds – you can use whole almonds (blanched almonds) or almond meal will probably also work, although I have not tested that
- confectioners’ sugar – you could potentially use less sugar but it is meant to be sweet and you will only eat a little bit at any one time. So the total amount of sugar your eat should be fairly limited
- Almond extract – optional but adds delicious almond flavor. Another great addition would be a teaspoon or so of rose water.
- Food coloring
- A little water
And that’s it! Hardly anything special. I am a really big fan of marzipan, which is also the reason I do not make this all the time. Because it is so hard to resist! At this time of year it’s ok to indulge a little bit but I find it hard not to go overboard.
How To Make The Marzipan Recipe
Now making this easy homemade marzipan is super quick. You place almonds and sugar into the bowl of the food processor together with about a teaspoon almond extract. While it may seem silly to add almond extract to a recipe that already has almonds but it will get you a stronger almond flavor. Now turn on the machine and let it run for a bit. You will see when it starts to get together. Don’t let it go for too long as that will release the oil from the almonds and make a mess of things. You add one or two tablespoons of cold water until it has the right consistency and a smooth texture.
Now you can add food coloring to parts of your marzipan. To do that break it up in several parts. However many different colors you’re making and color each ball of marzipan separately. Wrap them in plastic wrap until ready to use. Best to keep it at room temperature or it will be too hard to handle.
Fun To Make With Children
I don’t have children, but you don’t necessarily need them to make your own marzipan. But it is a fun activity to do with children if you have them. To color the marzipan, I just used standard food coloring. There are also natural things you can use to colour marzipan, like beetroot powder and I think this bright blue spirulina.
So if you want to do that instead of artificial food coloring, I would definitely try that. Just add a little bit first and see what it does. Preferably use powdered food coloring.
Making Figures
Once you have made the marzipan, you can go wild making different shapes. I haven’t made a how-to of the figures I made, but just follow the steps in the photos and you’ll be well on your way. Of course you make all sorts of other things as well; miniature fruits or various animals as well.
If you don’t want to do that, you can also use the marzipan in a cake, like this marzipan bundt cake.
FAQ Making Marzipan
You can store home-made marzipan in the fridge for about 2-3 weeks. Provided it is well covered with cling film to prevent it from drying out. It only contains sugar and almonds, so nothing spoils easily. Or use it in other recipes like the fig tart with custard and marzipan or the plum tart with marzipan too.
The short answer is – of course – no. It is sugar and nuts. Well, the nuts are healthy, but the sugar is not.
Marzipan recipe
Ingredients
- 250 grams icing sugar
- 250 grams white almonds
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2-3 tbsp water
- various colours of food colouring
- Sugar eyes
Equipment
- Food processor
How to make marzipan
- Put the icing sugar, almonds and essence into a food processor.
- Run the machine for a few minutes to get a nice texture. Add a tablespoon of water each time to get smooth marzipan. Be careful not to let the marzipan run too long, as this will release the oil from the almonds and make it too wet.
- Make small balls of the marzipan and add different colours of food colouring to each ball. Knead well until you have a nice even colour. Make nice figures out of the marzipan.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
