marzipan

Marzipan is one of the most ancient delicacies that different peoples of the world managed to fall in love with. It contains grated almonds with powdered sugar. Replacing almonds with other types of nuts is not recommended, as the unique structure of the dessert is lost. This happens due to the presence of a special almond oil, which is the basis for the formation of fancy decorations for baking. ^[1]. It is not for nothing that confectioners create unusual figures of different colors from this dessert.

Initially, exquisite goodies were a luxury for ordinary citizens. Only wealthy people could afford it. Today, experienced housewives have learned how to independently create such masterpieces at home.

Mystery of origin

There are many versions of the origin of this dish. ^[2]. One of the more popular theories is that of the creation of the delicacy in Italy. Legend has it that during one of the leanest periods on Italian soil, people were left with little to no plant foods. Survived in severe weather conditions only relatively picky almonds.

In order not to die of hunger, enterprising residents got the hang of grinding it into powder, creating a kind of flour, from which it was possible to bake bread or at least similar pastries. This is how the first progenitor of the dessert known today in the world appeared. Since then, the principle of preparation has not changed much, since people still know what classic marzipans are made of.

There is another hypothesis related to the Spanish origin. According to her, the inhabitants of the remote highlands of Navas de Tolosa are considered possible discoverers of sweets. Back in 1212, during one of the battles against the Moors, people learned to mix sugar and almond dust. It is worth thanking the monks from the monastery of San Clemente for the discovery.

The ministers of the church were left alone with hunger. Although the Spanish side won a heavy victory against the Moors, a great many men died during the battle. There was simply no one in the settlement to cultivate the soil, and the amount of the harvest was very small.

Castilian monks, having discovered that during the capture of the Spanish soldiers managed to take almonds and sugar from the Moors, they decided to use these two ingredients to create a nutritious mass.

The third and, most likely, the most likely version of the earliest mention of the recipe is an oriental legend. Here, thanks go to the confectioners of the Ottoman Empire, who adopted an unusual delicacy at the dawn of the year 800. After the Arabs began their conquest operations, moving deep into Europe, the locals also learned about a similar useful mixture.

Today, there is fierce debate around the true discoverer of the dessert. Experienced historians argue that in different countries people could independently come to identical conclusions, not knowing that somewhere else culinary specialists successfully use this method.

Sweet cult

The most famous variation is considered to be the Spanish marzipan, which is produced in the city of Toledo. For Christmas alone, about four thousand pastry shops produce five tons of this delicacy annually, and each Spanish region has its own signature recipe.

In Toledo, they prefer to dilute the base composition with pine nuts. And the inhabitants of La Rioja prefer spicy sourness, which is achieved by adding lemon zest. To refresh too sugary sweetness, Andalusian chefs add fruits to the composition.

Despite this, the Germans are recognized as the unofficial leaders in the ranking of confectionery craftsmen in this area. A group of experts based in Lübeck knows a lot about the sweet menu, making dessert according to an old recipe. ^[3]. It is still kept under seven locks, but some gourmets hint that they managed to solve the riddle.

According to unofficial information, it is possible to achieve the desired aged taste by adding one bitter kernel to a hundred sweet ones. In total, German experts delight sweet tooth with 40 tons of ready-to-eat product annually.

Initially, housewives from all over the world were interested in how to cook goodies only on the eve of Christmas. After marketers introduced the fashion for Valentine’s Day, pastry shops immediately picked up the idea to sell just such gifts to their soul mates. Consumers love this approach.

Especially quickly disassemble not just sweets, but figurines of thematic forms:

• heart;
• flowers;
• inscriptions.

If the client belongs to the true adherents of the sweet life, he should definitely visit the museum in Lübeck, where marzipan figures of people are presented in full growth ^[4]. From famous personalities, edible statues of the rulers of Germany of that time, prominent figures and even fairy-tale characters were collected there.

Basics of cooking

Most historians agree that the reason for creating such an interesting product is the usual feeling of hunger. People were looking for ways to restore the lost strength of the body. Usually it is these prosaic reasons that underlie the emergence of great culinary discoveries.

There is an opinion that the ancient doctors, who were thinking about how to make a delicious medicine for the mentally ill aristocrats, came up with such a recipe. It was believed that the sugar-nut mixture helps to cope with:

• mental illness;
• mood disorders;
• apathy.

The doctors of that time noted the beneficial effect of their discovery on the human nervous system, and the sentimental rich ladies were extremely happy to receive such a tasty “appointment” of the doctor.

The meaning of such a recommendation can be found even today, based on scientific research. Such a dessert has a supply of sugars, which can really give a feeling of inner satisfaction, raising your mood. In addition, almonds are highly nutritious, which allows the body to make reserves of some vital elements for its stable functioning. ^[5].

The original composition provides only three main ingredients:

• sugar;
• bitter almonds;
• sweet almond.

The component from the first paragraph can be replaced with a sweetener. Some buyers do not know exactly what a sweetener is, believing that it is about aspartame. In fact, cooks mean honey or powdered sugar by this term. But artificially created sweeteners are banned in the classic recipe, as they threaten the health of consumers. ^[6].

Some housewives, when making homemade marzipan, deliberately use tricks to save money. Instead of a nut, they take liquor, almond oil, or its essence. ^[7]. This is acceptable, but it will not work to achieve the original taste in this way.

More reviews say that you can do without almonds at all, then it will not turn out to be marzipan, but some kind of analogue ^[8]. Rather, it is a special confectionery mass, which is widely used today for decorating cakes. The characteristic taste and aroma are simply absent there, and it performs only an aesthetic role.

If you don’t want to create a delicacy with your own hands, you can always purchase it. It is not necessary for this to go to a pastry shop on the other side of the city. You can buy the finished product in the nearest supermarket. Only here you have to come to terms with the practically obligatory presence in the product of various confectionery “tricks” like:

• flavors;
• dyes;
• carcinogens.

If the dessert is made by a conscientious confectionery, then it will contain natural flavors, among which the following are especially popular:

• cocoa;
• citrus zest;
• liqueurs;
• spices.

In addition to the use of a variety of auxiliary ingredients, there is still a classification of dessert according to the methods of its preparation:

• cold;
• hot.

The first method has two subcategories. The first subcategory involves the addition of an egg. First, the main components are thoroughly crushed, and then the egg is poured in, constantly stirring the mass. To achieve the effect of uniformity, it is recommended to abandon granulated sugar. Instead, you need to take powder, which is easy to make yourself using a coffee grinder.

In various cookbooks there is an instruction for the cold method of marzipan production, but without eggs. Here, the step-by-step hints differ depending on whether the filling was intended for the candy, or whether it was conceived as a regular sweet bar.

Cooking according to the hot method is the crowning achievement of culinary excellence, as it requires the use of syrup.

Dangerous calories

Modern cooking has about five hundred of the most popular marzipan recipes. ^[9]. Even the fact that the total calorie content per hundred grams of the product exceeds 470 kcal does not stop people. ^[10].

The combination of a large amount of carbohydrates with fats will immediately affect the figure. This is especially true for people who are faced with the problem of metabolism in the body. Such heavy components in huge quantities are difficult to digest even for a healthy person, and even more so for a patient with impaired metabolism.

Nutritionists insist on limiting the use of this high-calorie sweet for tea.

At the same time, a properly prepared delicacy can hardly be called unhealthy. High-calorie – yes, but it also has benefits. The positive side of the issue is the high content of vitamin E in the nut. ^[11].

With its help, the body receives a sufficient amount of antioxidants. It is they who stand guard over a stable mental state, allowing them to cope with:

• emotional load;
• nervous shocks;
• by stress ^[12].

So the ancient healers, prescribing a similar mixture to patients with mental imbalance, were on the right track. Another positive property of vitamin E is the protection of the body from pathogenic factors emanating from the environment. ^[13]. This is a reliable prevention to strengthen the body at the cellular level. ^[14].

Traditional recipe

To make a classic marzipan, you will need a few ingredients:

• 1 glass of almonds;
• 1 a glass of sugar;
• a quarter cup of water;
• a couple of drops of almond essence;
• 1 tablespoon cocoa;
• food coloring (optional)
• powdered sugar.

To prepare, you need to put the almonds in boiling water and boil for about two minutes. After that, the kernels are thrown into a colander so that the remaining water can drain.

For quick cooling, the workpiece is laid out on a cutting board. As soon as the product becomes cold, the shell is removed from it. To simplify the procedure, you need to press the core with your thumb and forefinger at the same time. After cleaning, the nuts should be washed and roasted in a dry and pre-heated frying pan. Roasting usually lasts about fifteen minutes with constant stirring.

The next step involves creating a nut puree using a blender. Separately, you need to prepare a syrup, which will consist of sugar and water. It is heated until the sweet sand dissolves and the syrup itself thickens. This is necessary so that, after cooling, it is possible to create a solid, but at the same time flexible ball from the syrup.

Next, nut puree is poured into the syrup, heating the mixture and stirring it for about three minutes. The preparatory stage ends with the addition of essence.

Then it remains only to sprinkle the work surface with powder, lay out the mass and roll out the pancake. Any figures are created from an elastic semi-finished product, or a “pancake” acts as a shell for a fruit filling. To please the kids with a bright curly variety, each piece can be tinted with a different color.

There are no clear rules for filling sweets, so it’s easier to rely on your own taste and budget here.

Sources of