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.

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 this? 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 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:

Irina Kamshilina

Cooking for someone is much more pleasant than for yourself))

Content

Figurines and other sweets made of multi-colored flexible material often decorate confectionery. But when they see the original cakes, sweets made at home, many people ask the question, but marzipan - what is it? The product that came to us from Europe is a mixture of nuts and sugar. The delicacy easily changes shape without gluing additives, so it is often used to create desserts.

What is marzipan

A flexible mass of milky or light yellow color with a pronounced smell of almonds - marzipan. This product is actively used by confectioners. Translated from the German name marzipan is "March bread". The delicacy is made from grated sweet and bitter almonds, powdered sugar or syrup. Natural dyes are used to give different colors. On the basis of the marzipan product, various figurines and coverings for cakes, sweets, buns, fillings for various confectionery products are made.

The delicacy has a long history, there are several versions about the invention of marzipan. By Christmas, in newspaper materials, you can find a story about the city of Lübeck, where they were saved from starvation by the production of bread from almond stocks. But this version is also used in Florence, Turin, Koenigsberg - wherever marzipan is produced. In Spain, sweets were made in the 8th century. You will not find the same taste of this delicacy in any city. Somewhere lemon zest is added to the mixture, somewhere pine nuts. Museums of marzipan have been created in many countries.

Benefit and harm

Culinary delicacy has useful properties. Like almond kernels, marzipan contains vitamin E. It is a strong antioxidant, helps fight stress, protects body cells from harmful environmental influences. But the use of this product in large quantities can cause significant harm to the figure, it contains a large amount of carbohydrates and fats. Marzipan mass can cause rashes, as nuts cause one of the most persistent allergies.

What are they made of

Although this product is considered very popular, not everyone is familiar with what marzipan is made of. The classic recipe for confectionery sweets indicates that high quality almonds, powdered sugar or syrup must be taken to prepare the dish. The walnut content must be at least 33%. Now there are a large number of modified marzipan recipes that include citrus fruits, eggs, peanuts, liqueurs. To create an elastic mixture, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the proportions of sugar and almonds.

How to make marzipan at home

Housewives often make marzipan at home. This is a simple process, the main thing is to strictly follow the instructions for cooking. The mass dries quickly, so after cooking, immediately wrap the marzipan with cling film or a damp cloth. The recipes use almond essence, if you want to get a pronounced taste, add a few bitter nut kernels or almond liquor to the composition.

Candies

If you decide to treat your children to a healthy dessert, prepare marzipan sweets. Due to the elasticity of the mass, it is easy to make peculiar sweets of various shapes, and, if desired, of different colors. For the best taste, add 1 bitter nut for every 20-50 sweet almond kernels. On the Internet, you can find photos with ideas for making marzipan sweets. Experiment with toppings, add chocolate, fruit pieces, coconut flakes. You can come up with your own unique gourmet delicacy.

marzipan cake

Marzipan is often used to make cakes. A thin layer of mass covers the entire confectionery product. This is easy to do, and after a short workout, every housewife will be able to decorate her own pastries. Marzipan figurines of animals, people, figures are also used to decorate cakes. The material allows the limitless imagination of the culinary specialist to open up, and modeling brings real pleasure.

marzipan color

The natural color of marzipan is close to light yellow, but bright sweets and cakes flaunt on store shelves. The paint used for marzipan - what is it? Dry and helium food colors are used, they are made from the pomace of vegetables and fruits. To give marzipan a red, burgundy color, food colors from beets, pomegranate are added, for yellow - from turmeric, saffron, etc. To prepare paints at home, the product of the required color is taken and boiled in a small amount of water. For a permanent color, add citric acid to the tip of a knife.

marzipan recipe

• Cooking time: 90 minutes.
• Servings: 4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 1000 kcal.
• Purpose: for dessert.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

If you do not know how to cook marzipan quickly and correctly, read this recipe. Making delicious treats at home is easy. Useful sweetness will please not only children, but also adults. The product keeps in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks, so it can be done infrequently, but in large quantities. The authors describe the cooking method step by step, so even inexperienced housewives will cope with the preparation of this dish.

Ingredients

• almonds - 1 cup;
• sugar - 1 tablespoon;
• water - 150 ml;
• almond essence - 3 drops.

Cooking method

1. To prepare a sweet mixture, place unpeeled almonds in boiling water for 2 minutes.
2. Drain the water and let the nuts cool.
3. Peel the almonds by pressing hard on the kernel with your thumb and forefinger.
4. Dry the nuts in a pan, stirring constantly. Almonds should not be toasted.
5. Grind the nuts to a puree.
6. Pour sugar with water, put on medium heat and constantly stirring, bring to a boil. After that, stop stirring, cook, shaking the pan. The syrup should thicken to the point where it can be rolled into a ball.
7. Pour the nut mixture into the thick sugar syrup, cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add almond essence and cook for 1 more minute.
8. It is necessary to put the mass on the work surface, cut the marzipan into pieces of the desired size.

cold method

The cold method is used to make marzipan. The technology is based on mixing ground ingredients, and a crystalline sweetener replaces the addition of powdered sugar. If the amount of oil in the almonds is not enough to give the consistency of plasticine, these nuts are of poor quality. Adding an egg to almond flour will help the dough, but the shelf life of sweet dough will be significantly reduced.

hot method

It is known about marzipan - that this dish turns out to be even more elastic if it is cooked using a warm method. To prepare the mass, sugar hot syrup is used. It is well boiled and made thick in consistency. Immediately after removing the liquid from the heat, the syrup is added to the mixture of pre-chopped almonds. After adding the sweet element, the mass is thoroughly kneaded like dough. The quality of the kneading affects the ability of the marzipan to keep its shape.

Making marzipan requires some skill. In order for your delicacy to be soft, elastic, adhere to the following rules:

1. Marzipan should be stored in cling film, otherwise it will dry out.
2. If the mass turned out to be liquid, add a little powdered sugar mixture. If it turns out tough, stir in the beaten protein.
3. Apply paint to ready-made marzipan figures.
4. In the process of covering the cake with mastic, we roll out the mass with a margin so that it lies under its own weight without forming wrinkles, as in the photo of professional bakers.
5. It is better not to cover the products with glaze, this will help preserve the taste of true marzipan.
6. To make the mastic coating shine, grease it with a solution of vodka and honey in a 1: 1 ratio.

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