Making Marzipan

In the US, unlike in Europe, marzipan is something of an exotica.  You find it sold in small quantities, in specialty stores, packaged in wrappers with foreign words and elegant script.  What a refined sweet, something to be nibbled daintily and savored.  In Europe, however, it's commonly sold in huge rolls from which you slice thick disks, or rolled onto cakes and molded into decorative figures.  Of course, these things are also done here, but the whole enterprise is essentially imported, and not exactly a part of our day to day confectionary lives.

Here's the big secret about marzipan: it's dead easy to make and if you have a haul of almonds, not very expensive.  Before I found out that R had been taught how to make marzipan in an elementary school home economics class in Norway, it had never occurred to me that it could be made at home.  It seems akin to making your own yogurt or sausage, is such a thing even possible outside of a factory or workshop? (Yes, on all counts).

And the marzipan you end up with will be infinitely better than the fancy-pants store bought kind, with a rich toothsome texture as fine or as course as you like.  You can roll it into a log and slice those decadent disks, or shape and mold it, or even chocolate dip it.  For dipping, we rolled the marzipan into little balls between the palms of our hands.  This seems like it would be a good job for a child, so if you have one or two laying around, definitely use them.

Homemade Marzipan, Dipped in Chocolate

1 pound blanched, skinned almonds (to blanch and skin almonds, see this post)

1 pound confectioners sugar

2 egg whites

Grind the nuts in a food process until finely ground.  Transfer to a bowl and add the confectioners sugar.  Begin kneading in the egg a bit at a time.  The mixture will seem dry for a very long time, but just continue to knead until it comes together.  At this point, you can either start eating, or dipping, or you can roll it into a log and wrap it with plastic wrap before refrigeration.

For chocolate-dipped marzipan

Melt a chocolate of your choice over the low heat of a double boiler.  Once the chocolate is melted, dip the marzipan in the chocolate and then remove to a sheet of parchment paper and allow to cool.

UPDATE:

I am not convinced that this recipe would be ideal for rolling onto a cake, but in her book English Food, Jane Grigson provides a recipe for such an undertaking, from which the following is adapted:

For a less sweet marzipan:

1/2 pound confectioners sugar + more for dusting

1 pound almonds

1 large egg 

3-4 teaspoons lemon juice

For a sweeter marzipan:

1 pound confectioners sugar + more for dusting

1 pound almonds

2 medium eggs

3-4 teaspoons lemon juice

Glaze:

1 tablespoon apricot jam

1 tablespoon water

Process the almonds and the sugar as above.  Beat the egg well, then add the lemon juice and combine with the dry ingredients.  With a wooden spoon, beat it into a firm paste, then knead it with your hands on a surface lightly coated with confectioners sugar.

Boil the jam and water together, and brush it over the top of your cake while it's still hot.  Set aside 1/3 of the marzipan.  On a piece of parchment or wax paper, roll out the marzipan in a circle a bit larger than the cake you'll be using it for and then flip the cake, glazed-side down on top of the marzipan.  Flip it back, right side up and remove the paper.  Roll out the reserved marzipan for use around the circumference of the cake, which you should also prep with more glaze.

Makes enough marzipan to cover an 8" round cake.