Almond Paste and Marzipan

Before you start

Almond paste and marzipan are made from the same two main ingredients, ground almonds and sugar, in different proportions. Almond paste is roughly equal parts almonds and sugar, coarser and less sweet, and it is meant to be baked into fillings, frangipane-style cakes and cookies. Marzipan has more sugar, so it is smoother, firmer and sweet enough to eat as candy, shape into fruits or roll over a cake.

This recipe makes almond paste first, then turns part of it into marzipan by kneading in extra powdered sugar. The key decision is the binder. Since marzipan is often eaten without baking, use pasteurized egg white; corn syrup is an egg-free alternative. Process only until the mixture clumps, because overworking the almonds releases their oil and makes the paste greasy.

Ingredients

• Almond paste200 g (2 cups) finely ground blanched almond flour
• 200 g (1⅔ cups) powdered sugar
• 30 g (2 tbsp) pasteurized liquid egg white — or 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 tsp pure almond extract
• ½ tsp rose water (optional)
• 1 pinch fine salt
• Marzipan110 g (scant 1 cup) powdered sugar — for every 220 g almond paste
• 1–2 tsp light corn syrup

Method

1. Sift the almond flour if it has clumps. Pulse the almond flour, 200 g powdered sugar and salt in the food processor 5 or 6 times until evenly combined.
2. Add the egg white, almond extract and rose water. Pulse in 2-second bursts just until the mixture forms large clumps that press together into a ball, 20 to 30 seconds total. Stop as soon as it holds; continuing will make it oily.
3. Tip the mixture onto the counter and knead briefly with your hands until smooth. It should feel like firm modeling clay, slightly tacky but not wet. If crumbly, add ½ tsp water; if sticky, knead in a spoonful of almond flour.
4. Shape the paste into a log, wrap it tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Use it as almond paste for baking, or continue to make marzipan.
5. For marzipan, weigh 220 g of the rested almond paste. Dust the counter with some of the 110 g powdered sugar and knead the rest in gradually with 1 tsp corn syrup.
6. Knead for 3 to 4 minutes, until the marzipan is smooth, pale and pliable enough to roll without cracking. Add the second teaspoon of corn syrup only if it stays crumbly. Wrap and rest 15 minutes before rolling or shaping.

Tips for success

• Use the finest blanched almond flour you can find. Coarse almond meal with skins gives a gritty, speckled paste.
• Cold paste is easier to grate into cookie dough or crumble into fillings; room-temperature marzipan is easier to shape.
• Color marzipan with gel coloring a drop at a time, wearing gloves, and knead until there are no streaks.

Substitutions

Pasteurized egg white

Use 2 tbsp light corn syrup or glucose syrup. The paste is slightly softer and stickier and fully egg-free, and it keeps a little longer.

Almond flour

Blanch and skin 200 g whole almonds, dry them thoroughly, then grind them with the powdered sugar. Fresher, but takes more care to avoid an oily paste.

Rose water

Leave it out, or use ½ tsp orange flower water for a different floral note. Both are optional and do not affect texture.

Variations

Chocolate-dipped marzipan

Roll the marzipan into 2 cm balls or logs, chill until firm and dip them in tempered dark chocolate.

Pistachio paste

Replace 80 g of the almond flour with finely ground unsalted pistachios for a pale green, more savory paste.

Troubleshooting

Paste turned greasy and oily

The almonds were overprocessed or warm. Chill the paste for 30 minutes, then knead in 1 to 2 tbsp powdered sugar and almond flour to absorb the oil.

Marzipan cracks when rolled

It is too dry or cold. Knead in a few drops of corn syrup or water and let it warm to room temperature.

Paste is too soft to shape

Too much liquid was added. Knead in powdered sugar for marzipan, or extra almond flour for almond paste, a spoonful at a time.

Storage

Wrap tightly in plastic, then seal in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before kneading or shaping.

Safety notes

Marzipan is often eaten unbaked, so use pasteurized egg white or the corn syrup option rather than raw fresh egg white. Contains tree nuts (almonds) and may contain egg.