Making Marzipan: Step 3

This is Step 3 of the Making marzipan series. Where are steps 1 and 2, to say nothing of 4 and 5? Is there a 5? Nope. The reason I titled it Step 3 is I don't yet have pictures for the other steps. However, read on, because they are included below. BTW, I use organic sugar and organic nuts to make my marzipan.

Step 1 is actually making the marzipan. That is done by blanching almonds and removing the skins and making sure the nuts are very moist. Then the next step is to grind those up. Don't do this by hand. Grind with a Cuisinart. Use the regular blade for this. Then you add sugar syrup to the nuts. Let cool and then regrind them up until the consistency of PLAY-DOH.


430g (Organic) Almonds, whole, blanched and untoasted
340g (Organic) Sugar
110g Glucose Syrup (Light Corn Syrup)
120g Water

Coarse grind the almonds. Combine sugar, water and glucose and heat to 118C, stirring all the time until it comes to a boil and wash down the sides with a wet brush if needed. I rarely skim off any impurities. With organic sugar, it is hopeless. Pour hot solution on the chopped nuts and let cool on a marble slab. I also use my steel tables for this. Then, I'd divide this into thirds and put back in the Cuisinart, remember, it's all cool, cold even, and grind for 7-10 minutes. Wrap in plastic when done.



Step 2ish: Roll the marzipan out, I like to roll it out to 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch is fine but you'll get a very thick chocolate, and then mark the sizes and then put a foot on the whole sheet of marzipan. A foot is a layer of chocolate that makes it easy to dip. And yes, that is a caramel "cutter" you see in the foreground. I like using a caramel cutter to mark the marzipan before cutting. Actually, before putting the foot on. I usually mark, then I put a thin foot on and then I cut using a lightly oiled knife tocut. I like this better than putting the foot on and then marking and cutting.

More Step 2: Cut the marzipan.

Now you are ready for Step 3 which is attaching the nut to the marzipan. First you attach the nut, and then you dip.






Step 4 is dipping.

I also make a pistachio marzipan that's terrific but you have to cook the syrup to 122C because the pistachios behave very differently and you wont get as fine a marzipan though the taste is great. Use 1/2 pistachio and 1/2 almond to make it. Mix them early on in the process. Oh, and if you decide that you want to actually make marzipan, I'd make sure I had a spare weekend to do all of this. You might want to cut the recipe in 1/2.

Credits: That's my 10 lb ChocoVision Temperer that is still going strong. And the hands are Nancy's, my assistant. Zhao Xiu Zhong is her real name.