One of the advantages of the cellular networks is that news travels fast. Work promotions, kindergarten winnings, new projects or ideas accepted and launches as well as new family additions are few of the positive news that spreads fast. Some surprises call for impromptu celebrations which essentially involves something sweet. While instant baked goods mayn’t be available at hand round the clock, there is something about marzipan that can do wonders for the most basic of desserts.
Primarily consisting of sugar or honey and almond meal, marzipan is a confection with a wide array of uses. While it is often made into chocolate covered (or plain) sweet treats or as imitations of fruits, vegetables, cars, toys and the like; it can also be used as glazing for icing cake, biscuits or shaped into small figurines atop cakes especially meant for personalizing celebrations. It can also be added as a baking ingredient to the traditional recipes ( like the stollen, banket, king cake).
Tracing the origins, marzipan was believed to have originated through two different, though converging routes. One was via the Northeast Mediterranean line, introduced to Eastern Europe through the Turks, while the other possible origin was the Iberian Peninsula line, predominantly from the Al-Andalus area of Spain. With it’s widespread popularity, marzipan has numerous variations. While in Germany sugar and almonds are ground into a paste, syrup can be used to sweeten the mixture (France) while Middle East marzipan may include a dash of rosewater. Almonds may be replaced by apricot or peach kernels, to make a similar product known as the “persipan”. Other alternatives include substitution with soy paste or almond essence.
Homemade marzipan comes ready with very basic ingredients of almond paste (or freshly made almond meal), egg whites and sugar. Besides getting creative with marzipan made edible animals, figurines or delectable icing and decorative ideas; chunks of marzipan when added to cookie dough or cake batter make for an interesting twist to the taste. Wit marzipan, something simple can be made into simply amazing with basic ingredients, whole lot of creativity and plenty of ideas.
“Madre Carmela’s favorite nuts were almonds. Not only did she like the way they tasted the best among all nuts, but she loved the flavor they imparted to Sicilian desserts from cakes to biscotti, and her favorite of all, Frutta di Martorana- the perfect fruit-shaped confections made from pasta reale, or marzipan, which required plenty of almonds. Who would have thought that the base for an elegant, regal dessert like marzipan came from such a simple ingredient as the almond?”
― Rosanna Chiofalo, Rosalia’s Bittersweet Pastry Shop
Sugar And Spice... Among Other Things 
