How is marzipan made?

Factual Questions
1

On Christmas Day, 2002, I had the first marzipan of my life that I actually enjoyed (pause for cheers). In the past, I’ve found it so sweet that I’ve broken off the frosting in chunks and eaten it as candy after enjoying the fruit cake. This time, I discovered just why marzipan is considered a good frosting!

My sister had made the cake and explained that she had bought the very best marzipan she could find, rather than the cheap stuff. She explained that marzipan is, basically, sugar and almonds - the price and taste increase with the almond content.

So on a shopping stroll today, I went into a bakery with marzipan “fruits” (confections shaped and dyed to resemble fruits of various kinds) and bought one, intending to buy a dozen for New Year’s if I liked it. I didn’t. The baker was a little irritated with me and said her marzipan was hand-made, 60% almonds just like back home in the Netherlands. It didn’t taste bad, you understand, just not special enough to be a treat (I got the rum balls instead!).

I am now attempting to discover the optimum recipe for marzipan. What should I be looking for? The baker said that some people put almond oil in their marzipan (and sniffed at such barbarity). It has also occurred to me that the ‘Christmas’ marzipan absorbed some oils from the fruitcake (but it had only been applied Christmas Eve); there was also a rather thick ‘crust’ on the candies I had at the bakery, which may imply I didn’t like it just because the candies had, perhaps, been made in November and simply dried out too much.

But I don’t know. How is the best marzipan made? (I am awfully proud of myself for being able to stump my sister on a food question - first time that’s ever happened!). What is the optimal almond-sugar ratio? If molded into candies, what is the optimal time for them to sit before being served? If used to frost a cake, what is the optimal time for it to sit before being served?

I’ve searched the web - but there are too many references which say not enough, such as Pastrywiz

Are there any marzipan connoisseurs out there?

2

Fame has it that the best marzipan in the world comes from Toledo, Spain. I believe it is of Moorish invention.

3

Santa Rita.

More recipes referring to Toledo.

4

One Christmas they were selling walnut marzipan in Tescos, as customer research showed quite a few people didn’t like the “almondy” taste.

5

Thanks everybody! I just may attempt making some myself for next Christmas!

Now…if only I knew how long in advance to make the candies…

6

Looks like a toilet plunger with hair. :smiley:

7

I thought marzipan was coconut.

8

Nope, never has been, never will be. It’s made mostly with pulverized almonds made into a paste. I had a friend back in Iowa who made the very best marzipan I ever tasted… now I wish I had the recipe!

9

You also may not have liked the taste because of the dye. Marzipan shaped into fruit is usually painted with food dye. The times I have tried it, I could taste the dye.

The frosting you tried probably didn’t have any food dye in it.