Well, its true. Problem is that it cost so damn much in any quantity.
Does anyone know of any good recipes to make it? I did a search on the web but there are soooo many varients. From using Almonds to just almond extract. Just egg whites to no eggs at all.
I want to make a batch and dip them all in dark chocolate for xmas snacks.
Can anyone help me with a recipe?
Well I don’t know any recipes - I was going to chime in with a dreaded “Me Too!” post, but now I think I’ll just wait to see what recipes get posted…
In a food processor combine:
3 cups of whole blanched almonds
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Process until nuts are finely ground. Combine in large, heavy-bottomed saucepan:
3 2/3 C. sugar
1/2 C. light corn syrup
1/2 C. water
Stir over low heat with long handled wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved. Brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in warm water. Increase to med. heat, place a warmed candy thermometer into the pan and cook without stirring until the temp reaches 244 F, the firm-ball stage. Remove from heat, turn on food processor, immediately pour the sugar syrup through the feed tube into the almond mixture. Grind to a fine paste, then add:
2 tsp of almond extract
Pulse to blend the extract. Lightly coat a medium bowl with veg atable oil spray and remove the paste to the bowl. Place a damp dishtowl over the top to keep paste from drying out, and let cool. The marzipan is now ready to use. If you like, knead in a few drops of food coloring paste or a little extra flavoring, such as rose or orange water, or a fruit liqeuor.
Stored in air tight conatiner at room temp, it keeops for 3 months, 6 in the freezer.
I also have an easy one for marzipan cookies that can be colored and shaped. But the only reason they’re called Marzipan Cookies is that they have almond extract in them and can be shaped into things 
You know you can buy Marzipan premade, right?
P.S. I love it too, especially encased in dark chocolate. Can I come to your place for Christmas?
Marzipan is of middle eastern origin and was brought to Spain in the middle ages by the arabs from where it spread to the rest of Europe. You can find the best marzipan in the world in Toledo, Spain.
Seattle Times Recipe, Toledo, Marzipan.
Marzipan is expensive because the main ingredient, almonds, are expensive. I doubt it is worth the while to try to make your own. Count me among marzipan lovers.
Hiya Sue. Yeah, I know you can buy it premade. It just cost so damn much here. I wanted to try my hand on making my own.
(Sailor, yeah I know the Almonds are not cheap… but here Marzipan is ridiculously expensive!!)
Arden Ranger, your recipe will be tried out tonight. I’m buying a food processor just for this so I hope its good!
Hell ya! All of you can!
Well, I think it’s good. I love to make things out of it. I started playing with it when I was in the SCA and started researching edible centerpieces. We did some amazing things for our feasts.
Marzipan and dark chocolate? How did you know my secret cravings? As a lover of sweets(and especially chocolate) I think dark is the best. And almond flavored things, or marzipan, are the next best to chocolate. Ah, theobroma cacao, food of the gods. bernse, can I come to your place at Christmas? I’ll exchange my family candy recipe(called Boston Cream) for some of your marzipan. My candy has sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, butter, and black walnuts, and is cooked like fudge.
Well, if you’re trading recipes, I can pitch in my Great Gramma’s fudge or caramel recipes. She actually used to own a candy store/soda fountain, so they’re very good.
Is this a beginning of an SDMB home-made candy swap?
BTW - Anyone who is going to spend the airfare to Alberta, Canada can join my beautiful wife and I for Christmas and enjoy some of my home-made (from Arden Rangers’ recipe) Marzipan!
Sue and Baker – This means you!
Well, let me clarify. Stalkers and real weirdos aren’t welcome 
bernse, I just sent the Boston Cream recipe by email to Sue. Do you want it? Email and let me know if you do. I guarantee, it’s one of the best. Candy swap sounds good.
If you ever come to Lübeck in Germany, take enough money, because it is the original Marzipan-town. Soooo good. http://www.niederegger.com/index_engl.htm
My. God. People.
You’re trading candy recipes…by e-mail?
What sort of cruel sadists are you?
In other words:
POST 'EM HERE!!
(Or, at least put me on the mailing list! :D)
Fenris
ps bernse, this:
just hurt me. <sob>
What’s sad is, I’ve been trying to cut down trips to the ATM, but tomorrow I’m probably going to go to the little candy shop near my job… the one where they make pretty much everything themselves, on site… where they have trays of glorious marzipan… and I’m going to spend a whole lot of money.
Because of this thread. I blame you, all of you!
I agree with Fenris here. You got some 'splaining to do, bernse.
PS: If you all want to get a taste of the hereafter, then you need to try a real Danish kringle. Nectar of the Gods it is. The whole legend of Kris Kringle was started because he invented this recipe.
[sub]Not actually, but it sounds really good on paper.[/sub]
This is a recipe that my grandmother says has been in the family since she can remember. We always make it with black walnuts, it’s just a tradition. I suppose you can use something else, but I tried once with pecans. It was good, but not right, if you know what I mean.
Boston Cream
3 cups sugar
1 cup white syrup
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chopped black walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine first three ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook until it reaches the soft-ball stage(236 degrees F) Remove from heat and begin beating long and hard. Candy will lighten in color as cooling proceeds. Grandma said that as a girl the ladies would get the guy with the strongest arm for this part, becasue it can take a while. But if you have a heavy duty mixer, like a Kitchen Aid or something, that has a paddle, you can use it. When mix is very thick(almost too hard to stir0 and has become light, stir in black walnuts and vanilla and spread in buttered pan of desired size. It depends on how tall you want the pieces to be. Candy is cut in pieces like fudge after it has become firm. Very sweet and rich, we usually only make it at Christmas. But back when I was in basic training in the Army I got homesick and I wrote to my grandmother and asked her to make me some. Boy, was I ever popular when it arrived.
Well it’s not candy, but it’s still my favorite.
Mix in blender (on low):
4 eggs,
cup of flour,
cup of milk,
handful of sugar,
couple of pats melted butter
Heat up your favorite (hopefully thickbottomed) pan on high, coat bottom abundantly with butter (bottom of pan, I know the way your minds work). Make sure pan is between hot to very hot. Pour in a little (1/2 cup) batter, roll pan around to distribute batter thinly and evenly. When top of crepe is dry, flip. Spread thin layer of jelly or nutella, etc., roll and dust with confectioners sugar.
:)Mmmmmmm…
The last time I was in Boston I stopped into Cardulo’s, my favorite gourmet grocery there. I found a yummy looking piece of green marzipan. I was all ready to resist temptation and put it down when I realized that it was green not from food coloring, but rather because it was 80/20 almonds and pistachios!
It was heavenly.
Peanut Butter Fudge
Group 1:
3 C. sugar
3 Tbls cocoa
3 Tbls Karo (white corn syrup)
1 can Pet Milk
Group2:
1 Tbls butter
1 Tbls vanilla
Group 3:
1 C. chopped pecans
1/2 C. peanut butter
Whole pecan halves.
Boil Group 1 until soft ball stage. Remove from heat.
Add Group 2 and beat mixture until it begins to stiffen. Place boiler in pan of cold water to cool and thicken.
When it begins to thicken, add Group 3. Mix well with heavy wooden spoon.
Pour into greased (I use butter) 13x9 pan.
After it’s started to cool and beginning to harden, cut into squares with a buttered knife and top each square with a pecan half.
Let set in fridge.
This stuff is a holiday tradition in my house and is sinfully rich. I make a few dozen batches every year for Christmas and put in the goodie boxes I give out as gifts. It is very popular.
As a bonus, if it doesn’t set you can pour it in jars and use it as a decadant ice cream topping. 
Arden Ranger,
What is pet milk?
Is that Sweetened Condensed? Evaporated? Something else?
Recipe sounds nummy. I’m going to have to owe you something if you keep this up