Almond paste and marzipan are both popular ingredients in various cuisines due to their flavor and texture. They are often used interchangeably, but there are key differences between the two.
Key Takeaways
- Marzipan is sweeter and more pliable than almond paste, making it more suitable for decorative purposes.
- Almond paste has a higher almond content and is more flavorful than marzipan.
- Marzipan is a type of almond paste, but almond paste is a more generic term.
Almond paste is made by blanching almonds, grinding them in a processor, and mixing in sugar and cooking oil to bind the ingredients together. It is often used as a base for making cookies, cakes, pastries, and even biscuits and can be colored and flavored for decorating or filling purposes.
Marzipan is a sweet confection that is made using almond paste. After blanching, almonds are ground in a processor and mixed with corn syrup to create a colored paste that can be used as clay for making decorative confectionery items or as a filling inside cakes and pastries. In some places, the decorative items themselves are referred to as marzipan.
The ingredients used in both almond paste and marzipan are the same, but the quantity of almonds is lower in marzipan. This makes marzipan sweeter than almond paste and more pliable, making it more suitable for creating decorative pieces. Almond paste is more flavorful due to its higher almond content.
There are variations in marzipan, such as French, German, and British marzipan, which indicate differences in ingredients and taste. Marzipan can be sold in the form of a candy, whereas almond paste is typically used as a filling inside cakes and sweets.
