Growing up I ate a lot of marzipan. I remember it was sold in a six-inch by 2-inch rectangle and my sisters and I would cut about half an inch at a time and enjoyed every bite. Marzipan is a sweet and delicious almond paste and just the smell of it brings back great memories. Not only about those great times growing up but also the taste of Spain.
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We visited Spain a few years ago. I was so excited to finally get marzipan from one of its authentic locations. We got some delicious marzipan in Barcelona at La Boqueria market off of La Rambla. My daughter selected a small variety and I was very pleased that she liked the flavor. You see, of course, she was going to like. The pieces she selected had bright colors and shaped like fruit. The trip was filled with great flavors and amazing memories.
While at the World Market I found some authentic marzipan and decided to get it to make a simple dessert. This is an easy recipe that is so delicious, rich, luscious, succulent, and sweet!
Marzipan braid ingredients and how to:
Egg wash:
- 1 small egg
- 1 tablespoon of water
Braid filling:
- marzipan for baking – I found it at the World Market
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract – I used organic Bourbon Madagascar
- 1/2 tsp of almond extract – this will give that extra
Braid:
- 1 sheet of pastry puff
- chopped almonds for the top
Make the filling by combining the marzipan, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract in the food processor.
First, flatten the sheet of pastry puff and cut the sides about 1 inch apart leaving about 2 to 3 inches in the center for the filling. Cut the last 1 1/2 inch on both sides. Then fill the center with the marzipan filling. Below is a picture of what it looks like.
Make the braid by alternating the sides and bringing them to the opposite side. Brush the egg wash on the top and finish with some chopped almonds.
Put in the oven at 400 F for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375 F and continue to bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown.
I hope you like it as much as I do, It certainly has delicious and rich flavors!
Would love to make this recipe, however, you do not provide the actual amount of marzipan needed. Since I make my own, and would not be purchasing from World Market, I do not know what the weight of that brand is. Can you please send me the information. Thank you in advance for your kind reply.
The package I used was 14 ounces, you can use up to 16 ounces of marzipan in this recipe.
Would almond paste work?
Hi Audrey, you can certainly try. It would depend on the consistency, make sure that you use an almond paste with a sturdy consistency as the marzipan so that it can hold while in the oven. You may also want to check on whether sugar is already added and possibly reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe so it is not too sweet.
How much marzipan is needed.
Thanks
Hello Nicole, the package I used was 14 ounces, you can use up to 16 ounces of marzipan in this recipe.
What size is the puff pastry?
Hello! I usually get the pepperidge farms pastry puff sheets. There are two sheets per package and each sheet is about 8 ounces in weight. I hope this helps.