An old-fashioned sweet that endures

PalmAlmonds are the most commonly used nut in Christmas baking. They are present in many of the sweets we enjoy during this time of year, such as nougat, shortbread, and almond brittle. One of the oldest preparations made with almonds is marzipan, an ancient and refined sweet baked in the oven, made primarily with raw almonds and sugar, sometimes with a little egg white to help bind the dough.

The origin of marzipan is uncertain; some authors suggest it comes from the Middle East and reached the Mediterranean through Al-Andalus. Other versions claim it originated in the...marcipaneItalian (Pa de Sant Marc), originating in Venice. Its production also began in Sicily in the 12th century. In any case, by the Middle Ages it was already considered a prestigious sweet, often associated with convents and sumptuous noble tables. Authors such as Francesc Eiximenis and Joanot Martorell in the Throwing the White They mention this sweet in their works. One of the first recipes written in Catalan appears in The book of sugared almonds anywayThis 15th-century treatise on pastry describes how to make. marsepan or marzipan, made only with almonds, sugar, and a little rosewater, placed between wafers and baked in the oven. Two centuries later, in the book entitled A 17th-century recipe book from Girona for shops and confectioneries (1663) the sweets survive in an almost identical recipe. However, it will soon be a sweet that will have many variations, especially in Castile, as can be seen from the text of Juan de la Mata, Pastry art (1747), where the author dedicates an entire chapter to the marzipanThese are made with chocolate, spices, lemon, or orange, among other ingredients.

Heirs to the medieval recipe

In our house, marzipan follows a medieval recipe, with few innovations in its ingredients: almonds and sugar, and some flavoring such as cinnamon or lemon peel, in addition to egg white. Two of the first indications of how to make them can be found among the recipes cooked for Cardinal Despuig in the 18th century (Cardinal Despuig's sweet dishes(ed. Lleonard Muntaner, 2014): 'Light Marzipan' and 'Royal Marzipan'. The first is made from two ounces of marzipan to one pound of sugar. Egg white is often added to obtain a manageable paste for making figurines, which can then be coated with icing if desired. In the second, the proportion of the dried fruit varies: two pounds to one pound of sugar. Furthermore, the preparation is more demanding and time-consuming, enriched with orange blossom, lemon zest, and cinnamon. In the 20th century, marzipan would find a place in Popular Mallorcan cuisine (Sóller, 1931), where four different procedures are collected, one of them with chocolate, others combining sweet and bitter almonds or adding lemon confit.

In Menorca, marzipan is known as pasta real or pastarral. Old-fashioned marzipan is mentioned in the Salort family's recipe book from Ciutadella (1860-1917) in a recipe made with equal parts almonds and sugar, egg white, vanilla, and lemon zest. The resulting paste is used to make small figures that are baked in the oven. De re Cibaria (1923) Three different ways of cooking it are compiled. Pastarral will be the base for various Menorcan Christmas sweets, such as ice cream (pastarral covered in ice cream), pastarral rolls, and turrón de la reina (Queen's nougat), which is made in a long, narrow wooden mold covered with wafer paper.

For today's recipe, I've adapted the old-fashioned marzipan from the Menorcan recipe book by Can Salort, a simple formula they recommend that you can cook with your family during these holidays. I hope you enjoy it.