Definition

Noun: A sweet, pliable confection or paste made primarily from ground almonds, sugar, and sometimes egg whites or other binding agents. It is often used as a filling in pastries and cakes or molded into decorative shapes for cake decoration.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The traditional Christmas cake was covered in a layer of marzipan before being iced.
  • She skillfully sculpted small fruits and animals from colored marzipan to decorate the wedding cake.
  • The recipe calls for a thin sheet of marzipan to be placed between the layers of sponge.

Advanced Usage

• "Marzipan layer": A specific stratum of marzipan used in baking.
  • The classic German Stollen has a distinctive marzipan layer running through its center.
• "Marzipan modeling": The craft of shaping marzipan into decorative figures.
  • Marzipan modeling is a popular activity during the holiday season for making edible ornaments.

Variants and Related Words

• Almond paste: A similar product, often coarser and less sweet than marzipan, used as a base or filling. While closely related, almond paste and marzipan are sometimes distinguished by their texture and sugar content.
• Fondant: A different type of sugar paste used for cake covering and decoration, which is often smoother and more pliable than marzipan but lacks the almond flavor.

Synonyms

• Almond confection: A general term for sweets made primarily from almonds.
• Persipan: A similar paste made from apricot or peach kernels, often used as a substitute for marzipan.

Related Phrases

• "To be pure marzipan": (Idiomatic, less common) Used to describe something as being of the highest quality or very sweet/pleasant.
  • This deal is pure marzipan for the investors.
• "Marzipan city": (Historical/Idiomatic) A nickname for the city of Lübeck, Germany, famous for its marzipan production.
  • We brought back delicious treats from our trip to the marzipan city.

Noun

1. almond paste and egg whites