ISSUE 41, CONFECTIONERY, Part 1: Pecan Marzipan

Pecan Marzipan

One of the fundamental confections is marzipan, that amalgam of ground almonds and sugar that sheaths cakes, forms miniature sweets, and is one of the classic candies.  This sweet almond paste made up macaroons in the South before coconut was generally availabl-the first 3/4s of the 19th century.  The almond took a long time to establish itself as an American nut.  It happened in the latter decades of the 1800s in California.  But the pecan grew more places and in its paper shell form, was a easier to process until the Princess Almond came into existence. 

So the idea of grinding up pecans and amalgamating sugar and perhaps some lemon juice into the matrix came about at various points in history;  There was an appearance problem.  Almond’s grind milky white and the cleanness of the look of marzipan—its way of showing up food colors made it cherished among confectioners and bakers.  Pecan marzipan ground darker.  It didn’t take yellow/orange/red coloring agents as well as might be wished. 

But the flavor can be fine.  I’ve had a marzipan made with pecan and a brown confectioner’s sugar.  Salt.  Citrus.  I thought it something familiar and new.  I’ve seen it combined with brandy butter for icing. Some think about maple syrup rather than brown sugar in constituting the body of the marzipan.  Too pronounced a flavor.  So who is working with this?  And is it pastry, rather can cake baking where this is going to happen in the future?  My bet on the former. 

I wonder how date sugar would work in making this.