Easy Homemade Marzipan Candy with Chocolate (German Recipe)

Treat yourself and others to these homemade marzipan sweets. Marzipan Pralinen (as we call them in Germany) are confectionery delights made from chocolate-covered marzipan. Each of them hides a delicious flavourful surprise inside. Whether walnut, caramelized hazelnut, or orange flavor, this simple marzipan candy recipe is easy to adapt to your taste. 

These marzipan-filled chocolates are not only a premium treat but also a perfect homemade gift for Christmas, Easter, or Valentine's Day! 

What is Marzipan Candy

Marzipan candy are almond confectionary that is made from a paste called marzipan (a mixture of ground almonds (affiliate link), sugar, and flavorings). They come in different forms, from figurine shapes (carrots, good luck pigs, or potatoes) to marzipan-filled chocolates.

About German Marzipan Candy 

The German marzipan candy culture dates back to the Middle Ages. Previously only reserved for the rich, these artisan almond treats are still synonymous with decadence and festive occasions.

History and Origin

The town in Germany that made German marzipan famous is Lübeck. According to a popular legend, marzipan was invented there in 1407. The town's grain reserves were depleted, so the administration requested that a baker should bake bread made from almonds and sugar. So he made "marzipan bread" (which would be the first marzipan praline). The story is not very credible, as sugar at the time was very expensive. 

Today it is accepted that marzipan was brought over from the Middle East, and was brought to Europe by the Arabs, probably via Spain. [Source: Wikipedia]

Lübecker Marzipan is renown all over the world. The marzipan manufacturer Niederegger is known to produce one of the premium marzipan confections, but there are also other marzipan firms such as Erasmi & Carstens, Lubeca, and Johannes Heinr. Marten, Marzipanland G, Mest-Marzipanand Lubs. The marzipan from Lübeck is protected and the only marzipan made in that region can call itself "Lübecker Marzipan".  

In Germany, there are many ways we use marzipan. We put it into our famous Christmas cak, Stollen, or knead it into the dough of our Marzipan cookies or famous Frankfurter Bethmännchen. We also color them and shape them into marzipan carrots for our Rüblikuchen (Swiss Carrot Cake), or little marzipan pigs for New Year's Day.

How to make Marzipan Candy 

Homemade vs storebought marzipan

The advantage of making your own marzipan is that you can control the sweetness, also you can be sure it is free from artificial preservatives. You can also adjust the flavoring to your personal preference. When I have been looking at the ingredients of marzipan paste that you can buy abroad, I found that the almond-to-sugar ratio is different from the German one. For example, marzipan from the UK contains a lot more sugar.

My homemade marzipan version has a ratio of 66% almonds and 34% sugar. However, for these marzipan confections, you can use my homemade marzipan recipe if you want, or store-bought marzipan. 

What equipment do you need? 

• a  small bowl to melt the chocolate in
• a fork (so you can dip the chocolate praline into the chocolate) 
• frying pan to caramelize the nuts
• food processor - if you need to grind the nuts or if you are looking to make your marzipan
• Silicon chocolate molds (optional)

Ingredients: 

If you are planning to make homemade marzipan 

• Ground almonds (affiliate link) - you could also use almond flour or almond meal, but be aware that these are a lot drier. 
• icing sugar/confectioner's sugar
• flavorings - almond extract (affiliate link), vanilla extract (affiliate link), and rosewater (affiliate link). 

Base ingredients:

• Marzipan Almond Paste (Marzipan Rohmasse) - you can use my recipe to make it yourself
• icing sugar/confectioner's sugar
• chocolate - use high-quality chocolate Dark chocolate contrasts nicely with the sweet marzipan, white chocolate has a more milky flavor and milk chocolate is a little creamier. 

Preparing the marzipan filling

Walnut Marzipan Pralines

• walnuts
• about 10 walnut halves for decorating
• Amaretto (affiliate link) or any other almond liqueur (you can also use almond extract (affiliate link))

Recipe Steps:

Place the walnuts in a food processor and roughly chop them. Then knead the sugar with the marzipan, amaretto (affiliate link) (or almond extract (affiliate link)) to a smooth dough.

Hazelnut Marzipan Chocolates

• hazelnut 
• butter
• icing sugar/confectioner's sugar  

1. Start by caramelizing the hazelnuts: heat a saucepan until the sugar and butter have melted while stirring continuously.
2. Add the nuts. Stir to coat the nuts with the butter-sugar emulsion.
3. Spread the nuts on some baking paper and leave to cool. Once it is cooled you can break it into little pieces with a rolling pin (affiliate link), or grind in a food processor.
4. Knead the caramelized nuts, sugar, and marzipan into a smooth dough.

Orange Chocolate Marzipan Candy

• a whole orange (needs to be an untreated orange so you can consume the skin. This typically means an organic orange.)
• orange liqueur (affiliate link) (such as Grand Manier), orange blossom water, or orange juice

1. Finely grate the zest of the orange. You need about 2 tsp. 
2. Then knead it into the marzipan and add 1-2 teaspoon orange liqueur (affiliate link) or orange blossom water. Alternatively, you can use some of the freshly pressed orange juice. 

Shape the Candy

Option 1: To make marzipan truffles without a chocolate mold

1. Shape the marzipan into a rectangle or square.  It should have a height of approximately 1 cm. Then, with a sharp knife, slice them into equal cubes. Alternatively, divide the marzipan dough into equal portions and roll into balls.  
2. Using a fork, dip them into the melted chocolate. You can decorate them, place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and wait for the chocolate to dry. 

Option 2: Make Marzipan candy using a chocolate mold. 

1. Pour chocolate into the bottom of the marzipan mold. Ensure that the sides are also covered. Shake the mold gently to allow air bubbles to escape, otherwise, you might end up with holes in the chocolate. Leave to set.

2. In the meantime, divide the marzipan dough into equal parts, the exact size depends on the size of your chocolate molds. Then press them into the molds when the chocolate has set. Finally, cover the bottom of the pralines with melted chocolate. Once they have cooled you can just pop them out of the mould.

3. To decorate them you can stick either the walnuts half, some leftover caramelized hazelnut, or candied orange peel on the top by brushing the top with some melted chocolate. 

Recipe variations

There is no limit to the different flavors you can create. Also, a little food coloring turns these sophisticated homemade truffles into colorful treats. Here are some suggestions 

• Knead into the dough some dried apricots. 
• flavor the marzipan with a pinch of cinnamon 
• mix some peanut butter or some almond butter with the marzipan 

Storage Instructions

These luxury almond sweets will stay good in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. So they are great to make ahead and gift later. Keep them in an airtight container. Or cellophane bags are a pretty way to pack them as a gift.

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