If you love marzipan - then these traditional marzipan potatoes are the perfect indulgence for you. These famous German sweets are called Marzipan Kartoffeln ( a literal translation of marzipan potatoes). They are best known for being traditional German Christmas treats.
There is much to love about this potato-shaped marzipan candy:
- To make them from scratch is super easy
- They are great recipes for using up leftover marzipan
- The ingredients are naturally gluten-free and vegan.
- You have to try them: they are super delicious!
- They make the perfect gift for marzipan lovers
Have I convinced you yet? Yes! Great then let's make this marzipan candy for the holiday season.
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What are Marzipan Kartoffeln?
Marzipan Kartoffeln is in essence marzipan balls that are coated in cocoa powder. The great thing is, because they are supposed to look like baby potatoes, they do not need to be perfectly round. They can be slightly oval or have some dents like actual potatoes! The skin is brownish and can have some spots just like real potato skin. This is good news for those of us, who are not the best at forming things to perfection (like me!)
I tried to research the German marzipan potato tradition - but could not find the definite origin of this confectionary. I presume it is born from the German's love of potatoes and the look of this candy. They are not only popular in Germany but also Scandinavia. You will find them on sale in supermarkets and Christmas markets during the Christmas season.
Marzipan in Germany
Marzipan has a long tradition in Germany and was first introduced in the Middle Ages. It came from the Middle East to Germany. There is a legend that it originated from Lübeck in North Germany. This claims that marzipan was invented there in 1407 during a famine. As there was no grain the administration asked a baker to make "bread" from almonds and sugar. As nice as this legend is, it is unlikely to be true. This is because sugar and almonds were very expensive and reserved for the rich.
Still, the town of Lübeck helped make German marzipan famous in the rest of the world. The marzipan manufacturer Niederegger is said to make one of the best marzipans and the marzipan from Lübeck is protected by a trademark.
How to make Marzipan Potatoes
Homemade Marzipan vs store-bought Marzipan
There are many benefits of making your marzipan for this confect. It gives you more control of the flavor of the end product. I found that marzipan abroad has a lot more sugar, and some marzipan recipes use a lot more rose water than the marzipan here in Germany. To make fresh marzipan, all you need is ground almonds (affiliate link), icing/confectioners sugar, and flavorings such as almond extract (affiliate link), vanilla extract (affiliate link), and rose water. These are kneaded together into a cookie dough-like almond paste. In Germany this paste is referred to as "Marzipanrohmasse" - in America, you would say "almond paste".
You can find my Homemade German Marzipan Paste here.
Marzipan abroad tends to have more sugar than that in Germany. So bear that in mind when you make the recipe with store-bought marzipan, as you might not have to add as much sugar.
Ingredients
- almond paste/marzipanrohmasse
- confectioner's sugar
- cocoa powder
Recipe Steps
- You may want to consider wearing rubber gloves if you do mind getting your hands sticky.
- Knead together the marzipan with the powdered sugar, until combined into a sticky dough. If you like, you can add some flavoring, such as amaretto (affiliate link), rum, kirschwasser, or orange liqueur (affiliate link).
- Then form the dough into a long roll and divide it up into about 20 little portions. They should weigh around 10 g each. Roll them into balls, but remember they don't need to be perfectly round. Add in some irregularities, like making some longer or deforming the shape slightly, for instance, so it reminds you of real potato shapes.
- In a shallow bowl add the cocoa powder. You can vary the darkness of the cocoa powder by mixing it with some confectioner's sugar to make it lighter. (optional add a dash of ground cinnamon (affiliate link) which will help give the cocoa coat a warm undertone)
- To coat the small balls you can either roll them in the bowl of cocoa powder, dust them with it, or add a little cocoa to your fingers and press them on.
- Place on a piece of parchment paper and dust off the excess cocoa with a pastry brush (affiliate link).
- Store in an airtight container in a cool place until you are ready to consume.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of sweet marzipan potatoes make "Schneebälle" - (translated snowballs). Instead of dusting the marzipan with icing sugar, dust them with powdered sugar. This way they resemble white snowballs. They sell them like this in German supermarkets
- Enrich your marzipan by kneading in some dried fruits like apricots. You can also add some nuts like hazelnuts or walnuts for an extra crunch.
How to serve
Marzipan potatoes are usually served as part of the German Christmas cookie platter. A "Plätzchenteller" is a goodie plate that you bring when your guests arrive and will have an array of different Christmas cookies to choose from. Until then they are all stored separately in cookie tins, so the flavors do not mix.
Give Marzipan Potatoes as a Gift
These traditional German marzipan potatoes are perfect for marzipan lovers. Just place them in a clear plastic bag and wrap a ribbon around it.
Storage Instructions.
These marzipan balls should be stored in a dry, cool place in an airtight container. They will stay good for up to 4 weeks, so they are perfect for making head. Marzipan does not go "bad" as such but it will become dry and lose its flavor.
More Recipes Using Marzipan
Recipe
Traditional German Marzipan Potatoes (Marzipankartoffeln)
Equipment
- small shallow bowl
- baking mat (optional)
- rubber gloves (optional, but will avoid sticky hands)
Ingredients
- 200 g marzipan Make my homemade German marzipan paste here. If you use store-bought marzipan be careful with the sugar, as it is often sweeter. You can easily adjust to your taste, while adding the sugar.
- 100 g powdered sugar 3.5 oz icing sugar
Optional Flavourings - Choose one of the following
- 1 teaspoon amaretto (affiliate link)
- 1 teaspoon orange liquer
- 1 teaspoon rum
- 1 teaspoon kirschwasser
To decorate
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
- You may want to consider wearing rubber gloves unless you don’t mind getting sticky hands.
- Knead the marzipan together with the powdered sugar until combined into a sticky dough. If you like, you can add some flavoring, such as amaretto (affiliate link), rum, kirschwasser, or orange liqueur (affiliate link).200 g marzipan, 100 g powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon amaretto (affiliate link), 1 teaspoon orange liquer, 1 teaspoon rum, 1 teaspoon kirschwasser
- Then, form the dough into a long roll and divide it into about 20 small portions. They should weigh around 10g/0.35 oz each. Roll them into balls, but remember they don’t need to be perfectly round. Add some irregularities, such as making some longer or deforming the shape slightly, so it reminds you of real potato shapes.
- In a shallow bowl, add the cocoa powder. You can vary the darkness of the cocoa powder by mixing it with some powdered sugar to make it lighter. (Optional: add a dash of ground cinnamon (affiliate link) to give the cocoa coat a warm undertone)2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- To coat the potatoes, you can either roll them in the bowl of cocoa powder, dust them with it, or press it on using cocoa-dusted fingers.
- Place them on a sheet of parchment paper and dust off the excess cocoa with a pastry brush (affiliate link).
- Store in an airtight container in a cool place until ready to consume
Notes
Recipe Variations
- Instead of sweet marzipan potatoes make "Schneebälle" - (translated snowballs). Instead of dusting the marzipan with icing sugar, dust them with powdered sugar. This way they resemble white snowballs. They sell them as such in German supermarkets
- Enrich your marzipan by kneading in some dried fruits like apricots. You can also add some nuts like hazelnuts or walnuts for an extra crunch.
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