When you think of foods that get turned into multifaceted baking components, almonds may not be top of mind. You might think of molasses or ingredients like peanut butter, apples, or even cream cheese, but almonds aren't usually an automatic go-to in America. Such is not the case in other countries, though — particularly France, Italy, and Germany, where almonds rule the day as a baking component. You've probably heard of some popular almond-derived baking products, too, like frangipane and marzipan.
But what are frangipane and marzipan? Aren't they just different names for the same thing? While you might be tempted to think so from the similar-sounding names, not only are they not the same thing,but they're not even the same type of product. Frangipane is a rich, cream-based filling, while marzipan is a thick paste mostly used for decorative purposes. The main thing they have in common is the almonds required to make each one, but beyond that, they're wildly different — especially in consistency — meaning you'll find them used differently, too.
The key with marzipan is all about the texture. People are divided on the strong almond taste — some love it, some hate it — but what virtually everyone can agree on is it's easy to mold into various designs, with enough firmness to hold its shape. Ultimately, this allows bakers to create intricate, gorgeous desserts that are as much art pieces as they are confections. Nowadays, fondant is commonly used for a similar purpose — it takes color much better than marzipan — but there's no doubt that marzipan has a far deeper, richer flavor, and people typically dislike fondant even more than marzipan.In addition to being used as decoration, you'll often find marzipan molded into those gorgeous little fruits and other small designs to eat as is.
One legend of marzipan's origin dates to 15th century Germany. Supposedly, a shortage of flour led to the need for a replacement for bread, and bakers devised a mixture of ground almonds in a concoction of eggs and sugar. But that's not the only story; there are also claims from Persia, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and even as far away as China. Modern marzipan is slightly different, as it typically involves honey and almond extract (making the original more like almond paste).Whether or not any of these origin stories are actually true is another matter — a lot of food origin stories are totally apocryphal, like that one about potato chips you might've heard before.
Frangipane Is A Creamy Filling With A Milder Flavor
While marzipan is similar to but distinct from almond paste, the same isn't true of frangipane and almond cream— they're one and the same. It involves ground almonds, just like marzipan, but that's where the similarities end. Sugar, eggs, vanilla, butter, and flour are added to the mixture, which is creamed until it possesses its trademark soft, custard-like consistency. Like most creams, it's typically used as a filling in baked goods. While the taste of marzipan can be divisive, frangipane doesn't suffer nearly as much from negative feedback, owing to its sweetness and generally more balanced flavor.
The commonly-repeated origins of frangipane are, much like marzipan, probably apocryphal: Popular legend claims it was created by French chefs in the early 17th century, inspired by the popular almond-scented perfume a nobleman named Muzio Frangipani introduced to the royal court.Regardless of where the two originally came from, though, both frangipane and marzipan have important purposes in baking and cake decorating. Just don't confuse the two, because you can't swap them for each other — their textures will make sure of that.
Their purposes and textures, however, are very different, making them unable to be substituted with one another. While marzipan is a thick and sweet icing dough, frangipane is a creamy and lightly-sweetened filling.
Their purposes and textures, however, are very different, making them unable to be substituted with one another. While marzipan is a thick and sweet icing dough, frangipane is a creamy and lightly-sweetened filling.
The classic frangipane cream is mixed with crème pâtissière (pastry cream) for added flavor and texture.Crème d'Amande: Primarily composed of almond paste or marzipan, sugar, and butter. It's typically used as a cake or tart topping and has a denser, sweeter consistency.
Marzipan is smooth, sweet, and often dyed and molded into shapes. It's also used to cover sweets much like fondant and is sometimes eaten as is. Almond paste, however, is coarser, less sweet, and used as an ingredient or filling for baked goods.
Ingredients: The main difference between marzipan and fondant is in how they are made. Fondant is primarily made from confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, and water, while marzipan is made primarily from almond meal and water. This gives marzipan a slightly more solid texture, while fondant is more like traditional icing.
In essence, frangipane is an almond filling, sometimes called frangipane cream. It isn't the same as marzipan, which is an almond-sugar paste that's so dense it can be formed into decorative shapes and painted in bright colors.
Marzipan is a traditional food to eat on weddings and religious feast days in Italy, Greece, and Cyprus. In Latin America, a popular marzipan-like treat which replaces the almonds with peanuts is called "mazapan." In Mexico, pine nuts and pistachios are other substitutes for almonds in marzipan.
The word frangipane is a French term used to name products with an almond flavour. The word comes ultimately from the last name of Marquis Muzio Frangipani or Cesare Frangipani. The word first denoted the frangipani plant, from which was produced the perfume originally said to flavor frangipane.
Frangipane is a simple custard, made in a food processor from nuts, butter, sugar, and eggs. The resulting gloop is slightly runnier than a paste but not so loose that it spills all over the place; you can easily spoon and spread it without making a mess.
And while frangipane is typically made with ground almonds, it can be made with other ground nuts instead. Using pistachios will give you a verdant spread, while toasted and ground pecans yield a frangipane with a toffee-like flavor. Hazelnut frangipane pairs nicely with chocolate.
What is frangipane? A creamy mixture of ground almonds, butter, sugar and eggs that is sometimes used to fill tarts. Halved stone fruit, such as apricots and plums, can be baked on top to make a delicious dessert.
Also called almond candy dough, marzipan is an agreeable, multi-purpose combo of the first two, with a subtle almond flavor and unmatched malleability. Be sure to try these marzipan cake recipes.
Another difference between frangipane and almond paste and marzipan is the ingredients. In addition to almonds and sugar, frangipane contains eggs, butter, and flour. French-style frangipane also requires milk to prepare a custard, which is then mixed with ground almonds. Frangipane has a very soft consistency.
The best quality marzipan contains less sugar in the raw mix. Good marzipan contains minerals such calcium, potassium and magnesium and is also rich in vitamin B and polyunsaturated fatty acids. On the downside, marzipan is high in fat and in sugar.
Marzipan is also sold on its own as a candy. One of the most common versions is marzipan fruits, sold in a tray like chocolates, shaped and dyed to look like tiny lemons, oranges, apples, and so on.
Frangipane is a classic French filling for cakes, tarts, and pastries. It's made with butter, sugar, eggs, and ground almonds, so it's pretty similar to an almond paste.
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