The connections between Old World and New World foods are a continual fascination.
Take mazapan, for example. You may find these little round peanutty candies in Mexican specialty markets. They鈥檙e usually individually wrapped, but sometimes a quartet comes in a pretty yellow box.
With just three ingredients, they鈥檙e simple to make at home and I鈥檓 going to tell you how to do so today.
But it鈥檚 easy to see the connection between Old World marzipan and New World mazapan.
Marzipan is traditionally made with ground almonds, confectioners鈥 sugar, and a couple of egg whites, often with a little almond extract for additional flavor. When it鈥檚 finished, it鈥檚 almost like Play-Doh. Some people add food coloring and model the marzipan into fruits, vegetables, or little animals to stand alone or decorate a cake. German bakers specialize in incredibly lifelike creations; they also include marzipan as a filling for traditional Christmas stollen.
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Marzipan has been around for centuries. My guess, given the ground almonds, is that it has medieval origins.
In the New World, however, almonds were harder to come by, at least until the newly planted almond trees began to bear. How sensible, then, that some creative cook turned to easy-to-grow peanuts to make a similar product. The similarity of the names suggests to me that our creative cook knew about Old World marzipan.
A few of these simple candies makes a lovely gift if you need something on the fly to give to a neighbor or coworker.
Mazapan
Makes 7 to 8 candies
Feel free to double this recipe. The chocolate glaze is not traditional but adds a delicious extra touch 鈥 sort of a Southwestern version of a peanut butter cup. You鈥檒l need a 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter to shape the candies. Sometimes I make bigger candies using my Michigan mitten cookie cutter; if you use anything other than a round cutter, use a cotton swab to gently ease the candy from the cutter.
Ingredients
1 陆 cups roasted unsalted peanuts
陆 teaspoon cinnamon
1 鹿鈦劼 to 1 陆 cups confectioners鈥 sugar
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, melted, for glaze, optional
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream, optional
Preparation
Place the peanuts in a food processor fitted with the metal knife blade. Process in pulses until the peanuts are crumbly. You don鈥檛 want to overprocess them 鈥 they鈥檒l become oily.
Add the cinnamon and 1 鹿鈦劼 cup confectioners鈥 sugar to the peanuts. Pulse again a couple of times to combine the sugar and peanuts evenly. Check to see if you can compress the mixture by pinching up a finger or two鈥檚 worth; if it鈥檚 not holding together, add additional confectioners鈥 sugar a tablespoon at a time, pulsing and checking after each addition. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Place a 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter on a piece of parchment paper. Pack it full of the peanut mixture, pressing down hard to compress the mixture. You can鈥檛 press too hard when you鈥檙e packing the mixture into the cutter.
Gently remove the cutter by pressing on the sides and sliding upwards. I use a spoon to gently press the candy鈥檚 sides away from the cutter before trying to unmold it. If it breaks, no worries 鈥 you can scoop up the ruined candy and return it to the bowl to re-use, crushing it further with a fork if needed. Repeat with remaining peanut mixture.
Because these candies are crumbly by nature, I like to put a little chocolate on their tops 鈥 it seems to help to hold them together a bit. If you鈥檇 like to do so, melt the semisweet chocolate on the stovetop or microwave. Whisk in the heavy cream if you鈥檙e using that. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then pour it into a pastry bag or zip-top bag 鈥 if you鈥檙e using a zip-top, snip off one corner when the bag is filled.
Drizzle the candies with the melted chocolate. Allow to cool completely, then wrap each in plastic wrap.
Store candies in the refrigerator until you鈥檙e going to eat them. If you鈥檙e giving them as gifts, it鈥檚 OK to leave them at room temperature almost indefinitely, although the chocolate may melt and smear a little on the plastic wrap.
