flipMarzipan with Almonds and Rose Water
Marzipan with Almonds and Rose Water
Why this dish? Leonardo, frugal and vegetarian, enjoyed almond sweets, which were then considered strengthening and good for digestion. Marzipan, a paste of almonds and sugar perfumed with rose water, was both a prestige confection and a comforting remedy — a snack Leonardo could take to his workshop.
A fine paste of ground almonds and sugar, bound with rose water, shaped into small lozenges or figures and lightly browned. Sweet, fragrant, considered at the time a comfort as much as a treat.
For those who work late and neglect to eat — my failing, I admit — nothing beats a piece of marzipan. Pound sweet almonds, marry them with sugar, perfume with a little rose water, and shape as the hand pleases: lozenges, stars, or even little figures. Physicians say it comforts heart and mind; I especially like that it fits in a pocket and requires no creature's death.
- •Sweet almonds — a good measure (base)
- •Fine sugar — almost as much as almonds (sweetness and binder)
- •Rose water — a few drops (signature fragrance)
Marzipan with Almonds and Rose Water
A fine paste of ground almonds and sugar, bound with rose water, shaped into small lozenges or figures and lightly browned. Sweet, fragrant, considered at the time a comfort as much as a treat.
Why this dish? Leonardo, frugal and vegetarian, enjoyed almond sweets, which were then considered strengthening and good for digestion. Marzipan, a paste of almonds and sugar perfumed with rose water, was both a prestige confection and a comforting remedy — a snack Leonardo could take to his workshop.
For those who work late and neglect to eat — my failing, I admit — nothing beats a piece of marzipan. Pound sweet almonds, marry them with sugar, perfume with a little rose water, and shape as the hand pleases: lozenges, stars, or even little figures. Physicians say it comforts heart and mind; I especially like that it fits in a pocket and requires no creature's death.
Ingredients (period version)
- Sweet almonds — a good measure (base)
- Fine sugar — almost as much as almonds (sweetness and binder)
- Rose water — a few drops (signature fragrance)
Ingredients
- Almond flour — 200 g (base)
- Powdered sugar — 180 g (binder)
- Rose water — 1 to 2 tsp (fragrance)
- Egg white — 1 (or a little water) (binder)
Method
- Mix almond flour and powdered sugar in a bowl.
- Add rose water, then gradually the egg white, until a soft, non-sticky dough forms.
- Briefly knead, roll out to 1 cm thick between two sheets of paper, cut into lozenges or small shapes.
- Let air-dry for a few hours; optionally pass under the broiler to brown (watch closely).
- Store in an airtight container.
How it was made : Marzipan, inherited from Arab-Mediterranean cuisine and spread by Venice and Sicily, was a luxury food (sugar was expensive). Both apothecaries and cooks prepared it: it was believed to have strengthening and digestive virtues, on the border between confectionery and remedy. It was often molded into ornamental shapes for festivities.
The contemporary twist : Shape the lozenges into small geometric forms (flattened polyhedra) as a tribute to Leonardo's plates for *De divina proportione*, and dust with a veil of powdered sugar.
Sources : Maestro Martino, Libro de arte coquinaria, 15th century · Platina (Bartolomeo Sacchi), De honesta voluptate et valetudine, 1474
Leonardo da Vinci · Charactorium
