How to Make Almond Marzipan Easter Eggs

Traditional East Indian Almond Marzipan Easter Eggs are a delightful way of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ at Easter! They may take some time to make but they’re delicious and a good treat to both kids and grown-ups.

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Many cultures celebrate Easter with different types of easter eggs or Paschal eggs, like chocolate eggs or Waster egg hunts with colored regular eggs. But here in Mumbai, we grew up celebrating Easter with Easter eggs, bunnies, bonnets, and chickens. It was always fun eating these delicious goodies on Easter morning or after Easter lunch.

PS. If you want the recipe for almond marzipan shapes for Christmas, go here.

Did you know that the Easter we celebrate actually has nothing to do with eggs? We celebrate Easter to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his victory over death and hell. But unfortunately, Easter gets its name from the pagan worship of the goddess Ishtar who was the goddess of fertility and that’s why you have all the eggs and bunnies. It was a festival celebrating spring and new life that fell in the same season as celebrating Jesus’s resurrection, and over the millennia the traditions got mixed up.

Anyway, as long as we know the difference, let’s get back to our marzipan Easter eggs. We make Easter eggs of marzipan, but switch between cashew nut marzipan or almond marzipan recipes. Almond marzipan from dad’s side, cashew nut marzipan from mum’s side, and my version of eggless marzipan for my vegetarian friends. I think I love the cashew nut marzipan a bit more though!

This is one of my favorite almond marzipan recipes. It belonged to Mum’s mum. Everyone did love her sweets, especially her honey balls and cordial! But here’s how to make marzipan at home in my granny’s style!

Ingredients For Easter Eggs – Almond Marzipan Recipe

All you need to make these delicious marzipan easter eggs are almonds, rose water, powdered sugar, egg whites, butter, and almond essence. Food colours are optional since you can make the Easter eggs pure white too. Colors have no impact on the taste!

How To Make Almond Marzipan Easter Eggs – East Indian Style

Soak the almonds in water overnight or for a few hours. They will puff up a bit by absorbing water and the skin will become easier to peel off.

If you have less time, boil water and then soak the almonds in it for 10 to 15 minutes, then run them through cold water. This will help to remove the skins a tad quicker.

Put the peeled almonds in a mixer grinder and grind. Add rose water, since this helps it to grind faster.

Next, you ou can also add in the egg whites to the mixer and beat them with the ground marzipan.

Pour the almond, rose water and egg white mixture in a pot and add the powdered sugar, mix well and allow to rest for about half-hour or so.

After the 30 minutes are up, place the vessel on the stove on a low flame and stir continually. That’s my mum helping me stir. 😍

The almond mixture will gradually thicken. Once it does, add in a tablespoon of butter and stir again for a little while.

You can test the consistency with a teaspoon. Remove about a quarter teaspoon of the marzipan and allow it to cool. If it forms into a ball, it is ready to be taken off the flame. If not, keep stirring and check again in a few minutes. Repeat till it’s ready.

Once you’re able to form a ball, pour the almond marzipan onto a thala (large flat pan) that has been dusted with powdered sugar.

Allow the almond marzipan to cool for a bit and then knead it for a while. Form into 3 or more smaller portions, depending on how many colors you prefer to make. We did just 3 this time – pink, green and clear. Sometimes we also add blue or yellow!

Knead the dough well to mix the colour and then use the moulds to form your shapes. You can make eggs, rabbits, bonnets, and even chickens. Ducks too!

Once the shapes are ready, allow them to dry for a little while, and then decorate with royal icing. And there you have it, your traditional almond marzipan Easter eggs are ready! I could just gobble them up right now 😉

Recipe Pointers For Almond Marzipan Easter Eggs

• Peel the skin off the almonds before grinding them.
• Use powdered sugar so you do not have to worry about sugar granules.
• Use the rose water to grind the almonds in the mixer. It will help the become finer.
• If you like chocolate, add cocoa powder to get a chocolatey flavour in the marzipan.
• Once you reach the half-hour mark, remember to check the consistency and try forming a tiny ball to check if it’s ready.
• If the marzipan gets too dry, add in more rosewater to soften it.
• If your almond marzipan is too wet, you can either put it back on the stove for a few minutes or add in powdered sugar which is easier.

Answers to Questions About Almond Marzipan Easter Eggs

Why is marzipan called marzipan?

It is not very clear why Marzipan is called Marzipan, it can be traced back to the 1500s in and around Europe when almond flour was used as a replacement for wheat flour due to a shortage. Marzipan is a German name that is more well known than the old English word ‘marchpane’ or march bread. Marzipan was made of almond meal and sugar and sometimes egg. There are different variations of marzipan all over Europe. East Indian marzipan is a cultural recipe that was brought to India by our Portuguese conquistadors in the 15th century. When they forced us to convert from Syriac Christianity to Catholicism, they also implanted a lot of their food traditions in our culture. Some of them were good like the vindaloo, sorpotel, marzipan, and vanilla cream.

Is marzipan made with egg whites or yolks?

Traditional almond marzipan is made using the white of the eggs which is lighter in colour. You could use egg yolks too, but you will have a slightly darker colour and that marzipan is called golden marzipan. The traditional European raw recipe for almond marzipan uses egg whites, not yolks to avoid the risk of salmonella. Our recipe however, is a cooked version, not raw.

What can marzipan be used for?

Marzipan can be used to make Christmas sweets like mass pav, or even marzipan muffins, tarts, or Easter eggs. We can also use marzipan to layer sugarcraft cakes.

How long can Marzipan be stored?

Marzipan can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 6 months in a refrigerator. Marzipan Easter eggs can be stored in air-tight containers at room temperature for a few weeks.

Can you freeze almond marzipan?

Yes, you can freeze almond marzipan for as long as 5 to 6 months. Simply thaw it before eating.

Can We Make Marzipan Without Eggs?

Yes, you can make marzipan without eggs if you want to. Just substitute with rose water and it works well. The reason we use egg whites in marzipan is so that it holds its shape better and lasts a few weeks longer. But if you want to try it, here’s my sister’s recipe for eggless marzipan.

What Other Easter Desserts Can You Make?

Easter desserts we make in India usually include traditional cashew nut marzipan Easter eggs, blancmange Easter eggs, carrot cakes, or some unusual chocolate marzipan Easter eggs. I’ve also created a vegetarian version of Easter Eggs for my eggless veggie friends.

Can you eat Marzipan on its own?

Yes, Marzipan is delicious and you can eat it as is, as a dessert. It’s perfectly delicious!

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