My Marzipan Joy Joys!

Here's one of them food-related treats I've never tried before. Marzipan (from Silver Lake Cookie Co.)! The package is modeled after a fruit basket, and each bit of marzipan is shaped like a different kind of fruit.

I've always been curious to find out what marzipan is (although never curious enough to taste it, I suppose). Turns out, it's a sort of Middle Eastern almond paste fashioned into a miniature cake of sorts. Wikipedia lists a lot of its incarnations and assorted uses, but I will not be trying them. Oh, heavens no!

Fast food facts: Serving size: 1 piece. Calories: 50. Fat: 1g. This treat does meet vegan requirements.

Hey, I figure as a one-time thing, I can break my "no-fat candy" bond. Oh, the things I do for this blog. It's not like a chocolate bar, which is jam-packed, so those of you that are less picky than me should have no problem with the paltry single gram of fat.

My sample piece is the orange one pictured top-center above. From the top, it resembles a real fruit. However, all of the pieces of marzipan are flat and off-white on the bottom, like a cookie. According to expert opinions from my family, who also sampled the marzipan, none of the fruits have different flavors. The decoration is entirely for show.

The sweet is slightly spongy, but not so soft that it doesn't crack when squeezed too hard. The odor of the marzipan is interesting, and unlike anything I've smelt before. It has a sort of bitter aroma. It's not particularly appealing, but it's not entirely off-putting either.

My first thought when biting into the marzipan was of a sugar cookie. The flavor, at least, is very reminiscent. The texture is much smoother and chewier than any fresh-made cookie. There is a clear nutty flavor that distinguishes itself after the sweet disappears, which makes sense because almonds are the second ingredient. It is also fruity, and another look at the ingredient list shows that apricots and coconut oil are utilized in the creation of the treat.

All in all, I'd definitely recommend marzipan to the candy enthusiast. It certainly satisfies the sweet tooth, and is oddly filling as well. My mother and sister would be of a different opinion--ranging from lukewarm to negative. However, since this is my blog, you have to listen to me and not them. Deal with it. I can't say that I'll make marzipan a regular part of my candy diet (due to the fat content, some of which is saturated), but it certainly was a tasty deviation from the norm.

Google searching for marzipan turned up marzipan babies! Disturbing!



Link: Silver Lake Cookie Co.