Orange Blossom Water Marzipan

✨ About this recipe

This three-ingredient recipe (well, four if you count water) is a no-bake vegan treat that’s shockingly easy to make.

After you combine the ingredients to make a smooth dough, your imagination is the limit when it comes to shaping your marzipan. I’ve used mini cookie cutters here to create tasty little ghosts, but you can sculpt any shape you like.

Because it’s so easy to make, this marzipan recipe is a great activity for younger kids.

But it’s also a perfect grown-up after-dinner treat with espresso, tea, or an after-dinner drink.

Want to try more marzipan variations? Check out my Rose Water & Saffron Marzipan or Black Sesame Marzipan.

✔️ Ingredients

Almond flour

Almond flour gives this recipe its distinctive taste and texture — there’s no substitute!

Select a super-fine almond flour, rather than almond meal. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but almond meal is typically a coarser product, because it’s made by grinding almonds with their skins on.

To make sure you have the right kind of almond flour, check to make sure that it is uniform in color, without visible flecks of almond skin.

Powdered sugar

Powdered sugar is another essential ingredient. It dissolves almost immediately when you add hot water, which makes it possible to create an evenly blended dough.

You’ll also use powdered sugar to dust your surface and rolling pin when it’s time to shape the marzipan. It works like flour does when rolling out a pie crust or sugar cookies, but using powdered sugar here prevents sticking without changing the marzipan’s texture.

Orange Blossom Water

Orange blossom has a sweet and floral fragrance that reminds me of summer sunshine. It’s a traditional ingredient in several Mediterranean dishes, and can also be used in sweets, pastries, and cocktails.

If orange blossom water is not available, you can substitute rose water, or omit it altogether. But it’s a distinctive ingredient that is worth having in your flavor arsenal.

Look for it in international markets, or you can buy it online.

✏️ Instructions

In a large bowl or a food processor, sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar.

Add just one tablespoon of the hot water to the dry ingredients, along with the orange blossom water.

Pulse with a food processor or quickly mix together with a fork to make a crumbly mixture.

Continue mixing until you can roll the marzipan into a smooth dough. If the dough won’t hold together, gradually add small amounts of hot water until it does.

Dust a surface and a rolling pin with powdered sugar, then roll out the dough. Use your hands or mini cookie cutters to make whatever shape you like.

Leave your marzipan pieces at room temperature on a piece of parchment paper or a nonstick baking sheet. Wait at least 30 minutes, and enjoy!

Tips:

• Thicker shapes will stay soft in the middle longer than thinner shapes.
• Using a food processor to pulse the ingredients until they form a dough is probably the easiest way to make the marzipan. But mixing in a bowl makes it easier to gradually add liquid for the right texture. Either method is fine!
• Store your orange blossom water marzipan treats in an airtight container at room temperature to enjoy within the next few days, or keep them in the refrigerator to eat within about a week. You can freeze your marzipan, but it will change the texture a bit.

🧰 What you’ll need

• One small and one large bowl
• A food processor (optional)
• A rolling pin
• A pastry mat (optional)
• Parchment paper or a baking sheet
• Fine almond flour
• Orange blossom water