Rose Water & Saffron Marzipan

Name: Rose Water & Saffron Marzipan
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 18
Ingredients: 1 cup fine almond flour; 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for rolling; 2 Tablespoons hot water, divided; 1 loosely-packed teaspoon saffron threads; 1 teaspoon rosewater

by Meg Kramer | Bittertreats

18 pieces

40 min

Homemade rose water and saffron marzipan is an incredibly easy-to-make treat that will wow your friends and family.

This simple vegan recipe pairs the rich flavor and brilliant color of saffron with delicate rose water. This is a classic flavor combination in Persian and Indian cuisines.

If you’re looking for an easy, vegan treat that is perfect any time of year—especially Halloween— read on for the recipe!

🌹 About this recipe

This rose water and saffron marzipan’s bright orange color is pretty at any time of year, but it’s especially perfect for autumn.

Here, I’ve used cookie cutters to create cute mini pumpkins for Halloween. But you can also get creative and sculpt the marzipan into bright yellow flowers for summer, colorful leaves for Thanksgiving, or just about any other shape you can imagine.

And because there’s no baking — the only heat involved is just for heating a little bit of water — this recipe is a great activity to enjoy with kids.

✔️ Ingredients

Almond flour

“Almond flour” and “almond meal” are sometimes used interchangeably, but almond meal is typically made by grinding almonds with their skins on for a coarser product.

For this recipe, you need fine almond flour to get the right texture. Look for flour that is uniform in color, without visible bits of almond skin.

Powdered sugar

Powdered sugar is an essential component of this recipe.

Unlike granulated sugar, it dissolves almost immediately when you add hot water to the marzipan ingredients. This will allow you to create a smooth, evenly mixed dough.

In addition, you will use more of the powdered sugar to dust your surface and rolling pin when you roll out the dough. This will keep everything from sticking, without changing the flavor or texture of the marzipan.

Saffron threads

Saffron threads are the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus, crocus sativus. From Central Asia to Western Europe, from Kashmir to Castilla-LaMancha, this complex and aromatic seasoning has been prized for thousands of years.

There’s really no substitute for saffron. If you can’t get your hands on saffron, though, a bit of ground cardamom would offer a compatible flavor, and a few pinches of turmeric will approach the golden orange color you’d get from saffron.

Rose Water

Rose water contributes a subtly floral and fragrant note to the marzipan. You may omit it if you don’t have it. Or, if you would rather have a more intense almond flavor, use about ½ teaspoon of almond extract instead.

Looking for more recipes like this one?

For more marzipan flavor variations, check out my Black Sesame Marzipan and Orange Blossom Water Marzipan.

Rose Water & Saffron Marzipan

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Recipe details

Yield 18 pieces
Time spent: Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 30 Minutes Total time: 40 min

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Instructions

In a small bowl, pour the hot water over the saffron threads. Set aside for about an hour to steep.
Sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar, combining them into a large bowl.
When the saffron-infused water has become fragrant and reached a deep orange-red color, you may strain it to remove the saffron threads or leave them in.* Then, add just one tablespoon to the dry ingredients, along with the rosewater.
Pulse with a food processor or quickly mix together with a fork to make a crumbly mixture. Gradually add more saffron liquid until you can form a smooth ball of dough. You may not need to use all of the liquid, so go slowly!
Use the powdered sugar to dust a surface and a rolling pin, then roll out the dough. Use mini cookie cutters to make the desired shape (or shapes). Or, use your hands to sculpt any shape you like.
Place your marzipan pieces on a piece of parchment paper to set for at least 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature to enjoy within the next few days, or keep in the refrigerator. They will be best within a week after you make them.

Tips

Strain the threads if you want a more uniform color and a perfectly smooth texture. If you want a more rustic look with visible saffron threads (as shown in the photos in this post), you can leave them in.
The dough will be a little bit sticky, but if it's too soft to roll out, you'll know that you've added too much liquid. If this happens, simply add small, equal amounts of almond flour and powdered sugar until the dough is firm enough to shape.

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Rose Water & Saffron Marzipan

🌹 About this recipe