Marzipan: Secret Ingredient in Heritage Holiday Baking
What do German Stollen, British Christmas cake, Danish Kringle and Spanish Anguilas de mazap?n share in common?
Marzipan, a bit of old world sugarcraft gaining popularity in the US.A confection that dates to biblical times, marzipan is a mixture of ground peeled almonds and sugar, gently cooked into a pliable confection. (Its close cousin, almond paste, contains a higher percentage of almonds and is used as an ingredient in fillings, in cakes or to make marzipan.)
Like edible modeling clay, marzipan can formed into surprisingly realistic shapes.
And it can be tinted then rolled to provide a smooth surface on cakes. Often, marzipan is flavored, citrus and rum work nicely, before being dipped in chocolate.
Wherever almond trees grow, from central Asia westward to Europe and the Mediterranean, marzipan cakes and confections are popular.
One tradition shared in many regions is the molding or sculpting of miniature fruits and figures from marzipan. In Southern Italy and Sicily, the frutta de martorana are fanciful fruit molded or sculpted by hand then painstakingly tinted. Saverio Leonetti, pastry chef, and owner of Leonetti's Pastry Shop, Long Island, NY is among many Italian chefs in the US who make these fruits for the holidays.
Germans, among the world's largest consumers of almonds, pride themselves on their fruit-studded yeast bread, the Christmas stolen.
Tucked inside the dough is a plump log of marzipan.
When eating stolen, the trick is to taste a small nibble of marzipan with each bite of the buttery cake.
Perhaps that's the secret behind the popularity of British Christmas Cake, a dense fruit cake iced with a generous layer of marzipan. Each slice of the cake is a balance between rum-soaked fruit and sweet almond icing. And what do dashing bachelors in Toledo, Spain give their girlfriends on Christmas Eve? Las Anguilas de mazap?n, elaborate marzipan serpents with terrifying gum drop eyes made from a mixture of marzipan bound with egg yolks.
Wherever Spaniards settled, a taste for marzipan, though not necessarily shaped like snakes, followed.
Today in South and Central American, marzipan candies are still prized. In similar fashion, immigrants from Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, Italy and the British Isles brought their traditional pastries and holiday traditions to this continent.
"My sister-in-law is from Austria. Marzipan is her kids favorite candy", says Suzanne Scott, Administrator of the New Jersey Bakers Board of Trade.
But newer immigrants are also bringing their love of marzipan stateside.
Tunisian-born Maguey Marek has introduced a whole community of friends in the Boston-area to plump dates filled with tinted marzipan. In her work with retail bakers in New Jersey and the northeast, Scott has seen the growing interest in marzipan first hand. "Marzipan really is growing in popularity in the US". More bakeries such as Reinwald Bakery in Huntington, Long Island are adding marzipan figures to their cookie assortment. "Kids really come in for it" says Barbara Calantonio whose father taught her the marzipan craft.
Frogs, lizards, and snakes are popular at all times but for the holidays she'll be adding cookies topped with marzipan candy canes.In Solvang, California, a village settled by Danish immigrants nearly 100 years ago, marzipan has always been in fashion. Looking much like a Danish Disneyland, Solvang boasts 4 Danish bakeries whose cases are filled with almond pastries such as kringle, flaky pastry wrapped around almond and fruit fillings and kranskage, almond horn-shaped cookies. But it is the passion for marzipan that stands out. There are no doughnuts in sight; chubby logs of marzipan dipped in chocolate, tart shells filled with marzipan and mocha cream take center stage. For those in search of their own marzipan memories this holiday season, here are three recipes to try at home.
Marzipan Fruits are simple to make with these detailed instructions. For a more soign? treat, try these Chocolate Marzipan Almond Truffles. Requiring few ingredients ? marzipan, chocolate and chopped almonds ? these truffles make an elegant edible gift. And for the home meister baker, this Holiday Stolen can be made a few weeks ahead and frozen before eating during the holidays..
For the Love of Chocolate
For the Love of Chocolate.Almost everyone loves chocolate. In a recent study conducted by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, chocolate was ranked as America's favorite flavor. Of course, the love of chocolate is not unique to modern society. As far back as 2000 years ago, the Mayans created a drink from crushed cocoa beans and referred to chocolate as "food of the gods."Chocolate might even be good for us! Some medical studies have indicated some health benefits associated with eating chocolate. According to Larry Graham, president of the American Cocoa Research Institute (ACRI), chocolate is very high in antioxidants.
In fact, it contains one of the highest levels of antioxidant compounds that can be found in any food and may reduce the risk for coronary heart disease. Subjects in a study conducted at Pennsylvania State University experience higher HDL, "good," cholesterol levels when they included small amounts of chocolate in their diets. Experts have concluded that eating...
For the Love of Chocolate
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A Look at Lactose Intolerance
You may publish this article in your newsletter, on your web site, or other publications, so long as the article's content is not altered and the resource box is included. Add byline and active link. Notification of the use of this article is appreciated, but not required. Total word count included resource box is 594.*** ***Lactose is the primary carbohydrate in milk. Cow's milk contains 4-5% lactose, whereas human milk contains almost twice that amount.
Lactose provides 30-50% of the energy in milk, depending on the fat content (skim vs. homogenized).A number of individuals are affected by lactose in the diet, but there is a difference between intolerance and maldigestion. Lactose maldigestion is "a disorder characterized by reduced digestion of lactose due to the low availability of the enzyme lactase." Lactose intolerance is "the term for gastointestinal symptoms (flatulence, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and 'rumbling in the bowel') resulting from the consumption of...
A Look at Lactose Intolerance
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Dee Bertino of Fantasy Gifts Offers Her Top-10 Gift Ideas for Spicing Up this Valentine's Day
Voorhees, NJ (ContentDesk) February 1, 2006 -- Fantasy Gifts, an upscale chain of retail stores, specializing in lingerie, novelties, couples games, how-to books and DVDs, lotions, and bachelor/bachelorette gifts offers women and couples a convenient and comfortable shopping environment for those looking to add spice to their lives this Valentines Day.
With three suburban NJ locations in Voorhees, Marlton, and Turnersville, finding the right gift is just around the corner.
What better gift is there for Valentines Day, than doing something to improve your relationship? asks Dee Bertino, owner and operator of the NJ locations.
This is the perfect time for women and couples to take the initiative, by adding spice into their love lives and rekindling the spark they first felt when their relationships were new. Dee Bertino of Fantasy Gifts offers her top 10 suggestions for Valentines Day:1)???Lingerie Its hard to go wrong with lingerie.
Most every...
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Exceptions Break The Rule
The golden rule isn't: "Treat others as you want to be treated... unless they tick you off." Nor does the commandment "Thou shalt not steal" come with restrictions or blackout periods. It's a rule ? a very powerful rule ? that should be followed in all circumstances. Any exception would break the rule completely. What's the point of a rule, goal, or plan if you don't follow it? If you're not willing to follow a plan, idea, or goal straight through, then don't bother pretending.
You're only setting yourself up for disappointment. You'll be creating exceptions and restrictions that serve the purpose of making temptations easier to serve. For the Diet Seekers... Let me put it another way. Let's say you're following a strict diet where you can eat certain foods but abstain from desserts and sweets.
And let's also say that if you were to follow the diet unequivocally, you'd lose the desired amount of weight. So why do you create excuses when that mouthwatering piece of chocolate...
Exceptions Break The Rule
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Seven Home Hair Color Tips for Great Results
Some hair professionals may try to discourage you from doing your own home hair color, saying that drugstore hair color products are harsh and the results can be uncertain. But the truth is that you can achieve excellent results and save a lot of money by coloring your hair at home as long as you know a few basics about choosing the right color and applying it correctly. Here are seven of the most common questions and my advice on hair coloring at home. Advice on Hair Color at Home 1. How do I know whether I should color my hair at home or go to a salon? Most people can successfully color their hair at home but there are exceptions.
You should get a professional color job if your hair is in poor condition - coloring dry damaged hair at home can result in uneven color. Also, if your hair has different shades and you want one even tone, a hairdresser can apply different formulas to the different areas. Finally, it's best to leave it to the experts if you want to make a drastic change...
Seven Home Hair Color Tips for Great Results
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Acid Reflux Disease
What is acid reflux disease?Acid reflux disease can and often is mistaken for heartburn. But the heartburn symptoms of acid reflux disease usually occur 2 or more days a week for at least 3 months and can damage your esophagus. At the top of your stomach is a muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which normally opens and closes allowing food to enter. It also prevents the acid in your stomach from backing up into your esophagus. The trouble begins when the LES opens at inappropriate times, allowing acid from the stomach to get into the esophagus, where it doesn't belong.
Acid reflux disease can also lead to more serious medical conditions that may require hospitalization. Acid reflux in the throat can cause sore throat. If acid reaches the mouth, it can dissolve the enamel of the teeth. Millions of people have the disease and suffer from its most common symptom - frequent and persistent heartburn. Acid reflux disease can be treated and controlled.How do...
Acid Reflux Disease
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Would you like S'more? - Cooking S'mores Indoors
The best part of camping has nothing to do with being outside. Think back to the last time you slept in the woods and you will agree with me. Take away the mosquitoes, the unexpected rainstorms and going to the bathroom in the bushes and what's left? Not much you say? Well then you forgot the best part because nothing is more fun about camping than making s'mores. If you don't have time for camping anymore but melted chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers still sounds tempting, don't worry. We'll show you three ways to skip the great outdoors and cook up some s'mores in the comforts of your own home.A great way to cook s'mores indoors is to use the Casa Moda S'mores Maker.
It's a lot like cooking smores outdoors. The S'mores Maker replaces the campfire with a sterno and instead of passing around the bag of marshmallows, there are neat places to stack all of your ingredients. The Casa Moda S'mores Maker is great for those of us who are trying to set a mood. There are people...
Would you like S'more? - Cooking S'mores Indoors
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That's the Christmas spirit
Last Christmas, Uncle Albert promised his neighbor, Wilson, to find a way to keep the Christmas spirit alive all year. You know, just like Wilson and everybody else wishes people each year.Yesterday I was checking my calendar. "Holy smokes! It's almost Christmas. I better check to see if Uncle Albert found a way to keep the Christmas spirit alive all year."So I put on my boots and buttoned up my jacket. I dashed out the door.
I came back into the house to put on a scarf. And some gloves. And a hat. And my long-johns. I filled up the thermos with hot chocolate and dug out a pair of ear muffs.
"Yup. That's the Christmas spirit," I thought as I headed out once more, trying to keep my head above the snow.When I reached Uncle Albert's, I could tell something was different. I wasn't sure quite what, but I suspect it had something to do with the large red and gold sleigh parked in his driveway."Say, Uncle Albert. What's with the sleigh?""You like it, Happy Guy? That's part of...
That's the Christmas spirit
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Chocolate Marzipan: Secret Ingredient in Heritage Holiday Baking
New Contemporary Leather Furniture Company Launches Website
The collection features simple shapes in luxurious, superior Scottish leather: cubes; footstools; tables; bench seating; and other customer-driven designs.As well as offering a wide choice of leather colour, Hide and Stitch can also finish the pieces in a choice of matching or contrasting threads. Each item can be made to the customers' specifications and the company promises to deliver within 10 days from order confirmation."Who doesn't have or want leather furniture in their home? No-one...
New Contemporary Leather Furniture Company Launches Website furniture
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Reach vs. Frequency: Is it better to reach 25 People Four Times or 100 People Once
Reach and frequency are terms generally used when planning advertising campaigns. However, the concept of reach and frequency applies to any promotional activity you undertake: direct mail, direct selling, and even networking.Reach is the number of people you touch with your marketing message or the number of people that are exposed to your message. Frequency is the number of times you touch each person with your message. In a world of unlimited resources you would obviously maximize both...
Reach vs. Frequency: Is it better to reach 25 People Four Times or 100 People Once Chocolate Marzipan: Secret Ingredient in Heritage Holiday Baking
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