marzipan

/ˈmɑrzɪpæn/

/ˈmɑzɪpæn/

Other forms: marzipans

Marzipan is a sweet, soft candy made from ground almonds and sugar. Sometimes marzipan is dyed with food coloring and shaped into fruit, animals, or people — so if your niece loves going to the zoo, you might top her birthday cake with marzipan elephants and lions.

You can buy marzipan in a tube or roll from stores that sell baking supplies. It can be rolled out into thin sheets and used as icing, covered in chocolate, or mixed into breads and cakes like stollen and Louisiana king cake. If you love the flavor of almonds, you'll probably like marzipan. It was originally called marchpane and was even mentioned in Romeo and Juliet. Experts think the word derives from martius panis, or "bread of March" in Latin.

Definitions of marzipan

1. noun

   almond paste and egg whites
   synonyms: marchpane

   type of:

   candy, confect

   a rich sweet made of flavored sugar and often combined with fruit or nuts