Marzipan-tastic: A fascinating food with a rich Christmas history

"I have observed with pain," Leonardo da Vinci wrote in 1470 while in service to the Duke of Milan, "that my Signor Ludovico and his court gobble up all the sculptures I give them, right to the last morsel, and now I am determined to find other means that do not taste as good, so that my works may survive."

Leonardo had been using marzipan for his figures because of its malleability. Something of a foodie himself, he probably should have realized that no matter what its shape, marzipan can be irresistible.

Fortunately for the art world, Leonardo found more permanent substances for his carvings (and, happily, lived too early to ever be tempted to use chocolate for painting the Mona Lisa). And fortunately for the food world, people went on to value marzipan for more than the little decorations which can be made out of it.

Marzipan, which is little more than a blend of ground almonds and sugar (similar to but generally sweeter and more finely processed than almond paste) can be used as a filling for chocolates, an ingredient in pastries like stollens (even cheesecakes, I have discovered), a fondant-like icing, a stuffing for dried fruits or nuts, and even turned into a liqueur, as well as, of course, in Leonardo fashion, as the basis of small figurines, typically resembling fruits.

Marzipan can be enjoyed any time of year, but it's really holiday food. It's a perfect finale to a celebratory feast, for example, and in certain European countries a traditional present to children. In Germany, for instance, little marzipan pigs are given out on New Years for good luck. The figures on the White House gingerbread house are typically made of marzipan.

A slice of this cherry tart with its layer of marzipan sandwiched between the filling and the crust is the perfect way to celebrate the holidays. (TOM HARTE)

In Toledo, Spain, one of the marzipan capitals of the world, for Christmas they make a marzipan eel filled with pumpkin purée and decorated with candied fruit. Supposedly this tradition started back in the Middle Ages when in Spain Christians, Jews and Muslims lived together peacefully. The eel was a joke for Jews whose dietary laws forbade them to eat real eels.

Toledo claims to have invented marzipan. But, then, so do Venice and Sicily and Lübeck, Germany, among others. The Venetians maintain that a little girl playing in her father's confectionary workshop in the City of Water accidentally invented marzipan in the 15th century. The Sicilians assert that the stuff was actually invented in the 12th century at a convent on their Mediterranean island. The Germans argue that marzipan was invented in Lübeck in 1407 during a famine when almonds and sugar were about the only things left to eat.

Toledo's story shares many of the same elements as these, but the truth is marzipan goes back much further than any of these accounts. It was invented in Persia (now Iran) as far back, perhaps, as the 8th century. There are references to it in "One Thousand and One Nights." (One even suggests it may have been considered an aphrodisiac.)

With a food processor, some almonds, and some sugar you can easily recreate the Persian concoction, or simply buy it at the grocery store. Once you do, you'll understand why so many places want to think they invented it.

Cherry Marzipan Tart

Marzipan has been a holiday staple around the world for centuries and, sandwiched between the crust and the filling, is the secret to this luscious tart.

Here's a festive dessert for the holidays adapted from the Nami-Nami food blog from Tallinn, Estonia, another place where marzipan is taken seriously.

1 and 1/2 cups flour

5 tablespoons sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, cubed

A slice of this cherry tart with its layer of marzipan sandwiched between the filling and the crust is the perfect way to celebrate the holidays. (TOM HARTE)

4 eggs, divided

8 ounces marzipan

grated zest of half a lemon

1 and 1/2 cups pitted sour cherries

1 cup sour cream

One of many stores devoted exclusively to marzipan products that are found throughout Toledo, Spain, one of the marzipan capitals of the world. (TOM HARTE)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup sliced almonds

* In food processor combine flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, and butter and process until mixture forms fine crumbs. Add one egg and process until dough forms a ball. Press into a 10-inch tart pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

* Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Grate the marzipan over the bottom of crust and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Top with cherries. Whisk together sour cream, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, remaining 3 eggs, and vanilla and pour over cherries. Top with almonds. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Tom Harte's book, "Stirring Words," is available at local bookstores. A Harte Appetite airs Fridays 8:49 a.m. on KRCU, 90.9 FM. Contact Tom at semissourian.com or at the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699