You won’t believe how easy it is to make luscious Marzipan Chocolates. Soft, sweet balls of almond candy are enrobed in a dark chocolate shell. Use homemade marzipan, or store bought, to create beautiful confections that add sparkle to dessert trays, and make great gifts and care package treats.
Why you'll love this recipe
This busy time of year, the to-do list is long and time available is limited. Homemade gifts are always appreciated, but are often time consuming. At this point, time intensive projects aren’t doable. Think instead about gifting quick treats that will delight most people on your list.
These bonbons are amazing. They take minutes to make with no special tools or molds required. Even kids can make these professional looking confections.
Of course, they also taste amazing. Marzipan, a pliable candy clay made from almonds and sugar, is a gourmet treat on its own, cover it in chocolate and these candies become truly special.
With only two ingredients, it’s important that both items are tasty on their own. Making your own marzipan takes only 5 minutes, and is less expensive than store bought, however the packaged type will also work.
To save time and get good results, I recommend using "melting chocolate" for this recipe. Melting chocolate doesn’t require tempering to produce a shiny shell that stays shiny for weeks. If you prefer to take the time to temper regular chocolate, there are directions for tempering in this English Toffee recipe.
Receiving a gift tin filled with Marzipan Chocolates is something to smile about. So, grab the ingredients and start creating some smiles!
Recipe ingredients
Marzipan is a candy clay made from almonds and sugar. This recipe can be made using store bought or homemade marzipan.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon portions of marzipan and roll each into a ball.
- Melt the chocolate.
- Working with one ball at a time, use a fork to gently rotate the ball to coat completely.
- Lift the coated ball out of the chocolate. Holding the fork over the bowl, tap it gently with your free hand to remove excess.
- Place the candy on a wax paper lined pan.
- When 4-6 balls are done, place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to set.
- While the first pan is chilling, dip 4-6 balls and place on another wax paper lined pan. Refrigerate for a few minutes until set. Continue until all of the balls are coated and the chocolate has set.
- To decorate, arrange the balls on a wax paper lined pan and bring to room temperature.
- Add the white chocolate to the remaining melted dark chocolate. Heat in the microwave at 50% power until melted. Mix to combine.
- Spoon into a ziplock sandwich bag and cut a tiny bit off one bottom corner.
- Pipe in zig zigs over the bonbons, one at a time. If using sprinkles, add them immediately after the drizzle before continuing to the next candy ball.
Tips
- Be sure the marzipan balls are at room temperature before coating. If the marzipan is cold from refrigerating, the melted chocolate will harden too quickly and could fall off.
- Melting chocolate is recommended for this recipe. It's the easiest to use, doesn’t require tempering, and won’t bloom. Chocolate chips should not be used because they don’t firm to a hard shell and will get white with “bloom” in a few days. Couverture or bar chocolate can be used if tempered.
- Add holiday colors to your bonbons with sprinkles or colored white chocolate coating or drizzle.
- For gifting, place the candies in mini cupcake papers, and package them in gift tins or cardboard candy boxes.
FAQ's
Couverture chocolate is best for melting because it is made of a high ratio of cocoa butter which helps the chocolate melt smoothly. However, it has to be tempered in order to be crisp and shine. Tempering also prevents white, fuzzy “bloom” from appearing on the chocolate due to the fats separating from the chocolate.
Melting chocolate is the best to use if you are not going to temper. It is made without cocoa butter (so it won’t bloom) and is designed to melt to the perfect consistency for dipping and coating.
Chocolate chips contain stabilizing ingredients to withstand melting completely in the oven and those same ingredients will make melted chips too thick for smooth dipping. In addition, because chocolate chips aren’t tempered, the chocolate never sets crisply and is prone to bloom in a day or two.
The best way to melt couverture chocolate is with a double boiler. This method of slow and gentle heating prevents burning.
Compound chocolate (melting chocolate) can be melted with a double boiler or in the microwave at 50% power. To prevent burning when using the microwave, heat for short intervals, stirring between intervals, just until smooth.
Related recipes
Marzipan Cookies have crunchy almonds outside and a soft, chewy center. With just a handful of ingredients, this recipe makes European cookies and they're naturally gluten free.
Christmas Pretzels are a delicious treat that the whole family can help make. Circle pretzels filled with chocolate and decorated with sprinkles are the perfect addition to your candy tray!
Nonpareils are chocolate sprinkle candy. They are easy to make, delicious, and beautiful to gift.
This Peppermint Fudge recipe makes easy fudge right in the tins used for gifting!
Sugar Cookie Bark has a crisp sugar cookie crust covered in white and dark chocolate and showered with sprinkles.
White Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Brownies have a layer of fudgy browning topped with swirls of red and green blondie for a treat that is delicious and eye catching!
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Marzipan Chocolates
Ingredients
- 2 cups dark chocolate melting discs 10 ounces
- handful white chocolate melting discs
- 14 ounces marzipan homemade or purchased
- Sprinkles
Instructions
Candy making
- Line the bottom of 2 small baking pans or cookie sheets with wax paper. The pans needs to be small enough to fit in your refrigerator.
- Scoop the marzipan into 1 tablespoon portions. Roll each portion into a ball.
- In a small bowl, melt the chocolate at 50% power in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir, then return to the microwave for another minute. Stir. If not completely melted, return to the microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring after heating, until smooth.
- Working with one marzipan ball at a time, place the ball into the melted chocolate. Use a fork (or dipping tool) to gently rotate the ball to coat completely.
- Use the tines of the fork to scoop and lift the coated ball. Holding the fork over the bowl, tap it gently with your free hand to remove excess chocolate.
- Place the candy on the prepared pan.
- When 4-6 balls are done, place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to set.
- While the first pan is chilling, dip 4-6 more marzipan balls and place them on the second pan. Refrigerate for a few minutes until set. Continue until all of the balls are coated and the chocolate has set.
Decorating
- Bring the coated balls to room temperature.
- Arrange all of the candy balls on a wax paper lined pan.
- Add the white chocolate to the remaining melted dark chocolate. Heat in the microwave at 50% power until melted. Mix to combine.
- Spoon the melted chocolate into a ziplock sandwich bag and cut a tiny bit off one bottom corner.
- Pipe zigzigs over the Marzipan Chocolates, one at a time. If using sprinkles, add them immediately after the drizzle before continuing to the next candy ball.
- When the decorations are set, store the Marzipan balls between wax paper in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks.
Notes
- Be sure the marzipan balls are at room temperature before dipping. If the marzipan is cold from refrigerating, the melted chocolate will harden too quickly and could fall off.
- Melting chocolate is recommended for this recipe. It's the easiest to use, doesn’t require tempering, and won’t bloom. Chocolate chips should not be used because they don’t firm to a hard shell and will get white with “bloom” in a few days. Couverture or bar chocolate can be used if tempered.
- Milk chocolate can be substituted for the dark chocolate but the candy will be much sweeter.
- Add holiday colors with sprinkles or colored white chocolate coating or drizzle.
- For gifting, place the candies in mini cupcake papers, and package them in gift tins or cardboard candy boxes.
- Only send chocolate during cool weather.
- Place the balls in candy cups or mini cupcake papers, then fit securely in a hard sided container such as a gift tin or plastic storage box.
- Use tissue paper, balls of plastic wrap or wax paper to fill any space between the candies and the lid of the container to prevent any movement inside the container.
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