Cherry-Marzipan Fruit Spread

Cherry-Marzipan Fruit Spread. Fruity sour cherry meets Lübeck marzipan.

Cherry-Marzipan Fruit Spread by FrüchteMeer combines sour cherries with Lübeck marzipan to create a spread for breakfast, baked goods, and desserts. Not pure cherry jam, not marzipan cream, not a nut spread.

Cherry-Marzipan Fruit Spread is a fruit spread from the FrüchteMeer jam manufactory in Wankendorf, combining sour cherries with marzipan from the Hanseatic city of Lübeck. For generations, confectioners have relied on this pairing, both in cherry streusel and marzipan cakes. Here, the manufactory has already brought the two together in the pot. According to the label, sour cherries make up 48 percent of the jar, while the marzipan provides the almond. Compared to a classic cherry jam, this spread tastes softer, fuller, and noticeably closer to the pastry counter.

First the tartness of the cherry, then the warmth of the almond

The Cherry-Marzipan Fruit Spread begins with the clear fruit tartness of the sour cherry and finishes with the rounded, sweet almond note of the marzipan. Sour cherries contain significantly more acidity than sweet cherries. That is why they remain lively and slightly tart even after cooking down.

The marzipan coats the fruit like a soft layer and extends the flavor. This makes the sweetness more pronounced than in a pure cherry variety. Those looking for a tart, barely sweetened cherry will find this jar too sweet. It is also unsuitable for people who do not like marzipan, as the almond defines every spoonful.

The interplay of temperatures is particularly interesting. When chilled, the cherry tastes firmer and more tart. At room temperature, the marzipan opens up, and the spread tastes rounder and sweeter. If you want to emphasize the fruit, serve it chilled; if you are looking for the almond, leave the jar out for a while beforehand.

From almond croissants to cherry cake out of the tin

The spread shows its strengths wherever cherry and almond are already coming together on the table. Five practical ideas:

• For breakfast, spread thinly on brioche, braided yeast bread, or a butter croissant.
• For a cake filling, put half of a sponge cake batter into the tin, spread four to five tablespoons of spread over it, and then spread the remaining batter over the top.
• For a layered dessert, layer spoonful sponge cake, a cream made from mascarpone and quark, and two tablespoons of spread per glass, then refrigerate for one hour.
• Place a heaped teaspoon on rice pudding or semolina pudding just before serving.
• Fill Spitzbuben and Engelsaugen with this instead of the usual blackcurrant.

If you prefer cherry with spice rather than almond, the sour cherry spread with apple and cinnamon is a good choice. For the adults' coffee table, there is also a cherry spread with vanilla and rum.

Our tip: Cut a croissant from the day before horizontally and spread one tablespoon of spread inside. Sprinkle almond flakes on top, then bake in the oven at 180 °C for six to eight minutes. This jar is less suitable for cheese or game dishes, as the sweetness of the marzipan becomes too dominant.

Sour cherries from Wankendorf cuisine meet marzipan from Lübeck

FrüchteMeer is a family business from Wankendorf, founded in 1996 and run by Karsten Thiesen and Susanne Lucht-Thiesen. The town is located between Kiel and Neumünster, in the hilly lake landscape of the Holsteinische Schweiz. The two combine classic cooking-down methods with new combinations and ask about the how for every raw material: cultivation, supply chain, processing.

For this variety, the second main ingredient comes from the same federal state. Lübeck has been known as a marzipan city for centuries, and the designation "Lübeck marzipan" is registered as a protected geographical indication in the EU. The basis of all marzipan is raw marzipan mass, a paste made from peeled, finely ground almonds and sugar. Only with additional sugar does it become actual marzipan. In the spread, it serves two purposes: It provides the almond aroma and gives the cherry more body.

A minor point: Unlike jam, the term fruit spread is not precisely defined in food law. This is why recipes with ingredients other than fruit and sugar often bear this name.

A jar for the coffee table, brunch, and marzipan lovers

What sets this spread apart from a regular cherry variety is its closeness to the pastry shop. It tastes of cherry cake and almond pastries, but can be used as simply as any jam. This makes it suitable for the weekend brunch, the coffee table with guests, and for cakes that need to be made quickly.

As a gift, the 210-g jar is particularly appealing to people who count marzipan among their favorite sweets. Together with a braided yeast bread and a bag of almond flakes, it makes a small gift from Schleswig-Holstein. For a children's breakfast without a preference for marzipan, a simple fruit variety is recommended instead.

One practical point to finish: Because marzipan and cherry together turn out quite sweet, a thin layer on the roll is enough. This means the jar lasts longer than you might initially expect. After opening, it should be kept closed in the refrigerator.

Sour cherry and marzipan from Lübeck, cooked down in Wankendorf: a spread that brings your breakfast bread a good deal closer to the pastry counter.