Marzipandemonium! Strikes America With Contest For Professional Chefs

The Almond Board of California and PastryScoop.com are issuing the ultimate marzipan challenge. This summer, American bakers, confectioners, and pastry professionals are invited to create an innovative and exciting new pastry application for marzipan and rediscover this time-honored ingredient that is widely used in European bakeries and pastry kitchens. The winner of the Marzipandemonium! Small Indulgences Recipe Contest will demonstrate their winning recipe to European pastry peers at the International Baking Exposition in Munich, Germany this October. The grand prize will cover airfare and hotel plus provide a $1,000 stipend.

"This contest is designed to spread appreciation among pastry professionals for marzipan's functional benefits and spark a revival of this flavorful and versatile almond form," says Harbinder Maan, Manager, Foodservice & Industrial Marketing for the Almond Board of California. "When American ingenuity collides with European tradition there will be delectable results."

To help inspire Marzipandemonium!, the Almond Board has produced a brochure with innovative marzipan recipes and pastry concepts contributed by pastry "luminaries," such as Mindy Segal (Hot Chocolate, Chicago), Johnny Iuzzini (Jean Georges, NYC), Sue McCown (Coco La Ti Da, Seattle) and Emily Luchetti (Farallon, San Francisco).

Full contest details and applications for the Marzipandemonium! Small Indulgences Recipe Contest are available for download from www.PastryScoop.com. Submissions will be judged on a variety of criteria, including the use of marzipan as an integral recipe ingredient. All entries must be submitted to PastryScoop.com and postmarked by August 18, 2006.

To request an application and contest rules, email info@pastryscoop.com.

To request a brochure, contact the Almond Board of California at info@almondboard.com.