Tosca Mazarin

The Mazarin is a traditional Swedish pastry named after the French-Italian Cardinal Jules Mazarin (1602-1661), the successor of Cardinal Richelieu famous from the Three Musketeers. Exactly why it’s named after him is a bit confusing, but Sweden has always had a strong affinity for anything French. Richelieu and Mazarin were also diplomats with Richelieu being instrumental in the Treaty of Bärwalde which made Sweden and France strong allies.

Mazarin was a big food lover who actively promoted food he liked. The theory is that he brought some version of the Mazarin to Sweden and got it called up after him. Quite a good way of perpetuating your own name, isn’t it?

A classic Swedish Mazarin is made out of shortbread with an almond paste based filling which is covered by a sugar frosting. But we’re making a Tosca version here. It means that we are replacing the frosting with a layer of Tosca instead.  Why it’s named Tosca is even more of mystery. Tosca is the name of an opera by Puccini and might have given name for the traditional “Tosca cake” which appeared in Swedish cook books in the 30’s. The Tosca batter is made from almonds, butter, cream and flour but this kind of mix is said to have an orientic origin and came to Sweden in the mid 1800’s.

Raw Mazarin shells

Raw Mazarin shells.

Tosca Mazarin

30 pieces

  • 330 g all-purpose flour
  • 200 g cold butter in cubes
  • 1.5 dl icing sugar
  • 1 medium sized egg
  • pinch of salt

Short bread

  1. Heat oven to 200 degrees C and place your mazarin forms on a baking sheet.
  2. Place flour and salt directly on your table and add the butter. Work in the butter in the flour quickly until it only remains small butter crumbles covered in flour.
  3. Add icing sugar and the egg and work it together to form a smooth dough.
  4. Roll out the dough into a thin layer (about 2-3 mm thick). Pick up the dough from the table, by for example rolling it up on the rolling pin. Place the dough over your mazarin form and let some dough sink into each form. Use a left-over piece of dough to push the dough into each form. Use the rolling pin and roll over all the forms to cut off unneccessary dough outside the forms.
  5. Place the dough-filled mazarin forms in the refrigerator while making the filling.
  6. Keep the dough in the refrigerator whenever you’re not working on it.
  • 200 g cubed, room temperature butter
  • 400 g almond paste (50/50 sugar/almond ratio)
  • 3 medium sized eggs
  • pinch of salt

Mazarin filling

  1. Work the butter and almond paste into a uniform mass using your fingers.
  2. Stir in the eggs, one at a time and add the salt.
  • 150 g butter
  • 1.5 dl caster sugar
  • 2 tbs all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbs whole milk
  • 100 g almond flakes

Making the Tosca and finishings the Mazarins

  1. Fill each mazarin form with the almond paste filling. Be careful not to put to much filling in each form, a bit over half will do, as it will grow in the oven and you also need space for the Tosca.
  2. Place the baking sheet in the middle of othe oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes, or just until the edges of the short bread is starting to get some color.
  3. While the mazarins are baking you can make the Tosca by melting together butter, sugar, milk, and flour in a sauce pan. Remove from the heat and add the almond flakes (the batter can be kept warm on your stoves lowest heat if you for instance are baking several trays).
  4. Remove the mazarins from the oven and add a layer of the Tosca on top. Be careful not to put too much Tosca on top as it will bubble in the oven.
  5. Bake in the oven for about 10 min, or until the Tosca has become golden in color.
  6. Let cool for a couple of minutes and remove the mazarins from the forms by gently squeezing on the sides.

Mazarins being filled

Baked Mazarin cakes

Tosca Mazarins - Tosca mazariner