Almonds have a unique, sweet nuttiness that makes for a perfect snack, as well as delicious extracts, garnishes, candies, and even almond pastes like marzipan and frangipane. These two dessert staples are used to decorate, fill, and flavor baked goods, but there are some big differences between these ingredients.

Marzipan, which dates back to the 16th century, is a dense candy that’s very popular throughout Europe, often colored and molded into fruits, vegetables, or other objects as snacks and decorations. It’s made of almonds, powdered sugar, and egg yolks, resulting in a nutty but very sweet flavor and a shapeable texture.

Meanwhile, frangipane is more of a spread than a moldable paste, and is commonly used in French and English tarts. Also dating back to the 16th century, frangipane is made of butter, eggs, sugar, a little flour, and ground almonds; the butter and sugar are creamed together, then the other ingredients are folded in.

Marzipan and frangipane are used in different ways. Frangipane, which is less sweet, is used in pastries or pie filling, while fondant-like marzipan is molded into shapes and eaten on its own; additionally, marzipan relies on sugar and egg yolks to bind it up, while frangipane sometimes contains milk, making it like a custard.