Hard Maple Taffy Food

MAPLE TAFFY

Steps:

• Lightly grease the top 1 cm (3/8 in) of the inside of a microwave-safe container. This will keep the syrup from bubbling over.
• Pour maple syrup into the container.
• Fill a large flat tray or bin with snow, packing it down. Set it outside or in the freezer while the syrup comes to temperature.
• Heat maple syrup 7 to 10 minutes in microwave (cooking time may vary according to your machine's power). You will know it's ready when drops of taffy turn into soft little balls in a glass of cold water.
• You can then pour the taffy into a container and refrigerate until ready to use or pour it in lines on the snow or crushed ice and roll up on sticks for instant lollipops! Or get fancy, combining some of your favourite flavours with maple taffy in these 10 original recipes.
• Lightly grease the top 1 cm (3/8 in) of the inside of a 2-litre (8-cup) saucepan. This will keep the syrup from bubbling over.
• Pour maple syrup into the saucepan.
• Fill a large flat tray or bin with snow, packing it down. Set it outside or in the freezer while the syrup comes to temperature.
• Put saucepan on medium-high heat with a candy thermometer on the rim or its probe in the syrup. Bring to the boil.
• Keep the temperature between 237° and 240° F for about 20 minutes. Important: Never stir the syrup during and after cooking because it may cause the taffy to crystallize. You will know it's ready when drops of taffy turn into soft little balls in a glass of cold water.
• Pour the taffy in lines on snow or crushed ice and roll up on sticks for perfect maple lollipops. Or get fancy, combining some of your favourite flavours with maple taffy in these 10 original recipes.

MAPLE SYRUP TAFFY

Steps:

• Pack a large bowl or baking dish full of clean, fresh snow. Smooth the top of the snow flat, and place it in the freezer to stay cold while you cook the taffy.
• Pour the maple syrup into a large saucepan, bring it to a boil, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until a candy thermometer reads between 235 and 245 F (112 to 118 C), or a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a firm ball.
• Pour about 2 tablespoons of syrup per piece over the snow in thin lines about 5 inches long. Let the syrup strips cool and become firm for 3 to 5 seconds. Pull the candy strips out of the snow, and then wind into a lollipop around the end of a wooden pop stick. Eat while still a little warm.

MAPLE TAFFY

Steps:

• Pack a rimmed baking sheet with snow and place in freezer (or outside, if temperature is low enough). Meanwhile, bring syrup to a boil in a small saucepan with a candy thermometer clipped onto it; cook until thermometer registers 240 degrees. Carefully pour syrup into a liquid measuring cup and let cool about 5 minutes.
• Drizzle syrup in a few 6-inch lines across snow. Let set 25 to 30 seconds (they should be cool and firm, but not hard). Place a 9 1/2- inch skewer or dowel, or an ice-pop stick, at one end; roll up taffy around skewer. Repeat with remaining syrup and snow. Eat immediately, or store, frozen in a single layer in an airtight container, up to 2 days.

HARD MAPLE TAFFY

Steps:

• Oil a large marble slab or other heatproof work surface (see note, above), a bench knife (see note, above), a large knife (not serrated), and scissors. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut butter into bits. In a 3- or 4-quart saucepan cook maple syrup over low heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Add sugar, corn syrup, water, salt, and baking soda and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is completely dissolved, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to moderate and cook mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 235°F. Add cream, butter, and extract and boil, without stirring, until thermometer registers 255°F., about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and immediately pour mixture onto oiled work surface. Cool mixture 2 minutes (do not touch mixture; it will be very hot).
• With oiled bench knife lift and fold edges of candy toward center to form a 4- by 2-inch loaf. With bench knife continuously flip loaf over until barely cool enough to handle. With oiled hands pick up taffy. Working over work surface, pull ends of taffy loaf away from each other and bring hands together to fold in half. (Use caution because taffy will be cooler on surface than in center; it will cool and harden rapidly as it is pulled.) Release one hand and with it pick up folded end of taffy. Holding ends and working rhythmically, continue to pull and fold taffy (it will turn from a sticky mass to a golden, streaked ribbon) until it begins to feel firm and starts to harden. Put taffy down on work surface and pull into a 20-inch length. With oiled knife cut taffy into fourths. Pull and twist each fourth into an even 15-inch "rope," about 1/4 inch thick. With oiled scissors cut taffy ropes into 3/4-inch pieces and arrange in one layer, without touching, on baking sheets. Let taffy stand at room temperature until hard, about 1 hour.
• Individually wrap taffy pieces in wax paper or candy wrappers or layer between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container. Taffy keeps at cool room temperature 2 weeks.

HARD MAPLE CANDY

Steps:

• Grease a 15x10x1-in. pan with butter; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook over medium-high heat until a candy thermometer reads 300° (hard-crack stage), stirring occasionally. , Remove from the heat; stir in maple flavoring. Immediately pour into prepared pan; cool. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.