Maine Maple Snow Candy Food

HOW TO MAKE MAPLE SYRUP SNOW CANDY - 3 SIMPLE STEPS

Steps:

• Pat a layer of snow onto a baking sheet.
• Place maple syrup in a pot on the stove, and bring to a boil.
• Using a candy thermometer, continue to boil until syrup reaches the soft ball stage (235º -240ºF).
• Remove from heat and pour syrup over snowy baking sheet.
• Press popsicle stick into syrup and roll it up into a candy pop.
• Enjoy!

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.

14 MINUTE MAPLE CANDY

Steps:

• Cook the maple syrup, cream, and butter for 9 minutes after the boiling point is reached.
• Remove from heat, add the nut meats and extract and stir for 5 minutes.
• Pour into buttered pans and when cool, cut into squares.

SNOW CANDY

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a heavy bottomed pot, over medium-high heat.
• Stir as the mixture is heating up, but DO NOT STIR once it starts to boil or simmer.
• Once the mixture comes to a low boil, gently swirl the pot a few times, but do not stir or jostle the pot. Also, do not put a spoon or etc into the pot.
• Lower the heat to low/medium. Simmer for 7 minutes, without stirring.
• Turn off the heat.
• At the five minute mark, have the kids go collect clean snow in large baking pans.
• Drizzle the candy syrup over the snow (a tablespoon or two per serving). It will be cool enough to eat within seconds. With young children, be vigilant.
• This makes enough for five kids to make two or three rounds of snow candy.
• Clean-up will seem awful - but it's just sugar; Soak everything in warm water, and cleaning will be a breeze.
• Flavoring note: I use natural orange flavoring extract; this seems to be my kids' favorite. We've also used no flavor (just the sugar with the lemon juice). Flavoring is a matter of preference; any extract will work - vanilla, peppermint, cherry, etc.

MAINE MAPLE SNOW CANDY

Steps:

• Pour the maple syrup into a deep pot and bring to a boil--but don't let it boil over.
• Boil for 4 minutes.
• Make a snowball out of the one cup of clean snow and put it on a plate or small bowl.
• Test the syrup by pouring a small amount onto the snowball; if it clings to the snow and stops running, it is ready.
• Slowly pour the syrup in short, thin lines onto the packed snow in the pan.
• As it hardens, pick it up and eat it with a spoon or twist it onto popsicle sticks.