Pure Maple Candy Food

PURE MAPLE CANDY

Steps:

• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil over medium-high heat stirring occasionally. Boil until syrup reaches 235 degrees F (110 degrees C) on a candy thermometer.
• Remove from heat and cool to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C) without stirring, about 10 minutes.
• Stir mixture rapidly with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes until the color turns lighter and mixture becomes thick and creamy. Stir in chopped nuts, if desired.
• Pour into molds. Set aside to cool. Once cool, unmold candy. Store in airtight containers up to 1 month.

MAPLE SYRUP CANDY

Steps:

• Cook syrup in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool to 200 degrees.
• Stir constantly until syrup becomes sugary.
• Pour into molds (something about the size of a caramel candy).
• When candy is cool, you can remove from molds.

MAPLE SYRUP CANDIES

Steps:

• Fill a large pot partially with water. Bring to a boil, and note the temperature of the boiling water with a candy thermometer. (Since water boils at different temperatures in different locations, it is important to follow this step.) Set some candy molds into a jelly-roll pan. Set aside. (If using metal or wood molds, lightly grease them.)
• Empty the large pot and place the syrup in it. Add a few drops of oil. (Boiling maple syrup will foam up; the oil keeps the foam down. Buttering the rim of the pot will also help.)
• Boil carefully over high heat, without stirring, until the temperature of the boiling syrup is 28°F/17°C above the boiling point of your water (212°F/100°C at sea level).
• Remove from the heat and let cool for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not stir or disturb the candy at this point; if the thermometer is attached to the pan, leave it there during the cooling period.
• Stir evenly until the liquid loses its gloss, starts to become opaque, and begins to thicken. (This is the tricky part; if you stir too long the thickened syrup will "set up," or harden, in the pan. If this happens, add a cup of water, and reheat slowly to dissolve the sugar, then start over. But if you don't stir long enough, the sugar may not "set up" in the molds at all.)
• Carefully pour the candy into the molds. It's helpful to have an assistant spread the syrup in the molds while you continue to pour the mixture into the other molds.
• Allow the candies to cool, remove from the molds, place on a rack to dry for a few hours, and enjoy.

MAPLE CANDY

Steps:

• Line the bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper; brush the parchment with vegetable oil. Bring the maple syrup to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium low. Dip the back of a spoon in vegetable oil and run it over the top of the foam to help it subside. Increase the heat to medium and continue cooking until a candy thermometer registers 246 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes. Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and let cool, 5 minutes.
• Beat the syrup with a mixer on medium-low speed until it starts to lighten in color and turn opaque, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour into the prepared pan and spread with an offset spatula; let cool completely, about 1 hour. Lift out of the pan and cut into pieces.

MAPLE LEAF CANDY

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• If you are using candy molds, prepare by spraying them lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
• Take a paper towel and wipe off most of the spray; you want just a very thin coating of nonstick spray on the inside.
• Pour the syrup into a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan and place it over medium heat. (The syrup will bubble up quite a bit, so make sure that the saucepan is large enough so that it will not easily boil over the top.)
• Bring the syrup to a boil; this can take about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Insert a candy thermometer and add the butter.
• Stir until the butter is fully melted and incorporated.
• Continue to cook the mixture until it reaches 240 F on the candy thermometer ( soft-ball stage ), about 35 to 40 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and allow it to cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir the candy vigorously with a wooden spoon until it thickens, lightens in color, and turns opaque, which should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Stop stirring once it reaches this point because if you continue to stir, it will start to set in the pan and become difficult to pour into the molds.
• Working quickly, spoon the candy into the candy molds.
• Smooth the tops with a small offset spatula.
• Once the candy is poured, it will start to set quickly. Let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
• Pop them out of the molds.

MAPLE CREAM CANDY

Steps:

• Lightly oil a 9- by 9-inch square pan, or a baking sheet.
• In a small heavy-duty saucepan (about 2 quarts) mix together the maple syrup, sugar, cream, and corn syrup.
• Fit a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and heat until the temperature reaches 236 degrees, tilting the pan to submerge the bulb, if necessary, to gauge the correct temperature.
• Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mixture into the metal bowl of a standing electric mixer.
• Submerge the thermometer in the candy mixture until it has cooled to 110 degrees, which will take a while.
• (tip: you can put the bottom of the bowl in ice water to speed up the process; but don’t stir the mixture to cool it down).
• When the temperature is 110 degrees, add the vanilla and beat the mixture until it just begins to thicken and loose its gloss.
• Overmixing will make it grainy, so keep an eye on it.
• Stir in the nuts and spread the mixture into the square pan or onto the baking sheet, forming it into a 9-inch square with your (clean) hands.
• Allow to cool completely, then remove from the pan and cut into squares.
• To remove it from a square pan, run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to loosen it, then cut it in half.
• Use a metal spatula to pry the candy loose a bit (it will be flexible).
• Invert the pan a shake it to coax the maple cream candy out.