Maple Cream

Well I'm feeling pretty happy with my two successful attempts at making maple syrup products this year. The maple candy on a stick and the maple candy in molds were both easy, fun, and delicious.

The girls and I decided to try a recipe for maple cream, sometimes referred to as maple butter. I've eaten it once in the past, but never tried making my own.

I measured 2 cups of finished maple syrup in to a sauce pan. Then, I boiled it until the syrup reached a temperature of 235 degrees. I used a digital candy thermometer for this process and it really made the process much easier.

Once the temperature reached 235 degrees, I immediately removed the saucepan from the stove and put the entire pan in a bowl of icy, cold water. This brings the temperature down quickly.

Once the temperature reaches 100 degrees, remove it from the ice bath and start stirring it. The recipe I followed suggested using a wooden spoon. I decided to opt for a hand mixer. It still took 20 minutes of stirring. You'll know it's done when the syrup becomes lighter in color and is the consistency of peanut butter. You'll be tempted to give up, but stick with it!

My kitchen helper, Addy, took a few turns at mixing the syrup.

The finished product is delicious and can be used on pretty much anything. The maple cream will stay good in the refrigerator for a long time, since sugar is the only ingredient.

The finished product: Maple Cream