Time for another rare winter treat: Snow Candy. A friend of mine who lives in Vermont says they call this Sugar on Snow. I never heard of this candy until I was an adult. And I've only made it once before - 20 something years ago. It's another simple delight. All you need is snow, maple syrup, a pot and a heat source. Heat the syrup to soft ball stage (about 234°F), then pour it out onto fresh, clean snow. The syrup hardens and there you have your maple candy. It can be eaten as soon as it cools. Or while it is still warm, I am told you can pull it like taffy. I haven't tried that. Super easy and another fun family thing to do when the sky blesses you with a beautiful snowfall.
Another friend of mine who lives in Maryland told me they make molasses candy with the same method, simply using molasses or some other syrup in place of maple. I haven't tried that, but am wondering how some Louisiana cane syrup would work. Hmmm. If we still have snow tomorrow, I will plan to give it a try.
Start with a bottle of maple syrup:
Cook it to soft ball stage:
Pouring on to fresh clean snow:
Let it cool:
Then put it on a plate to bring inside, brush off remaining snow and eat:
| Snow Candy aka Sugar on Snow 1 (12 oz) bottle maple syrup (I used grade B from Trader Joe's) snow Pour the syrup into a saucepan that is large enough to let it come to a good boil without cooking over the top. Boil gently until the syrup reaches soft ball stage - 234°F on a candy thermometer. Immediately pour the hot syrup out onto clean snow. I pour in a spiral. The candy will cool and harden. Can be eaten as is, or while it is still a little warm, can be pulled like taffy before eating. |
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7 comments:
Welllllllll, you are definitely making the most of your snow days. LOVE it.
Carolyn
Carolyn, we are doing our best! That candy is good!
Becky...this candy is so good. We have lots of snow here but we never make it. I've had it at a cousin's house. She lives up north in Quebec where they have tons of snow. Thanks for sharing your recipe, maybe I'll make some when some fresh snow will fall.
Hope all is well with you. :-)
Erica, we had fun making these snow treats. Give the snow ice cream a try, too, when you get new snow. The texture is just wonderful.
Thanks so much for asking. I am doing pretty well so far.
I've had real maple syrup, and I've been in real snow. But I've never had maple syrup when I was in snow, so never had the opportunity to do this. Methinks carrying a plastic bottle of the syrup whenever I head mainland-wise in the winter might be indicated. Yeah, that's what I'll do.
Craig, you're so funny! You need a heat source too, for the candy. It might be easier for you to carry around a container of condensed milk and make the snow ice cream. :-)
Sugar on snow! My husband and I were just talking about yesterday. That was his Gram's favorie. I told him that I was going to make some and blog about it. Fun to see that you've done that! The rare times that we got snow in Louisiana as a child, my family would make snow ice cream. Yummy! I'm sure our cane syrup wouldn't have been as good as the maple syrup in making the sugar on snow...if we had known about it, of course. :)
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