Maple Sugar Candies

Even though maple syrup is made in the spring, for some reason, the flavor and essence of MAPLE reminds me of the fall. Maybe it's the golden caramel hue, or the deep rich flavor? I picture a steaming pile of pancakes on a cold winter morning drizzled with the earthy syrup.

We had a generous maple harvest season-before-last and I still have jars of syrup from 2013. They've deepened in color and flavor, and I prefer them to this year's harvest.

I decided to make these maple syrup candies for the Thanksgiving table this year. I thought they would look adorable as a sweet decoration on top of slices of pumpkin or pecan pie. They would also be beautiful nestled in a dollop of whip cream on top of a warm fall drink. Spiced Apple Cider, Hazelnut Latte, or a Hot Buttered Rum to name a few. They work well as a natural sweetener dropped into a cup of herbal tea.

To make these candies you need 1 ingredient.

Real Maple Syrup

You don't really even need candy molds, you can pour the candy into a 9x9 baking dish and cut into rustic cubes. 

I found the instructions and temperatures for this project at Allrecipes.com 

And the process couldn't be easier.

Add two cups of real maple syrup to a small sauce pan.

Using a candy thermometer, heat the syrup to 235 degrees.

It will bubble and froth, stir this down and remove from heat from time to time to control the boil.

Once it reaches temperature, remove from heat and let the temperature drop to 175 degrees.

Once cooled, stir until it becomes lighter in color and moving quickly,

pour into molds.

Before the candy cools too much, I sliced the backs even with a knife. Let cool and pop out of the mold gently. If you've never had maple syrup candies, they are intensely sweet and maple flavored. They are an interesting texture of firm candy that melts instantly into a creamy treat. Give them a try!