Maple Cream
http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/recipes/homemade-maple-cream/
http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/do-it-yourself/2012/12/how-to-make-maple-cream/?extcode=N00SPFA00
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: The key to this recipe is the stirring; 30 minutes, in fact. This forms the syrup’s crystal structure, which makes it glossy and thick. Monitoring the syrup’s color change helps to know when it’s reached the desired consistency.
Makes about 2 cups
Maple cream is a delicious topping for toast, scones, biscuits, and waffles, and it’s really good in a peanut butter sandwich, but it’s a bit too thick to spread on delicate pancakes. If your batch comes out a bit stiffer than you’d like, you can roll it into small balls and coat them with finely chopped nuts—instant confections, perfect for gift-giving. Or, something I’ve always wanted to try: Use it as a filling between two cookies.
The maple cream can be stored for two weeks at room temperature and up to several months in refrigeration. Theoretically, maple products are vulnerable to mold over time, so if you’re not planning to eat your maple cream right away, you should probably store it in the fridge. That said, I have never seen it go moldy. The only way a jar of maple cream would last longer than a couple of weeks in my house would be if I fell into a coma, in which case it is quite likely I would be discovered with a maple-encrusted spoon clutched in my hand.
Ingredients
- 3 cups grade A maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil, optional
- 1 pinch table salt, optional
Preparation
Step 1
1. Set medium saucepan in bowl of ice and scatter more ice around sides of pan. Bring syrup, oil, if using, and salt, if using, to boil in second medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, without stirring, until syrup registers 235 degrees, 16 to 18 minutes. Quickly pour hot syrup into prepared saucepan and let cool, without stirring, until syrup registers 100 degrees, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove saucepan from ice bath and stir syrup vigorously with wooden spoon until maple syrup turns thick, pale, and opaque, about 30 minutes. Quickly transfer cream to jar with tight-fitting lid. Maple cream can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated for at least 2 months.