Fills 24 small leaf molds or 16 small + 8 larger size
Ingredients
- 4 cups (fancy) or medium amber maple syrup
- 1 tbsp butter (or enough to coat inside rim of pot)
- 4-5 drops vegetable oil
Equipment
- heavy-bottomed pot
- candy thermometer
- wooden spoon
- silicone/rubber molds (or metal molds lightly greased with vegetable oil)
How-to
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Add maple syrup to a heavy-bottomed pot
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Butter the inside rim of the pot. [The butter fat will help keep bubbling syrup from rising too high in the pot]
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Add 4-5 drops of vegetable oil to the syrup. Bring it up to a boil over medium heat. Using a candy thermometer, boil until the syrup reaches 244º - 246º (hard crack stage)
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Remove from heat carefully, without jostling the pot, and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes
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Remove the thermometer and with a wooden spoon, stir continuously until the syrup begins to lose its gloss, and you can see a distinct color change. This will take about 2 minutes
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Pour into silicone/rubber (or lightly greased metal molds) immediately. Work quickly, as the syrup will begin to harden almost instantaneously
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Allow to cool and harden in molds at least 10 minutes. The candies will turn a whitish color when they are set. They should pop right out of the molds with ease
Suggestion: Scrape any excess maple sugar from the bottom of the pot and save to put in coffee