What began as a gift from one of my husband’s clients (maple syrup from Rugged Ridge Forest in Vermont) has become such a staple in my baking and making that I buy a gallon-sized jug and keep it in the basement refrigerator. I love supporting family businesses and knowing that I never run out. My favorite producers are Silloway Maple and Rugged Ridge.
Maple cream is a delicacy that I had no idea how to make until last summer. I had run out of a tiny jar I got for Christmas and began to Google around to learn how it was made. Vermont Evaporator Company seemed like a reliable source, and as luck would have it, their recipe worked great!
During recipe testing I learned a few things the hard way, so thought I’d share:
- If you completely forget the cooling step and start stirring after the soft-ball boiling, crystals will form and you’ll end up with gravelly maple sugar—not a disaster (use it for sprinkling on your yogurt) but not maple cream.
- If the syrup cools below 100°F before you start to stir, the syrup will never cream so you’ll make reduced maple syrup—again, not a disaster (use it for pancakes) but not maple cream. (My temp was like 86°F; watch it in the ice bath, things cool quickly!)
Maple Cream
makes 1 cup; adapted from Vermont Evaporator Company
Ingredients
- 2 cups maple syrup Vermont: Silloway, Rugged Ridge
Instructions
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Prepare an ice bath big enough to hold a medium saucepan, have both at the ready as well as a thermometer and a lightly oiled spoon to tap-down the bubbles in the next step. While you're at it, get out two 4-ounce jars or one larger that will hold the completed maple cream.
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In a deep, heavy saucepan (the syrup will bubble up quite a lot, so 5-inch depth minimum to prevent overflow), bring maple syrup to boil and cook without stirring until it reaches the soft-ball stage, 235°F (less 10°F for altitude in Bozeman). If bubbles threaten to rise out of the pot, tap them with a lightly oiled spoon.
Immediately transfer the syrup to medium saucepan in the ice bath and allow to cool to 100°F without stirring. (I transfer pots because I prefer to do the stirring in a medium-sized, rounded bottom pot which is not sufficiently large for the boiling phase.)
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When syrup is at 100°F, begin stirring slowly and keep stirring for 15 to 20 minutes. The syrup will thicken and lighten in color; when it's the consistency of peanut butter, you're finished! Transfer to storage jar(s). Cool then keep refrigerated.
It spreads easier at room temperature, so bring it out of the refrigerator in advance of spreading on your sourdough toast (yum!)
