How to make maple syrup snow candy - This quick and easy recipe is just like Laura Ingalls Wilder made in Little House in the Big Woods. All you need is syrup and butter to get delicious caramel candy! It's the most fun and tasty thing you can do in a snowstorm or blizzard!
Last night, we went to bed with about 2 inches of snow on the ground. Joe shoveled the driveway and Grace played with her little shovel by the glow of the car's headlights. Afterward, we rode sleds in the backyard in the mostly dark. There was just enough snow to make the grass slick and make the sled fly.
It's never completely dark when it's snowing that heavily, you know? The snow glitters and sparkles as it falls. It glows.
We came in from the cold and fixed a bubble bath and hot cocoa for Grace. She enjoyed her chocolate in the bath, like a fancy spa treatment. She thought it was great.
When Grace forced Joe and I out of bed a little before 6 this morning, we measured the snow.
Certain we'd been wrong, we measured again.
22 inches.
I don't know what the official totals will be, nor what they have in the city, but we have a pile of snow and it's still falling. I think 22 inches of snow is too much for a 40-inch-tall person to play in.
We'll see. I mentioned on Twitter that there was a crazy amount of snow, and my friend suggested that we make snow candy, Little House in the Big Woods style. I followed her instructions which are below.
How to Make Maple Syrup Snow Candy
- Fill long pans or skillets with snow. Some of the snow will melt when you pour the candy in, so you need quite a bit.
It helps if you pack the snow into the pan a bit.
The first time we ever made snow candy, we used cereal bowls and poured a lot of syrup into each one. I didn't, at first, realize what would happen when we made this candy. I was thinking it would turn into a snow cone, but it doesn't. The snow completely melted and left only water and candy behind. If I had known that, I would have used a different kind of container with a lot more snow.
So, as the photos above show, you need to use a lot of snow, packed down a bit. (Don't go crazy with the packing though because the candy should melt down into the snow a bit to cool.) - Pour the maple syrup and butter into a small saucepan.
Set the burner to simmer (just one notch above low), stirring often. - Continue stirring often, especially after the maple syrup and butter start to boil.
If you have a candy thermometer, it should heat to between 220 and 240 degrees. If you don't, allow it to boil for 5 to 10 minutes, until it becomes stringy and stiffens when dripped onto a plate. - Remove the candy from heat and cool for 2-3 minutes.
- Drizzle over the pans of snow in small puddles or as thin lines.
- The candy will cool almost instantly, but you should still test it to make sure that it's cool enough for your kids to eat.
Have you seen my winter bucket list? If you have snow on the ground (or even if you don't), you should pop over and grab it!
Recipe
Snow Candy - Perfect Fun for a Blizzard
Equipment
Ingredients
- A lot of snow preferably on plates or long pans
- 1 cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup butter
Instructions
- Fill your dishes or pans with snow. Put them back outside to stay frozen.
- Pour the maple syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Set the burner to simmer (just one notch above low), stirring often.
- Continue stirring often, especially after the maple syrup and butter start to boil. If you have a candy thermometer, it should heat to between 220 and 240 degrees. If you don't, allow it to boil for 5 to 10 minutes, until it becomes stringy and stiffens when dripped onto a plate.
- Remove from heat and cool for 2-3 minutes, then drizzle over the pans of snow in small puddles or thin lines.
LuAnn Braley says
Hmmm....I think it's supposed to snow here this weekend...*hehehe*
LeAnn @ See Great Things says
How fun! We had that much snow last year, I wish we also had your recipe!
Kelly Whalen says
Still haven't tried this! We did get kits though, and made gum, and chocolate candy from scratch. It was really fun!
Kelly Whalen says
Still haven't tried this! We did get kits though, and made gum, and chocolate candy from scratch. It was really fun!
Tara @ Feels Like Home says
We ate it.
lisa sipes says
i knew you could do what ma ingalls did with mary and laura i also know you can crush ice to do the trick too
Lisa says
How did you do the ice crushing in the event that there is no snow??? Blender??
Tara Ziegmont says
You could try to make snow in a blender, but this recipe requires A LOT of snow to cool the candy, and the snow needs to be much finer than regular crushed ice, so you'll be blending up ice for a long time. I'm honestly not sure it would work without natural snow.
Melissa says
I tired this but the maple syrup and butter mixture would not change consistency. It stayed in a liquid form and did not get stringy and solidify. Don’t know what I did wrong!!
Tara Ziegmont says
I think maybe it didn't get hot enough. Next time, try cooking it longer so that it gets to a higher temperature.
Nanette Spoehr says
Great flavor!