Easter Maple Candy

 Maple sugaring season may have ended in the first half of April, but the second half of April is a perfect time to drum up new maple recipes and give them a try. For Easter, I made maple candy eggs with this easy recipe:

1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
1/2 cup butter

It was a good year for sugaring at NCOF. Volunteers collected over 8000 gallons of sap from donated sugar maples, which was boiled into over 200 gallons of maple syrup!

You'll also need:
-A candy thermometer
-A deviled-eggs serving tray or other candy mold (see picture)
-Parchment paper

Candy thermometer and (Easter-themed)deviled-egg serving tray, both available at kitchen supply stores.

Pour the maple syrup into a medium-size, heavy-bottom pot. Attach the candy thermometer to the pot so that it will read the temperature of the syrup. Add butter put on medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 240 degrees F. (It will be boiling rapidly.)

Pour the 240 degree mixture into a pan with high sides, like a bread pan, to cool. In the meantime, cut out parchment paper to match the size and shape of each candy mold, then place the paper on the molds. When the syrup mixture has cooled to 110 degrees F, stir it rapidly. The color should be lighter and the consistency should be slightly plasticy.

After stirring, quickly fill each candy mold on top of the parchment paper with the syrup mixture. When it has cooled completely (about 10-15 min), remove the candy from the molds and enjoy!

Note: If you don't want all the fuss making of egg-shaped candy, but still want an Easter treat, you may also pour the syrup mixture when it is 110 degrees into a brownie pan lined with parchment paper and cut it into small 1/2" squares.