Fun in the Winter #2

Just as I got that last post done...I thought of something else we did when I was small. We always had "real " maple syrup in the cupboard. It came in a little log cabin tin. I have seen these tins at a lot of antique shops, selling for more than I would pay. Mom would boil the syrup and then take the hot pan out in the snow and drizzle it on top of the freshly fallen snow. The cold snow hardened the syrup into a tooth pulling taffy. These treats were probably the cause of my visiting the dentist so often in my youth. This taffy along with bread with granulated sugar sprinkled on or brown sugar probably caused me to have a forever sweet tooth :)

Here is a recipe for doing it in a roaster pan. It's really more fun for the kids outside. They all can gather around in a circle with their little red cheeks, runny noses, and cold steam coming out of their mouths. I love to see kids bundled up in the winter...so many kids don't play outside anymore...well that's another post. Balisha

How To Make Maple Syrup Taffy (On Snow!)

1. Gather up some clean, fresh snow and pack it into a pie plate or roasting pan. Pack it down and set it down outside or in the freezer so it stays cold.
2. Pour a half cup of real maple syrup into a small saucepan, ideally a saucepan with a pouring lip. 3. Bring the syrup to a boil over medium-high heat

4. When the syrup reaches 235°F (the soft-ball stage) take it off the heat and immediately drizzle it over the packed snow in the pan. Let the syrup cool for just a minute or two, then pick it up with your fingers and eat! (Watch your teeth!)

There you are....candy in the snow. Just the thing for Super Bowl Weekend for the kids.

Balisha