Maple Cream

By
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
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Updated on 10/8/19
Maple products

EasyBuy4u / Getty Images
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 32 servings

This easy maple cream recipe, from Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, is a delicious spread that starts with maple syrup.  It's perfect on bread, pancakes, muffins, toast, and biscuits, and makes a wonderful edible gift from your kitchen to someone special.

Amazingly, when heated long enough, liquid transparent maple syrup turns into an opaque semi-solid mass similar to peanut butter.

And when the maple cream is cooked even further, you will have maple candy that can be poured into molds which will harden. Ah, the wonders of cooking chemistry.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups pure maple syrup (Grade A Light Amber or Medium Amber works best)
  • Few drops butter or vegetable oil
  • Large pan or sink full of cold water

Steps to Make It

  1. Fill a saucepan partially with water and clip on a candy thermometer. Bring the water to a boil, and note the temperature of the boiling water. You will use this measurement later. Empty the pan.

  2. Place maple syrup in a deep pan (the boiling syrup will foam up fairly high when boiling). Add a few drops of oil or butter. (This helps to keep the foam down).

  3. Boil carefully over high heat without stirring, until the temperature of the boiling syrup is 24 degrees above the boiling point of the water, as noted earlier.

  4. Watch carefully as the temperature climbs higher. It can get too hot very quickly near the end. If your pan boils over, you'll have a real mess! If it cooks too long it can scorch or even catch fire. Watch it carefully. (This is not a place for children nearby, as the boiling syrup is very hot and can stick and burn).

  5. Remove from heat, and immediately place into a large pan or sink of very cold water to cool. Do not move, stir, or disturb the syrup during cooling. You can gently add some ice cubes to the water bath (not the syrup) if necessary.

  6. Cool to near room temperature. (Hold the back of your hand close to the surface. It's cool enough when you don't feel any heat radiating off the surface anymore.)

  7. Remove from the water bath and stir slowly with a wooden spoon until it loses its gloss and starts to get opaque. You will notice a change in the color of the liquid. This will take a strong hand and some time. It will get to the consistency of peanut butter when finished. Spoon into containers and keep refrigerated.

  8. Serve over pancakes, muffins, etc. and enjoy!