VegetarianVermont Farmhouse cuisine Desserts

Vermont Sugar-on-Snow

Name: Vermont Sugar-on-Snow
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Vermont Farmhouse
Ingredients: 4 cup Pure Vermont maple syrup; 8 cup Packed snow or crushed ice; 1 tsp Unsalted butter; 6 piece Plain raised doughnuts; 6 piece dill pickles

Hot maple syrup boiled to soft-ball stage and poured over clean packed snow, where it seizes into a chewy taffy eaten straight off the snowbank with a fork or wooden stick. It is the signature treat of sugaring-off parties held at Vermont sugarhouses each March.

🇺🇸United States· Vermont

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 310 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 5 gathered

Servings

4 cup Pure Vermont maple syrup — Grade A dark, robust
8 cup Packed snow or crushed ice
1 tsp Unsalted butter — to prevent boil-over
6 piece Plain raised doughnuts — for serving
6 piece dill pickles — for serving

Equipment

•Heavy saucepan
•Candy thermometer
•Shallow pans of packed snow or crushed ice

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 310 kcal
fat: 0
carbs: 80
protein: 0
calories: 310

Instructions

1
Pack clean snow firmly into shallow pans. Keep the pans in the freezer or outside in the cold.
2
Pour the maple syrup into a deep, heavy saucepan. Use a pan at least 4 times deeper than the syrup.
3
Add the butter to reduce foaming. Bring the syrup to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
4
Clip a candy thermometer to the pan. Boil until the syrup reaches 235-240°F (soft-ball stage).
5
Bring out the packed snow. Immediately drizzle thin ribbons of hot syrup directly onto the snow.
6
Let the syrup sit for 20-30 seconds until it looks dull and feels chewy. Twirl it onto wooden sticks or forks.
7
Serve right away with plain doughnuts and dill pickles on the side.

Chef's tips

Use a candy thermometer and stop at exactly 235-240°F (soft-ball stage). Boiling it longer will make hard candy instead of chewy taffy.

Storage

Best eaten immediately; leftover cooled syrup can be stored in a jar and re-boiled another day.

Reheating

Gently rewarm leftover syrup over low heat, stirring, before pouring over fresh snow or crushed ice.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Boiling the syrup over heat that is too high, which scorches the bottom of the pan.
•Using loose, fluffy snow instead of tightly packed snow, which melts before the taffy sets.

Serving suggestions

Serve alongside a plain raised doughnut and a dill pickle spear to balance the sweetness.Give everyone wooden craft sticks to twirl the chewy taffy off the snow.