Cookbook:Maple Cream

Maple cream, also called maple butter, is a type of sweet spread or condiment made from cooked maple syrup. It shouldn't be confused with compound butters containing whipped dairy butter and maple syrup. Use maple cream in other confections, baked goods, and breakfast items like pancakes.

Ingredients

 * At least 1 quart (1 L) pure maple syrup
 * Neutral-tasting vegetable oil

Procedure

 * 1) Pour the maple syrup into a saucepan. Use a saucepan deep enough to accommodate the syrup without allowing it to boil over and narrow enough to ensure the syrup comes to a depth of at least about 2 inches (5 cm).
 * 2) If using a traditional (i.e. not instant-read) candy thermometer, place it in the pan now. Make sure the syrup covers the probe section that measures the temperature.
 * 3) Add just a few drops of vegetable oil to the pan—this will help prevent large bubbles from forming during cooking.
 * 4) Bring the syrup to a gentle boil without stirring. Cook the syrup, still without stirring, to 230–235 °F (110–113 °C).
 * 5) Remove the saucepan from the heat, and place it into an ice bath without letting the syrup get wet. Let it cool in the bath without disturbance until the syrup reaches 80–100 °F (27–38 °C). The syrup will thicken considerably.
 * 6) Transfer the cooled syrup to a bowl. Use a spoon, paddle, or spatula to slowly and continuously stir the syrup for about 15–30 minutes. The mixture should thicken, grow opaque, and lose its gloss.
 * 7) Once the mixture loses its gloss, stop stirring, and immediately transfer it to a jar or other container. If you wait too long, the mixture will become hard to work with.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * The stirring process encourages the formation of small crystals throughout the maple syrup. Keep it up slowly and continuously.
 * Don't be tempted to leave all the stirring work to a home mixer. You can use one for perhaps the first half of the process, but it will eventually get too thick and can risk burning out the mixer's motor.
 * The finished product behaves like a non-Newtonian fluid—if it has solidified too much to easily transfer to a storage container, gently knead and roll it with clean hands until it softens, then press into the container.