How To Make Candy?

How to make a hard maple candy?

• I want to make a candy similar to glass candy. I've made peanut brittle before- with just the corn syrup and sugar- tasted pretty yummy by itself. I was wondering if I can use the same instructions and quantities to make a maple candy, with glass texture. I mean, with JUST sugar and a few tablespoons of maple syrup. I figured if you can do it with corn syrup, why not with maple syrup?!

• Answer:

  Look around gourmet stores for "B grade" maple syrup. It has nothing to do with quality. It's about when the syrup was harvested and how much maple flavor the syrup has. B grade has a much stronger maple flavor, so it's not good for use on pancakes or waffles, but it's great for making candy. You need to get a confectioner's thermometer to monitor the temperature of the syrup while cooking. The consistency the boiled sugar ends up having is determined by the temperature it reaches. The higher the temperature, the more glass-like it gets. Be careful, though, or you'll make it too hard to eat. The glass texture is something confectioners and pastry chefs spend a lot of time perfecting, so have patience.