SUGAR SNOW . . .
 | "In the morning the house was warm from the stove, but when Laura looked out of the window she saw the ground was covered with soft, thick snow. All along the branches of the trees the snow was piled like feathers, and it lay in mounds along the top of the rail fence, and stood up in great, white balls on top of the gate posts. Pa came in, shaking the soft snow from his shoulders and stamping it from his boots. 'Its's a sugar snow,' he said." LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS Laura Ingalls Wilder |
"Snow is a poem. A poem that falls from the clouds in delicate white flakes. A poem that comes from the sky. It has a name. A name of dazzling whiteness. Snow." |  |
 | "The moon, though slight, was moon enough to show |
One of my favorite pastimes as a child was watching Little House on the Prairie and reading all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. Growing up in the south did not provide an opportunity for me to really enjoy "snow." In fact, the first time I saw snow falling was last year while on retreat in Maryland. It was glorious. Below is a picture of my first snow angel.
A few years ago I purchased Roast Figs Sugar Snow, a cookbook by Diana Henry. It has become one of my favorite books to read - especially during the winter. For those of you living in an area that truly experiences colder winters, I highly recommend it. (I also recommend it for those of you who love food - it's fabulous!)
So - for those of you having snow this winter - Here's the recipe for SUGAR-ON-SNOW to warm your soul and sweeten your palate.
2 1/2 cups maple syrup
1/3 cup butter (5 1/3 tbsp)
snow
Heat the maple syrup and butter together over medium heat. Turn the temperature down if boiling over. When a sugar thermometer reaches 235 degrees F (113 degrees C), cool slightly and test by spooning 1 tbsp of syrup on to compacted snow. If the syrup sits on top of the snow and sets into weblike toffee, it is ready. If it doesn't, set it back on the heat to reach the required temperature.
A few years ago I purchased Roast Figs Sugar Snow, a cookbook by Diana Henry. It has become one of my favorite books to read - especially during the winter. For those of you living in an area that truly experiences colder winters, I highly recommend it. (I also recommend it for those of you who love food - it's fabulous!)
So - for those of you having snow this winter - Here's the recipe for SUGAR-ON-SNOW to warm your soul and sweeten your palate.
2 1/2 cups maple syrup
1/3 cup butter (5 1/3 tbsp)
snow
Heat the maple syrup and butter together over medium heat. Turn the temperature down if boiling over. When a sugar thermometer reaches 235 degrees F (113 degrees C), cool slightly and test by spooning 1 tbsp of syrup on to compacted snow. If the syrup sits on top of the snow and sets into weblike toffee, it is ready. If it doesn't, set it back on the heat to reach the required temperature.
 | My first snow angel |
