Snow Treats!

With a blizzard on the way, I wanted to share these two recipes for snow treats that we tried earlier this winter. For all of the years I've spent living in Maine playing snow and even eating the white stuff, I never thought to actually use it to make real food. Genius, and kids dig it too. First off, Snow Cream. You can mix up the liquid ingredients in the house, and then tote a mixing bowl and spoon outside to add the snow and make your treat al fresco. We'll be making this to go with Rowan's cake for her birthday tomorrow! Here's the recipe:

Snow Cream:

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup cream
• 4 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 egg (optional) 
• 1 bowl of light, clean snow (6-8 cups)

Then, if you have a candy thermometer and are feeling slightly more ambitious, there's Maple Snow Candy. 

Maple Snow Candy:

• 1 cup of 100% Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter
• a candy thermometer

Put the maple syrup and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly. Use the candy thermometer to make sure you boil the sugar and butter to 220 degrees Farenheit. Remove from stove and after cooling for a couple of minutes, take the pan outside and pour the syrup out onto a clean patch of snow. The syrup will cool and form into a sweet treat the consistency of taffy. You can try to peel clumps of it off the snow or use popsicle sticks to twirl the maple candy onto.