22 March 2012 Maple Sucre a la Crème

Maple Sucre a la Crème

March 22, 2012 By

This recipe is from my mom, Diane.  It adds a unique twist of maple syrup to a Québec favorite:  sucre à la crème, what I’ll translate to brown sugar squares.  This is a decadent treat that your loved ones are certain to enjoy.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups maple syrup
  • 3 tsp. butter
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions:

  1. Bring the syrup and butter to a simmer over medium heat in a heavy-bottom saucepan.  Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
  2. Carefully add the cream to the hot mixture (wearing an oven mitt to avoid possible splattering burns when adding the cream to the hot liquid is recommended).  Cook until the mixture reaches 245 degrees on a candy thermometer.
  3. Remove from the heat and add the nuts (if using).  Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
  4. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat mixture for 10 minutes.
  5. Pour the beaten mixture in a buttered 8×8 pan and allow to cool completely before covering with foil and refrigerating.  Cut into 2” squares.

Makes 16 squares.

 

Filed Under: Canadian, Desserts, Maple Syrup Tagged With: , , , , , ,
11 April 2011 Sweet Treat for the Non Baker

Sweet Treat for the Non Baker

April 11, 2011 By

By now, you’ve seen me post recipes that might appear odd by normal standards (Oeufs Dans le Sirop D’Erable anyone?) but that I enjoyed eating growing up.  I’ve mentioned in previous posts that my mom is a great savory foods cook but isn’t passionate about baking, so when my sister and me asked for dessert, mom would occasionally fix us an “Open Faced Brown Sugar Sandwich”.  Yes, it only took a minute to prepare this special treat, but boy did we love it.  Here’s how it goes:

  1. Take a slice of fresh white bread and butter it very lightly.
  2. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of brown sugar over the buttered slice of bread.
  3. Pour ¼ heavy cream over the sugared bread.  Let the cream saturate the bread for about a minute, then eat the treat with a knife and fork.

Crazy, ehn?  Thoughts?

Filed Under: Canadian, Desserts Tagged With: , ,
8 December 2010 Québec Sucre à la Crème

Québec Sucre à la Crème

December 8, 2010 By

Sucre a la Creme

Sucre a la creme (butterscotch fudge) is a French-Canadian tradition. Growing up in Quebec, my grandma, who was an amazing baker, made sucre à la crème for us and froze batches of it so we’d have this sweet treat year-around.

Conceptually, sucre à la crème is similar to fudge, but with a sugary-grainy consistency and caramel flavor that’s decadent and delicious. Back in the day, mom or grandma would hand-mix the hot butterscotch mixture to its desired texture. For me, the hand-mixer works just as well and saves me 30 minutes of arm wrestling with my wooden spoon.

Although several of my family members have great recipes for sucre à la crème, my grandma’s sister, Marie-Laure, was the queen of the sweet treats and here is her interpretation.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups brown sugar
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Place the sugars and cream in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Stirring constantly, bring the sugar mixture to a boil, and then cook for 12 minutes.  Don’t stop stirring as the mixture will quickly stick to the bottom of the pan or worse, boil over causing a HUGE mess.
  2. Place 2 cups of ice cubes in a large bowl, then add 4 cups of cold water. Place a slightly smaller bowl over the ice bath then pour the hot sugar mixture in the medium bowl over the ice bath, making sure no water touches the hot mixture. Add the vanilla to the sugar mixture then beat with an electric hand-mixer for 8 minutes, or until the mixture lightens in color and has thickened.
  3. Pour the thickened sugar mixture in a greased 8×8 pan, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for several hours to harden. Cut into small squares.

Yields about 30 candy pieces.

Notes: You could add a cup of chopped walnuts to the mixture before pouring into the 8×8 pan.  The candies can be frozen for up to a month, wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an air-tight container.

Filed Under: Canadian, Desserts Tagged With: , , , ,

Quebec Cretons

November 17, 2009 By

This spreadable meat dish is similar to pâté but with more texture.  Cretons are a very typical eastern Canada dish served at breakfast time on toasted bread.  Cretons are sometimes also served on a cheese platter.

Cretons

Cretons

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 lb ground veal
  • 2 onions finely minced
  • 2 tbsp chicken bouillon granules
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 pinch of ground cloves
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 envelope flavorless gelatin

Directions:

  1. Place all the ingredients (except gelatin) in a heavy saucepan.  Mix well and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for one hour, stirring often.  Turn off heat.
  2. Mash down the mixture with a hand potato masher to a coarse consistency.
  3. Incorporate the gelatin to the mixture.
  4. Cool completely, then stir the mixture.  Put mixture in small containers and refrigerate or freeze.

Will last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Filed Under: Canadian, Pork, Sides, Veal Tagged With: ,