It’s tradition to slip a clementine into the toe of a Christmas stocking (said to represent a gift of gold from St. Nicholas), but in my house it’s just as common to find a jar of maple cream instead. This stuff is so good, we’ve dubbed it gold in a jar.
Despite its name — and its wonderfully creamy texture — there’s no dairy in maple cream.
To make it, pure maple syrup is heated to 235°F, cooled to 100°F, then beaten until fine crystals form, transforming the amber syrup into an opaque spread that’s rich in maple flavor but light in texture.
As a third-generation Vermonter, I grew up eating maple cream, spreading it on pancakes as well as sneaking tastes of it from the jar, letting it slowly dissolve on my tongue. But not everyone has had the good fortune of growing up in the Green Mountain state, and though maple syrup is mainstream, many people haven’t tried maple cream. That makes it a wonderful gift for a food-loving friend, and I say this with experience, because I’ve sent dozens of jars of it to people over the years. I've given jars of maple cream and buttermilk pancake mix to my kids' teachers, mailed it to friends and family as far away as Oregon and Amsterdam, and always keep a few jars on hand for a last-minute hostess gift (or, you know, for eating myself).
Inevitably, the recipients ask me how it's meant to be eaten. I tell them to spread it on slices of good toast, English muffins, or biscuits, to drizzle it over ice cream, to dip apple slices into it, to slather it on scones or waffles, stir it into oatmeal or tea and, of course, to just eat it, spoonful by golden, ambrosial spoonful, until they’re scraping the bottom of the jar.
Looking for more perfect stocking stuffers? Check out our favorites.
Cover photo by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
