Maple Cream Candy - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup pure maple syrup (use syrup labeled \"Dark amber\"-the darker, the better!)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup walnut pieces or 1 cup pecan pieces, toasted

Preparation

Lightly oil a 9- by 9-inch square pan, or a baking sheet.
In a small heavy-duty saucepan (about 2 quarts) mix together the maple syrup, sugar, cream, and corn syrup.
Fit a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and heat until the temperature reaches 236 degrees, tilting the pan to submerge the bulb, if necessary, to gauge the correct temperature.
Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mixture into the metal bowl of a standing electric mixer.
Submerge the thermometer in the candy mixture until it has cooled to 110 degrees, which will take a while.
(tip: you can put the bottom of the bowl in ice water to speed up the process; but don't stir the mixture to cool it down).
When the temperature is 110 degrees, add the vanilla and beat the mixture until it just begins to thicken and loose its gloss.
Overmixing will make it grainy, so keep an eye on it.
Stir in the nuts and spread the mixture into the square pan or onto the baking sheet, forming it into a 9-inch square with your (clean) hands.
Allow to cool completely, then remove from the pan and cut into squares.
To remove it from a square pan, run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to loosen it, then cut it in half.
Use a metal spatula to pry the candy loose a bit (it will be flexible).
Invert the pan a shake it to coax the maple cream candy out.