Sucre à la crème — maple cream fudge — is Quebec’s candy counter staple: a dense, melt-in-your-mouth fudge of pure maple syrup, cream, and butter, studded with walnuts and cut into small, dangerously moreish squares. It is sold by the box at sugar shacks and fromageries across the province, and it is the edible souvenir that every Quebecois family has a favorite recipe for.
Why this recipe works: Maple syrup, cream, and butter are boiled together to the soft-ball stage, then cooled and beaten until the mixture turns thick, creamy, and opaque. The beating — and the precise temperature — is everything: beat too little and it stays syrupy; beat too much and it turns grainy and crumbly. Done right, it sets into a smooth, sliceable fudge with a deep maple flavor.
Key ingredients
- Pure maple syrup: the entire flavor.
- Heavy cream and butter: the richness and texture.
- Walnuts or pecans: the classic add-in.
- A candy thermometer: for the exact stage.
Tips for perfect sucre à la crème
Boil the syrup, cream, and butter together in a heavy pot over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture reaches 234°F (soft-ball stage). Cool it undisturbed — without stirring — until it drops to about 110°F. Beat vigorously by hand or with a mixer until it thickens, loses its shine, and starts to hold its shape; this takes a few minutes. Stir in the nuts, pour into a buttered pan, and let it set. Cut into small squares — it is rich.
Variations and storage
Skip the nuts for a smooth version, or add a pinch of sea salt on top. Sucre à la crème keeps for 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge — if it lasts that long — and is best served cool, straight from the fridge.
