How to Make Sugar on Snow

Growing up in New England has its advantages. Sugar on Snow is a treat that it isn't possible to make at all in most parts of the country, but is a perennial favorite of every country boy and girl in New England.

Choosing the Right Snow

Sugar on Snow is a treat that is restricted to late winter or early spring, because as the name implies it requires snow. The snow selected for sugar on snow should be freshly fallen and not hard-packed. Snow just at the lower edge of good snowball packing temperature works best. Obviously, the snow should be taken from a clean area where no one has walked. It should be skimmed lightly off the top during or immediately after a fresh snowfall so that you get only the freshest, cleanest snow.

Cone or Bowl?

The freshly collected snow can be placed in either an ice cream cone or a bowl. Purists will prefer the bowl since they do not want the taste of the ice cream cone to interfere with the fresh delicate flavor of the Sugar on Snow itself. Kids will usually enjoy Sugar on Snow in a cone for the novelty of a winter treat that looks so much like a summer ice cream cone.

Adding the Sugar

Once the snow is in the bowl or cone, it's time to add the sugar. For each serving, heat a quarter cup of light maple syrup with two tablespoons of butter over low heat until the butter is completely melted. Mix well, and pour over the snow while still warm. Light maple syrup has a more delicate flavor and is much better than a dark amber maple syrup for Sugar on Snow. Maple syrup, being 66 percent sugar, is the sugar component of sugar on snow. Sugar on Snow should be eaten immediately after the warm sugar is added. In rural Vermont, where I grew up, many farms run a maple sugaring operation beginning in February of each year. Whenever children come to visit, assuming the snow is right that day, Sugar on Snow is offered to all.

The Original Snow Cone

Because Sugar on Snow is such a crowd-pleaser and Mother Nature can't always be counted on to cooperate, some used shaved ice as a substitute for fresh snow. This works and is certainly tasty, but there's something about freshly fallen snow that seems, to me, at least, to make Sugar on Snow so much better. Many a New Englander will tell you that Sugar on Snow is where the original idea for the Sno-Cone came from, though a study of the history might prove otherwise.

Be Prepared if Snow is Forecast

If you live in a part of the country that rarely gets a significant snowfall, then snow is always a special treat for the kids. The opportunity to build a snowman, go sliding or throw snowballs makes it a very special event. If you have maple syrup on hand, you can make that rare snowfall even more special for them with Sugar on Snow.