2 cups maple syrup
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Butter sides of heavy 2-quart saucepan. Add maple syrup; cook rapidly over high heat to hard ball stage (250°) without stirring. Remove from heat. At once beat egg whites with salt until stiff peaks form. Add hot syrup to egg whites in a thin stream, while beating at high speed with an electric mixer. Continue beating until mixture forms soft peaks and begins to lose its gloss. Stir in the vanilla. Quickly add the pecans; drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper; swirl each candy to make a peak.
Makes about 2 dozen candies.