How to make Honeycomb treats

Honeycomb treats are a delightful sweet nibble, perfect for the outdoor festivities or as an after-dinner accompaniment to your coffee. Honeycomb goes by other sames such as cinder toffee or bonfire candy but none of them actually contain any honey. It's the closest you get to alchemy in the kitchen and is truely amazing to make. So let's get started!

Step 1 Ingredients

This recipe happens really quickly, so it's essential you prepare all your tools and ingredients so you're ready. To make a good quantity of honeycomb, you will need:

Sugar - 100g - I use granulated here, but caster sugar would be better. I imagine you'd get some real depth of flavour with demerara or light muscavado.

Golden Syrup - As much as you can get on a fork, twice - The biggest failure I've experienced with this recipe is too much golden syrup. I'll explain my esoteric measurement later.

Bicarbonate of soda - 1 teaspoon - This is the magic ingredient that makes it all happen. Baking powder might work (not sure about that).

Tools:

1 large saucepan
1 fork
1 teaspoon
1 cup of cold water
Greaseproof paper
A stove

Comments

[darus67]

Since golden syrup doesn't appear to be readily available in the US, can plain white corn syrup be used instead? I wonder if flavor extracts like vanilla or almond or others might work better than the powdered spices.

[Weather_blue]

On the off chance that there's a Publix near you (I didn't find a Publix till I moved to North Alabama; no idea how widespread the chain is), I've found golden syrup in their ethnic foods aisle alongside barley water and mixes for shepherd's pie and curry.

[jokerlz]

You can't get golden syrup! You're missing out my American cousins. Honey might work, similar consistancy and colour if you get the runny stuff, doesn't taste quite the same though.

[jgfish]

I tried the recipe with 1 heaped teaspoon of honey and it worked well, The honey was cold so it was easy to get that specific amount

[chiok]

Honey is quite a bit less viscous than golden syrup, so my "2 forkful" measurement won't work. I'll estimate at 2 tablespoons (that's 6 teaspoons, not dessertspoons). No idea if it'd work with honey, I don't have that much of it unfortunately. Someone could try?

[elephant1292]

Honey has a pH of about 3.7 (acidic), and so it will react with the sodium bicarbonate. I tried it and it worked, though you should use a bit more baking soda and honey.

[littletom34]

You could probably substitute corn syrup, but you would have to add a bit of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to get the same flavor.

[jess]

Golden syrup is often available at Cost Plus, and British import stores. It has a very different flavor to corn syrup and I wouldn't recommend switching them based on previous experience.

[chiok]

Umm, maybe. When I couldn't find corn syrup for fake blood, golden syrup was suggested the closest thing (I wonder why they keep to separate sides of the pond)? So it'd probably work the same.

Extracts of flavour would definitely work; the small quantity required won't mess anything up. Just don't get *too* creative with the flavours. Marmite honeycomb isn't going to be hit I don't think. (Does Marmite exist in USA?)

[At Liberty]

If you wouldn't mind, what are the ingredients listed on golden syrup? I'm terribly curious...

[chiok]

All it says on the tin is "partially inverted refiners syrup". Which means it's sugar cane of sugar beets that they've messed around with. Wikipedia has the full slant on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_syrup

As Jess says, it has a definite flavour to it (I've never tried corn syrup). But if you are substituting it for corn syrup, the addition of other flavours would balance it out I guess. Maybe some maple syrup or something.

The important thing is the "Hard Crack" stage.

[At Liberty]

Thank you very kindly for the trouble.

[sarahlr30]

Hi just a little tip that my mum taught me, when you want to measure out a tablespoon of golden syrup use a metal/stainless steel spoon and heat it over the gas ring of a hob, after about a minute you can put it straight into the golden syrup and take out a spoon full and it will slide right off into your pan.

[jgfish]

using slightly less bicarb makes smaller bubbles, I found the first time I tried this the bubbles were far too big so I halved it and they were slightly too dense, so I think 2/3 teaspoons would be about right

[commiejay]

I made this yesterday using maple flavoured table syrup. It turned out pretty well!

[ytashi]

may i ask, our country doesnt sell any golden syrup. what is the alternative to that? or do we have to make that from scratch instead? i do have a bottle of karo's corn syrup. can i substitute it instead with this?

[chiok]

I believe others have used corn syrup, or Karo's Dark Corn Syrup to a similar effect, so yes! Bicarbonate of soda is also called "Baking Soda". Soda is the important word. Not "powder".

[archerj]

You should be able to use Karo dark corn syrup to get the flavor. It might change the color some, but the flavor would be good.

[Seleziona]

did anyone find out if you can use baking powder?

[BloodSucker]

Yea, Bicarbonate of soda and baking powder are the same thing

[Seleziona]

ahhhhh! okay! Thanks :)

[lil jon168]

in america we dont use metric so how many cumps would that be

[lil jon168]

lol cups srry

[chiok]

I have little to no concept of how a cup relates to grams I'm afraid. I'm not even sure a cup is a standard unit of measurement. I think the closest would be, 1/2 a cup?

[lil jon168]

o yeah i found out it was 1 cup

[red-king]

 I don't understand how to use weight in baking... it would be more accurate but I don't have a scale to weigh the ingredients. also, i'm not used to metric.

[chiok]

I like to use grams and litres so that no-one gets confused and it is the same everywhere.  However, for the US, I think a cup of sugar is about 190grams, so for this recipe, you'll need a little over half a cup of sugar.  Golden syrup is still the same, using a fork to scoop it out.  And a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, regular 5ml teaspoon.

[red-king]

 I'm from Canada, i just got used to the imperial system because i had a job woodworking, and I practice traditional archery which uses a lot of imperial measurements(pounds, grains, inches, etc.)

[riku-riku-chan]

hey guys, look below at my other comment... i give american measurements/ingredients... just follow the same instructions!

[red-king]

 Oh. ok. thanks!

[kelllbelll]

(removed by author or community request)

[ax89]

I am in Canada, this is on the label of the "Crown Golden Corn Syrup" that I got out of the cupboard. I think you should be able to get Golden Syrup in the USA.

Ingredients: Glucose, water, refiners' syrup, salt, vanillin.

CROWN is a registered trademark of and distributed by ACH Food Companies Inc, Memphis TN 38016 <---- this is in the USA, so you should be able to get it.

Questions/Information: 1-866-435-5276.

For recipes www.karosyrup.com

[lil jon168]

yes you can i live in georgia and if u have an ingles around then u should find it there like i did

[pleak]

this is brill im only young but i love to cook stuff and thx im fat and really like this honeycomb

[Razablade]

i think this will work well as long as its heated to "hard crack" point.

[oligore]

That worked really well and was really quick. You're right about the short time between perfect temp and being burnt. I almost burnt mine but managed to save it. Have you tried it with honey as well as Golden syrup? I would of tried but alas I had no honey.

[riku-riku-chan]

I just made some honeycomb treats (also called angel food candy) of my own yesterday, and my recipe called for 1 cup dark corn syrup, 1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp white vinegar and 1 tbsp baking soda... and I dipped mine in melted chocolate, too! They didn't look quite as bubbly in the middle, but the steps to make them were all the same. They tasted just like a Violet Crumble or Crunchie bar!

[hedgiehog]

OMG SPONGE TOFFFFEEEE!!!!!

[lancmaltby]

thanks for sharing - I am going to make these tonight!! I will let you know how I did!

[chiok]

That'd be brilliant! I'd love to hear if this process works for other people as well as this has been one of the more temperamental recipes I've encountered. If it does work well, please do tell.