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Honeycomb - Cinder Toffee - Homemade Crunchie

Introduction & method

There's something magical about the way this bubbles and foams when you add bicarbonate of soda to hot caramel. If you have kids, you definitely want to get them involved in making this!

 Honeycomb - Cinder Toffee - Homemade Crunchie Recipe

Prep


This all happens quite fast, so you'll want to get all your equipment ready before you start. You'll need a smallish baking tin with deepish sides. Dab butter into the corners, then stick a sheet of greaseproof paper into the tin - leave plenty overhanging so you can get the honeycomb out easily. To test the temperature of the honeycomb, you'll need a thermometer - either digital or a sugar/candy thermometer. If you don't have one, get yourself a tall glass of cold water.

Make the Caramel


Mix the sugar and golden syrup together in a heavy-bottomed pan. If your syrup is cold and viscous, put the tin into a bowl of hot water for a few minutes - this will make it more runny. Melt the mixture on medium heat. You can shake the pan if you need to, but DO NOT STIR! If you stir it, the sugar is likely to crystallize and the caramel will be ruined. Let the mixture bubble away for about 3 minutes until it reaches the 'hard crack' stage. This means the temperature is 138°C (280°F) and if you drop a small amount into cold water it will set into brittle strands.

Make it Fizz


Once the mixture is up to temperature, remove it from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Be careful, because it's very hot. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and put it in the fridge to set - this takes about 30 minutes.

Smash it to Bits


When the honeycomb has set, peel off the greaseproof paper and smash it into bite-sized chunks. You can eat the honeycomb as it is, or go one stage further and cover it in chocolate.

Chocolate Coating


I've suggested a mix of milk and dark chocolate, purely because I think it's too sweet with just milk chocolate. Break your chocolate into chunks and put them into a non-metallic bowl - but keep 4 or 5 chunks for later. Put the bowl in a microwave and zap it for 30 seconds on full power. Stir the chocolate, then give it another 20 seconds. Stir again, zap again. Repeat this process until the chocolate is fully melted - this might take 4 or 5 blasts. Now throw in the extra bits of chocolate and stir constantly until they are melted.

To coat the chunks, get yourself a block of polystryene and some cocktail sticks. Push a stick into each chunk of honeycomb, and use it as a handle to dip it into the chocolate. Now grab the stick with some tongs, turn it over, and stick it into the polystyrene. Put the whole thing in the fridge and leave to set. When set, remove the sticks and scoff the lot.



 
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Ingredients & Info


HONEYCOMB
 250 grams white granulated sugar
 4 tbsp golden syrup
 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
CHOCOLATE COATING
 100 grams milk chocolate
 150 grams dark chocolate

UNITS:
Metric
US Customary/Imperial


setting time: 30 minutes.
Cooking time: 5 minutes.
Total time: 35 minutes.