Ohhh-oh the hokey pokey! (Recipe: home made honeycomb)

I’ve always liked Cadbury’s Crunchie - and it’s one of those things a lot of people don’t realise how easy it is to make at home. A bit like marshmallows...wonder if I’ll get time to make those before Christmas...

I’ve made hokeypokey/honeycomb at home before, spurred on a few years ago by watching James Martin do it on his series ‘Sweet Baby James’. 

Then, on holiday a few months ago in our native north east we bought some chocolate covered stuff made by a local producer, Canny Candy Gadgies. In fact it was SO nice we bought it two or three more times that week.... So we went home afterwards promising ourselves we’d make it again ourselves.

I finally got around to it in early December, prompted by

watching Marcus Wareing demonstrate making it on Masterchef:The Professionals. I made the mistake of trying to level it out on the baking sheet but it just ‘collapses’ although still good to eat! Took ages to coat all the bits in plain chocolate but worth the time investment as it was scrummy 😋 

So I’ve made more today for nibbling over Christmas - and this time didn’t make the mistake of smoothing it down! It honestly is easy, all you need is caster sugar, golden syrup and bicarb of soda - plus chocolate if you want it coated later on. 

The recipe is on the BBC Good Food website. It IS easy but you basically end up with a pan full of frothy, molten sugar that would burn skin if it touched - so be careful transferring from the pan to the baking tray and I wouldn’t do it while any small kids are around who might distract you. 

Hint: you don’t need a sugar thermometer, just don’t let the liquid hot sugar get too dark - even after you pour it onto the baking sheet it keeps cooking under its own heat for a few minutes, so if the centre cooks too much it’ll go dark and bitter. 

Another hint: have a bowl or mugful of hot soapy water ready in the sink to put the mixing spoon straight into once you’ve finished, rinse and soak your saucepan in hot soapy water straight away.

Yet another hint! When you mix in the bicarb of soda make sure it’s all incorporated...don’t be in a Max hurry to get it out of the pan & onto the baking sheet - or you’ll be able to taste the ‘fizz’ when you eat it.

If you want to coat it in chocolate just leave for an hour or so until it’s completely cold, break into pieces, dip each into melted Choc then put on parchment paper to set. Enjoy!