I tried making honeycomb a couple of times before and on both occasions it resulted in a sticky nightmare and the throwing-away of a hitherto perfectly acceptable saucepan. However the use of a thermometer has transformed the cooking process and now it never fails; I use slightly less bicarbonate of soda than other recipes as I find it can make things a little bit soapy. It is also a good idea to fill your washing up bowl with very hot soapy water to put your saucepan in immediately you have tipped the mixture out, as it makes washing-up a breeze.
My son would eat most of a batch given an opportunity; we tend to put it in little bags and take it to Forest School as treats, but the crumbs left over when you break the honeycomb up can be stored in a jar and give a lovely sweet crunch to an otherwise dull ice cream.
No-fail Honeycomb Recipe
200g caster sugar
100g golden syrup
1 and a half teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda (if yours has been sitting in the cupboard for 2 years it might be worth getting a new tub as I think it can affect how the mixture foams up).
Line a roasting tin with greaseproof paper. Slowly heat the caster sugar and syrup slowly over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil then turn heat down and simmer until the mixture has just started to turn a lovely amber colour and your thermometer reads 150 degrees. (I use a meat thermometer rather than a sugar one and it seems to work just fine).
Now take the saucepan off the heat and quickly stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Once it has started to foam up tip it into the roasting tin; once you’ve poured it out it is very important to not touch it or the bubbles will collapse. Leave for an hour until it has gone completely cold then break into chunks. I keep intending to dip the chunks in melted chocolate to make home-made Crunchie bars but so far it hasn’t lasted long enough!
