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EASY HONEYCOMB AT HOME - Chocolate Dipped

Honeycomb (sponge candy) pieces, some with chocolate, in a tissue paper lined box up close.
Here's an easy no-bake recipe for food gifting this holiday season. Dip in your favourite chocolate or have plain, either way is delicious. Also known as Sponge Candy
Caro @ Caroline's Easy Baking Lessons
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Setting Times 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Serving Size 12 servings*

Equipment

  • Weighing Scales or Measuring Cup
  • Measuring Spoon
  • 20cm/8" square tin (or 10"x6" - 25½ x 15¼cm)
  • Deep, heavy-bottomed cooking pot (not non-stick)
  • Wooden spoon
  • Food thermometer
  • Timer
  • Toffee hammer, knife or rolling pin

Ingredients

  • 200 grams Castor Sugar (8 oz, 1 cup, extra/super fine sugar or granulated)
  • 125 grams Golden Syrup (5½ tbsp, 4½ oz, *see notes)
  • 2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda (Baking Soda)
  • 100 grams Plain or milk chocolate (3½ oz, bitter or semi-sweet, optional)

Instructions

Prepare Honeycomb (Sponge Candy)

  • Prepare a 20cm/8" square tin by greasing with butter, cake release spray or Lining Paste. (For other tin sizes see notes).
  • Add the sugar and Golden Syrup to a deep pan (not a non-stick one), and mix together.  On a low-medium heat, stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.  I find the best way to get the golden syrup off the tablespoon is to coat it in oil, then the syrup falls off the spoon easily. You need to not use a non-stick pan because the high temperatures ruin the non-stick coating and can release toxins into the food.
  • Once the sugar and syrup have melted turn the heat up to medium. Cook until the mixture turns amber & is at the hard crack stage.  Some sugar/candy thermometers have this on it, but if not, you are looking for a temperature that reads 146°c or 295°f.  And for me it takes about 10 mins. You need to be keeping a close eye on this as any higher the mixture will disintegrate very easily and will lack a nice crunch.
  • Now this is where you have to be really quick and careful. Once the mixture reaches the correct temperature immediately remove the pan from the heat and add the Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda) and beat vigorously until no longer visible and the mixture is foaming.
  • Scrape the mixture into the greased tin right away & be careful as the mixture is very hot.
  • Clean the pan straight away – pour in boiling water to help dissolve the sugar and make it easier to clean.
  • Leave the honeycomb to bubble away, for about 1½ hours, at which point it will become hard. Then attack it with either a toffee hammer or end of a rolling pin! Be careful as it does splinter a bit so do it on a clear work surface.

Decorating:

  • I liked to do some with chocolate on so just melt some broken chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts, mixing in-between each burst. Alternatively, melt in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Just dip the end of the honeycomb into the melted chocolate and place on some baking/parchment paper till set.

Serving & Storing:

  • Once set, enjoy this crunchy treat or gift for a special occasion.
  • Store in an air tight container, somewhere cool or room temperature. (heat softens the textur eof the honeycomb).
  • Freeze portions in paper, then cling film/plastic wrap or food bag, labelled and dated, for about 12 months.1 Defrost for a few hours at room temperature.

Video

Notes

Golden Syrup is not the same as Corn Syrup.  Many British recipes use Golden Syrup.  So for where to buy this in the states & Canada, see my Gingerbread Cake recipe - Where To Buy Golden Syrup.   Alternative is light corn syrup,
TOP TIP - measure Golden Syrup by gram if you have a squeezy bottle, alternatively use the tbsp measurement & oil the spoon first.
4 photo collage of homemade honeycomb (sponge candy) pieces.
For the home-made Lining Paste used to grease the tin - Go To Lining Paste
Servings/Yield -Yield is one 8" (20cm) square thick slab of honeycomb.  For nutrional purposes, 12 servings of 3 pieces is estimated.
Step-by-step instructions & photos, as well as more information, can be found before this recipe card.
Pink plate with chocolate truffles and pink napkin.
Check out some more Christmas Recipes.
Click for a direct link back to this recipe
Reference:
1. Freezing Honeycomb information from website FreezeIt.Co.UK-freezing-honeycomb.
Nutrition- I am not a qualified nutritionist and all nutritional values are estimates.  These are based on using all of the ingredients listed, including all the chocolate, with an estimate of 12 servings, where I serving is 3 medium sized pieces.  Make bigger or smaller pieces, and these values will change.  Omit the chocolate coating and 1 serving will be 100 calories.  All values calculated via MyFitnessPal.com.
 
Nutrition Facts
EASY HONEYCOMB AT HOME - Chocolate Dipped
Serving Size
 
3 pieces
Amount per Serving
Calories
143
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
2
g
3
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Monounsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Cholesterol
 
1
mg
0
%
Sodium
 
2283
mg
99
%
Potassium
 
25
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
 
30
g
10
%
Sugar
 
22
g
24
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.