Honeycomb

Honeycomb

Ingredients:

365g caster sugar

140g glucose syrup

110ml water

1 tsp bicarb

1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Sieve the bicarb and baking powder into a small bowl.

Line a medium sized bowl with baking paper.

Collect together everything else you need, including a baking glove, pastry brush and extra water and a whisk.

Put the sugar, glucose syrup and water into a wide based pan and put on high heat.

Stir until it begins to boil, then wash down sides of pan using the wet pastry brush. This washes down the splashes of sugar from the edges so they do not burn.

Then leave on high heat without stirring, until it JUST begins to brown in one spot. N.B. on gas stove tops this is likely to be at one edge, on electric it is likely to be in the middle. This will take about 5 minutes but keep watching it as timing is crucial. If you add the bicarb too early it won't set, too late and it will taste burnt.

As soon as you see a light golden patch remove from the heat, stir a couple of times with the whisk to evenly distribute the heat. Then sprinkle over the bicarb and baking powders

Stir about three times with the whisk until just combined. It will start to bubble but still looks too pale for honeycomb - don't worry it gets darker in the bowl.

Do not over stir. Pour immediately into the lined bowl.

Leave for about an hour to cool right through - this is the hardest part, as the smell of honeycomb wafts through the house everyone wants to eat it now. It may sink a little in the middle as it cools.

Once it is completely cool peel of the paper and turn upside down.

Smash into pieces and eat! Tastes especially good dipped in melted chocolate, ideal with chocolate fountains.

Enjoy