Honeycomb

That Friday Feeling

Toothache inducing sweets, the stuff of your childhood dreams. There comes a point in life where your tastes change, they evolve & become more adult. Finding an appreciation of the stronger flavours the world has to offer, coffee, liquorice, alcohol, all tastes acquired with age . Although you may have reached fully fledged adulthood, have begun making health conscious decisions, dare I say even exercise, you will never lose that sweet tooth.  You may opt to ignore that longing, desire for a sugar loaded treat but it’s still there, rearing itself perhaps on those days where things don’t go as planned, those days where you seek solace & comfort in food &end up devouring something horrifyingly calorie laden, (occasionally a half pack of biscuits) enjoying every last mouthful.

While I appreciate a healthy lifestyle & good eating habits, taking myself running walking for the frist time the other day, I do believe the world may have become slightly over exaggerated on the health front.  Everyone needs room in their life for a treat, something gluttonous & self-indulgent. Think back to those younger years filled with chocolate mice, fried eggs, foam shrimps, giant jelly snakes, Milky Ways, the overwhelming decision-making process at the pick’n’mix in Woolworth’s.

The only worry then was the impending weighing of your carefully selected treat, which would often end with the utter shock & alarming threat of cutting you off the pick’n’mix for good. It’s safe to say that I had a penchant for all things sweet as child, a fact that could no longer be denied after having 6 teeth removed & the odd filling (I have since learned to look after them). My sweet tooth prevails & I still love some of the same offenders today, one of which would be a bar of Crunchie.

Chocolate covered honeycomb, what’s not to like? The fact that it is enrobed in Dairy Milk only adds to its allure.  Making your own honeycomb is such a simple & enjoyable process, I urge everyone to try it once. It’s unparalleled versatility makes it all the more worth while, crumble over ice-cream & desserts, use shards to decorate cakes, mix into frosting & buttercreams, it makes a charming gift at Christmas covered in chocolate & popped into presentation bags. You simply must see for yourself the magic that occurs when making honeycomb.

HONEYCOMB

Ingredients:

• 250g caster sugar
• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method:

• Grease & line a large baking tray baking parchment
• Lightly oil the baking parchment with a flavourless oil
• In a large, heavy-set saucepan melt together the caster sugar & golden syrup over a low heat
• Once all of the sugar has dissolved, place a sugar thermometer in the pan & bring the mixture to the boil
• Boil the mixture until it reaches 140C on the sugar thermometer
• Remove from the heat & quickly mix in the bicarbonate of soda
  (The mixture will resemble a science experiment at this point)
• Swiftly pour the mixture into the greased tin & leave to set