Hokey Pokey Honeycomb Toffee Recipe - Gimme Yummy (2024)

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Ingredients Instructions FAQs

February 10, 2019

Hokey Pokey Honeycomb Toffee Recipe - Gimme Yummy (1)

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Do you love toffee? Craving for something sweet? Here is an easy hokey pokey honeycomb toffee recipe also referred to as sponge toffee, sponge candy, sea foam or cinder toffee. Believe it or not this crunchy candy only takes about fifteen minutes to prepare and uses only 5 ingredients. Growing up sponge toffee was one of my favorites confectionery treats. Crunchy, light, super sweet and yummy sticky texture is just a few characteristics I can describe. I can still smell the sweet fragrance of freshly prepared sponge toffee at the CNE back in the days.

The ingredients to prepare this light and airy crunchy sponge toffee is water, sugar, corn syrup, baking soda ( sodium bicarbonate) and cream of tartar. First step to is mise en place. It is important to have all your ingredients and cooking tools in place especially when working with caramelizing sugars, which in this case we will be to make the sponge toffee.

A little history about sponge toffee. This confectionery has been been around since 1900’s but became popularized in the mid 1985. Buffalo seems to be the place were sponge candy was found in many confectionery shops. Today this puffed sugar treat is found all around the world and has been named differently by different countries. If you travel to Buffalo in the United States it’s known as sponge candy. In Canada they call it sponge toffee, Britain, Ireland and South Africa named it honeycomb and Scotland simply calls it puffed candy. South America and Asia also gave this unique sweet it’s personalized name.

There are a few variation of this candy recipe typically using granulated sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, baking soda, cream of tartar or vinegar. Below you will be preparing the honeycomb toffee using granulated sugar which will give your a super crunchy texture but your free to substitute it with brown sugar if you want a bit of molasses flavor.

Ingredients

  • 250 grams water ( 1 cup)
  • 800 grams granulated sugar ( 4 cups)
  • 680 grams golden corn syrup ( 2 cups)
  • 30 grams baking soda (5 teaspoons)
  • 2 grams cream of tartar (1/2 teaspoon) or teaspoon of vinegar which you add after the baking soda into the sugar mixture.

Instructions

  1. Line and grease with butter a 12×12 inch baking pan. The parchment paper should be about 2 inches higher then the top of the baking pan.
  2. In a small bowl combine the baking soda and cream of tartar and stir with a fork or whisk. If your using vinegar instead you will add after you’ve added the baking soda into the sugar mixture.
  3. In a large size sauce pan, add the water first followed by the sugar and lastly the corn syrup.
  4. Cook this on high heat without stirring until the mixture temperature reached 300F ( 150c) and remove from heat immediatel
  5. Shift in the baking soda mixture and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or heat proof spatula. Do not use a metal spoon as the heat will conduct through the metal spoon and you may get burnt. As soon as you add the baking soda the toffee will start to froth, continue stirring until you can’t see the baking soda anymore. Don’t over stir as it will degas your toffee. Also be extra careful while stirring as the caramelized sugar will be extremely hot and can burn you.
  6. Once your done mixing in the baking soda transfer the toffee into your lined baking pan . The toffee will continue to froth and expand in your baking pan.
  7. Cool down for approximately 2 hours then simply break pieces of your sponge toffee and place into serving bowl or air tight jar. The self life for this toffee is about a month stored in an air tight container.
Hokey Pokey Honeycomb Toffee Recipe - Gimme Yummy (3)

Hokey Pokey Honeycomb Toffee Recipe - Gimme Yummy (4)

Do you love toffee? Craving for something sweet? Here is an easy hokey pokey honeycomb toffee recipe also referred to as sponge toffee, sponge candy, sea foam or cinder toffee. Believe it or not this crunchy candy only takes about fifteen minutes to prepare and uses only 5 ingredients. Growing up sponge toffee was one of my favorites confectionery treats. Crunchy, light, super sweet and yummy sticky texture is just a few characteristics I can describe. I can still smell the sweet fragrance of freshly prepared sponge toffee at the CNE back in the days.

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 5 people

Calories 50 kcal

Ingredients

  • 250 grams water 1 cup
  • 800 grams granulated sugar 4 cups
  • 680 grams golden corn syrup 2 cups
  • 30 grams baking soda 5 teaspoons
  • 2 grams cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon or teaspoon of vinegar which you add after the baking soda into the sugar mixture.

Instructions

  • Line and grease with butter a 12×12 inch baking pan. The parchment paper should be about 2 inches higher then the top of the baking pan.

  • In a small bowl combine the baking soda and cream of tartar and stir with a fork or whisk. If your using vinegar instead you will add after you’ve added the baking soda into the sugar mixture.

  • In a large size sauce pan, add the water first followed by the sugar and lastly the corn syrup.

  • Cook this on high heat without stirring until the mixture temperature reached 300F ( 150c) and remove from heat immediatel

  • Shift in the baking soda mixture and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or heat proof spatula. Do not use a metal spoon as the heat will conduct through the metal spoon and you may get burnt. As soon as you add the baking soda the toffee will start to froth, continue stirring until you can’t see the baking soda anymore. Don’t over stir as it will degas your toffee. Also be extra careful while stirring as the caramelized sugar will be extremely hot and can burn you.

  • Once your done mixing in the baking soda transfer the toffee into your lined baking pan . The toffee will continue to froth and expand in your baking pan.

  • Cool down for approximately 2 hours then simply break pieces of your sponge toffee and place into serving bowl or air tight jar. The self life for this toffee is about a month stored in an air tight container.

Keyword angel food candy recipe, candy recipes, cinder toffee, fairy food candy, hokey pokey honeycomb toffee recipe, honeycomb recipe, old fashioned puff recipe, puff candy recipe, seafoam candy recipe, sponge candy, sponge toffee

Author: Gina

Filed Under: Candy Recipes

Tags: cinder toffee, Hokey Pokey Honeycomb Toffee Recipe, sponge candy, sponge toffee

Hokey Pokey Honeycomb Toffee Recipe - Gimme Yummy (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between hokey pokey and honeycomb? ›

Honeycomb and Hokey Pokey are the same thing but called different names based on the region or country you are in. Kiwi's (people from New Zealand) call is Hokey Pokey, while Australian's, South African's and some other countries refer to it as Honeycomb.

Why is my honeycomb candy not hardening? ›

If your sugar syrup isn't hot enough, it will make your honeycomb very chewy. The best way to make sure your sugar is at the right temperature is to use a sugar thermometer. The mixture should be at the 'hard ball' stage, which is normally between 121-130 degrees Celsius.

Is cinder toffee the same as honeycomb? ›

One of the simplest and most fun confectioneries to make at home is cinder toffee, also known as honeycomb or sponge toffee.

How do you keep honeycomb candy from sticking? ›

Honeycomb acts like a sponge once it reaches room temperature, absorbing the moisture around it. And once absorbed, the candy turns sticky and tacky. To avoid this, do not let honeycomb sit out on the counter, uncovered after it has come to room temperature —particularly if there is a lot of humidity in the air.

What is Hokey Pokey called in America? ›

The Hokey co*key, as it is still known in the United Kingdom, Ireland, some parts of Australia, and the Caribbean, (now known as Hokey Pokey in the U.S and Canada), is a campfire song and participation dance with a distinctive accompanying tune and lyric structure. It is well-known in English-speaking countries.

Why do Americans call it Hokey Pokey? ›

Building on this popularity, British band-leader Al Tabor — possibly recalling “I Put My Little Hands In” — came up in 1942 with a similar instructional song, adding the term “hokey pokey” after allegedly remembering “hokey pokey” was a term for a serving of ice cream, and recalling a seller who hawked “hokey pokey ...

Why is my honeycomb chewy not crunchy? ›

Chewy honeycomb happens when the mixture hasn't been cooked for long enough. This is most common when you don't use a sugar thermometer. If you don't heat the mixture to 149°C the sugar won't achieve the brittleness required for that crumbly, crunchy texture.

Why is my honeycomb candy chewy? ›

Why is my Honeycomb Candy chewy? This is a result of the mixture not cooking long enough. You really want it to cook for the full three minutes.

Why did my toffee burn? ›

Stirring too quickly or too often can cause the toffee to separate. Moderate the heat as needed – turn it down if the toffee is boiling or cooking too fast so it doesn't burn.

Why is my cinder toffee bitter? ›

Stay vigilant when making the honeycomb – don't leave the pan of sugar syrup unattended and keep that heat on medium, too hot and it will catch, and you will end up with bitter caramel.

What are other names for honeycomb toffee? ›

Honeycomb toffee, honeycomb candy, sponge toffee, cinder toffee, seafoam, or hokey pokey is a sugary toffee with a light, rigid, sponge-like texture.

Why is it called cinder toffee in England? ›

Its name “cinder toffee” is thought to come from its appearance, which resembles the cinders and coal used in traditional British fireplaces. The treat's texture and taste, reminiscent of caramelised sugar, made it a favourite among people of all ages.

Why add vinegar to honeycomb? ›

White vinegar – one of the things that makes this candy unique is the light and airy texture of the toffee. We have the vinegar, in part, to thank for that! Vinegar reacts with the baking soda in the recipe to form little bubbles of carbon dioxide that give the honeycomb candy its airy, crisp texture.

Does honeycomb candy go bad? ›

Nigella's Hokey Pokey, or honeycomb candy, (from Nigella Express) is made from sugar, syrup and bicarbonate of soda and so theoretically should not turn bad for some time. The main problem is that it will soften over time, so the conditions of storage will be the main factor in how long the Hokey Pokey lasts.

What's the difference between honey and honeycomb? ›

The raw honey has a more textured consistency than filtered honey. In addition, the waxy cells can be chewed as a gum. Honeycomb is a natural product made by bees to store their larvae, honey, and pollen. All of the honeycomb can be eaten — including the waxy cells and raw honey they contain.

What do the British call the Hokey Pokey? ›

Actually, it's primarily known as the Hokey Pokey in the United States, Canada, Ireland, and Australia. It's called the Hokey co*key in the UK, the Hokey Tokey in New Zealand, and there are other variations also.

What does Hokey Pokey stand for? ›

Hokey-pokey first appeared on the streets of London in the mid-1800s, sold by Italian vendors. The name is believed to be a variant of “hocus pocus,” or -some say- derived from vendors calling out “ecco un poco”: “here's a little.” Unless that is a popular street-vendor call in Italy, I'm skeptical.

Is real honeycomb crunchy? ›

The taste of is often described as earthy, floral, or even fruity due to the fact that bees collect nectar from various flowers to store in their hives. It also has a soft yet crunchy texture, making it perfect for spreading on toast or crackers.

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