Almond Honeycomb Candy

Snack Attack

When the news comes on, it’s our queue to turn the TV off.

Last night was different.

Instead of grabbing our toothbrushes, Shawn and I both got off the couch and shuffled to the kitchen. It must’ve been like 11 o’clock. There we were, Mr. & Mrs. in the kitchen, yielding to late-night munchies. I whipped up a mug of gooey, luscious molten chocolate cake, but Shawn didn’t want that. He was looking for the Golden Syrup.

My first thought was that he’s going to bake a batch of ANZAC biscuits, these crisp coconut & oat cookies. Sadly, he was on some other secret mission. It wasn’t until he asked for the candy thermometer that I knew what he was up to –  Honeycomb! Think of it as a crumbly, porous caramel candy that looks like a honeybee apartment complex.

Kitchen Magic

Admittedly, I was a bit jealous that I wasn’t the one making it. The caramel is the first step, something I’m very familiar with. It’s the final step that’s exciting. Baking soda is quickly stirred into the hot liquid sugar. The mixture suddenly fizzies up into this massive, growing foam of caramelly goodness.

After it cools, the bubbles leave behind glistening craters, quite like a honeycomb both in form and color. That, my friends, is pure kitchen magic.

A classic in Britain and Australia sometimes called Hokey-Pokey, this treat is a breeze to make, as captivating to see as it is a delightful to eat. The almond flour is my crazy idea, but is a wonderful addtion, lending a nutty warmth to the toasty caramel. Taste it for yourself.

Honeycomb Candy

Warning: Hot sugar can cause serious burns. Keep little hands and furry friends out of the way.
Also, the melted sugar quadruples in volume after the baking soda is added. Plan ahead with a very large piece of buttered foil or parchment paper.

Makes: 1/2 cup
Prep: 1 min
Cook: 10 mins

Ingredients
1 Tb butter
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tb honey
1/4 cup almond flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda, sifted

Instructions
Butter a large piece of foil or parchment paper and set it onto a clean, heatproof surface.
Put the sugar and honey into a saucepan.
Mix to combine.

Set pan over medium-high heat and keep your hands in your pockets.
Just watch what happens.

First the sugar starts to melt, then bubbling up around the edges.
The color will deepen about 3 mins.
Sprinkle almond flour into the pan and watch it disappear into the bubbling sugar.
Cook another 1 min.

Remove from the stove and use a small tea strainer to sift the baking soda over the molten sugar.

Stir quickly and pour the foaming mixture on the buttered parchment.

Let it cool completely (~20 mins), then break into pieces and store in an airtight container up to 1 month (if it lasts that long).

Burnt Sugar

Look away.

Bet you can’t.

Those glossy craters are so cool.

Honeycomb candy looks much like porous volcanic rock bubbling up from the Earth’s core. It’s like a gift from the gods.

Then, your nose realizes it smells pretty damn good, too. Finally you pop a nugget into your mouth and the taste of sugar on the brink of burnt bursts into a million bits.

There are many ways to enjoy Honeycomb. It’s divine dipped in chocolate. Sprinkle crumbs over or into ice cream or cake frosting. Throw them into cookie batter – why not? You could just stuff it all into your mouth like a chipmunk. Now, you’re hooked. Lucky, the recipe’s easy.