Home-made crunchy bar recipe

Home-made honeycomb is an alternative to nipping out for a Crunchie bar. Boiling sugar can be a challenge – make sure you get it to the right temperature and cool it before you dip it in the chocolate.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 40 minutes

MAKES

15-20 pieces

INGREDIENTS

• Butter, for greasing

• 200g caster sugar

• 80g golden syrup

• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, sifted

• 250g good-quality 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped

METHOD

1. Line a 20cm cake tin (or equivalent) that’s 8cm deep with greased baking paper.

2. Mix together the sugar, golden syrup and one tablespoon of water in a deep saucepan. Heat gently and stir until the sugar has dissolved. This is an important step. Do not let the mixture boil until the sugar is completely dissolved.

3. Increase the heat slightly and simmer until the temperature reaches 144C on a sugar thermometer; it should have a nice golden colour.

4. Take the pan off the heat, add the bicarbonate of soda and whisk quickly, being very careful, as the mixture will bubble like a volcano and is extremely hot. Do not over whisk.

5. Quickly and carefully pour the mixture into the tin and allow it to cool for at least an hour. When cool, break into chunks.

6. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water). Stir to help it melt then remove from the heat.

7. Using a fork, dip each piece of honeycomb into the melted chocolate until covered (or half-dip them) and place on a wire rack to set.