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HOKEY POKEY

Hokey pokey is a Cornish term for honeycomb. It is wonderful eaten in golden shards or crumbled into the best vanilla ice cream. It is also the perfect present to take to a dinner party. Better than flowers, as they need to be put into a vase, better than chocolate, which people tend to smile politely at, but put away in a drawer: no one can resist a bit of hokey pokey I've found.

The quantities I've specified don't make an awful lot - enough to fill a little tin 12cm in diameter by 6cm deep - but any more and you'd be sued by your dentist.

Recipe posted by

Ingredients

  • Express Recipe
  • Gluten Free
  • Nigella Recipe
  • Vegetarian
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 4 x 15ml tablespoons golden syrup
  • 11/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

Method

Serves: Makes 125g

  1. Put the sugar and syrup into a saucepan and stir together to mix. You mustn't stir once the pan's on the heat, though.
  2. Place the pan on the heat and let the mixture first melt, then turn to goo and then to a bubbling mass the colour of maple syrup - this will take 3 minutes or so.
  3. Off the heat, whisk in the bicarbonate of soda and watch the syrup turn into a whooshing cloud of aerated pale gold. Turn this immediately onto a piece of reusable baking parchment or greased foil.
  4. Leave until set and then bash at it, so that it splinters into many glinting pieces.

Comments

  • Hi there, i can't get golden syrup where i live currently. What would be the best substitute? Thanks Tammy

    Posted by TammyM on 1st May 2011 at 17.43

  • This recipe is lovely. Quick and simple. Made as a quick snack.

    Posted by Redchocomallow on 21st May 2011 at 17.31

  • wonderful recipe! Nigella has saved me again. was up all night going over and over different honeycomb recipes i had been given,wasting ingrediants,time and losing my sanity! Got on computer saw this,made it in about 5 mins...its perfect,and my husband is getting it dipped in chocolate and in a lovely little box as a birthday treat from our 16 month old daughter this morning!

    Posted by kate77 on 17th Aug 2011 at 5.00

  • I just tried this recipe and i am awaiting the result, although I can say for certain that using the foil does NOT work!!! The honeycomb just sticks to the foil even though its been greased!! Also mine looks flat???

    Posted by matt_w123 on 1st Sep 2011 at 14.31

  • I followed the recipe but can't get it to set, any suggestions?

    Posted by nessa2112 on 18th Oct 2011 at 20.54

  • This recipe works great apart from the fact I got the bicarbonate of soda wrong because it says 11/2 not 1 1/2. Please sort this out because I only came to this realisation after attempting this recipe

    Posted by mrenigma on 22nd Oct 2011 at 19.37

  • i have tried several time to make the honeycomb , but it does not go hard it stays soft , what am i doing wrong .I have done everything correct .

    Posted by amanda148 on 28th Oct 2011 at 7.52

  • Made this tonight but it wasn't really like honeycomb? I used an electric whisk but the mixture didn't seem to create the 'cloud' described? Did I do something wrong? Happy cooking all.

    Posted by Neno96 on 1st Nov 2011 at 21.22

  • Tried to make this and had the same problem as others - with it staying soft and not setting. Looked on other recipes and found that most cook their 'syrup' for longer, and warn that undercooking will result in chewy toffee rather than hard honeycomb. Will be trying again in the hope that it works!!

    Posted by smiley1802 on 6th Nov 2011 at 17.17

  • I have used a version Nigella used in a programme about 4 years ago- it is always successful and now requested at all parties and events I attend. Very popular with kids in the village on Trick.Treat night! I use her version of 4 tablespoon sugar and 2 tablespoon golden syrup in pan for 5-6 mins, and add heaped teaspoon bicarb. The important thing after setting (helped along in the fridge if needed) is to put in air tight container or I use bags. To avoid sticking to surface I always use parchment paper, and if any batch is a a bit sticky I shake some icing sugar over.

    Posted by Jammyorwhat on 8th Nov 2011 at 7.32

  • If it is not setting, pop it in the fridge :)

    Posted by Lulubell97 on 10th Nov 2011 at 7.46

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