Honey For Hokey Pokey

Our answer

Nigella's Hokey Pokey (from NIGELLA EXPRESS) is a honeycomb candy (sometimes called cinder toffee) that is made by adding bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to caramelised sugar. Golden syrup is added to the sugar before it is heated. The golden syrup is used as it is an invert sugar and helps to prevent the sugar syrup from crystallizing as it cooks and then as the honeycomb cools.

Honey is also an invert sugar and can be used as an alternative, though you need to use the clear, runny type of honey. However honey can be quite strong in flavour and this can affect the taste of the hokey pokey. Glucose syrup, corn syrup and agave syrup are other invert sugars that can be used and that you may be able to find more easily. They are also less likely to change the flavour of the Hokey Pokey.