I cannot CANNOT CANNOT resist honeycomb candy. Not only does it bring me back to my childhood when on rare occasions my mom and grandma would take us to the mall to See’s Candies to buy tiny chunks of honeycomb candy. I still remember holding a piece of chocolate in a little tissue paper while in my mind wondering how the candy could be so weightless when it was covered in chocolate and taking tiny nibbles only to awe at the contrast of the bright, foamy yellow with the satisfying crunch and intense sweetness of the honey.

I am believer that not only should honeycomb candy look like, well, honeycomb, but it should also taste like honey. There are some recipes that don’t even have honey as an ingredient but this recipe not only has a substantial amount of honey in it, it can also be used INSTEAD of corn syrup as a thickener and stabilizer. That’s a total win for me!

Recipe:

1 cup white granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp baking soda

In a large saucepan (mixture will expand about 4 times its size) add first five ingredients over medium-low heat. No need to mix or stir as the it will dissolve on its own.

In the meantime, line an 9 x 11 casserole pan with parchment paper.

If you have a candy thermometer then bring the temperature up to 300 degrees. If you don’t (I don’t have one) use the hard crack stage method. After about 8-10 minutes of a slow bubbling simmer I have a cup of very cold water ready. Dip a spoon in the mixture and let it drip into the water. If it immediately turns brittle like a Jolly Rancher and you can snap it in half easily, it is ready. If it still bends, it needs more time.

Once it reaches 300 degrees or hard crack stage, turn off heat and add in the baking soda and stir. It will immediately puff up and expand. Once you have mixed all of the baking soda thoroughly into the the edges of the pan, scoop it into the casserole dish. Let sit overnight at room temperature.

Cut into squares for serving. Dip in chocolate if desired! Enjoy!