Homespun Things...Home made Honeycomb for gifting....

 

Home made honeycomb? In a pretty box? Sure...why not?

 

We needed a small Thankyou gift for Daughter to take to a friends house.

 

I hadn't made honeycomb in years, but had a vague recollection of it being very simple, and an instant winner in the gratitude stakes.

 

 

My daughter, bless her, doesn't quite have my finesse in the Drizzled Chocolate department (yet!), but she acquitted herself well, in the Honeycomb making arena, turning out this crisp, golden slab of scrumptiousness in under fifteen minutes.

 

But first, the box.

 

If you're going to gift confectionery, you've got to make a bit of a fuss with the packaging. An inexpensive gift is fine, but you still want to look like you've made an effort and all.

 

I had this L'Occitane gift box, a leftover from a Mothers Day gift, in my stash. As soon as I saw it's fab colours, I knew it was made for honeycomb-ing.

 

 

Also in my stash, a roll of red crepe paper that I'd used to make roses a while back, and these cute as a button 'Baked with Love' stickers that Annabel Smith from The Bluebirds are Nesting, gifted me last Christmas.

 

 

I started by hot gluing the red crepe paper into a faux pleated rosette, of the type seen on medals...

 

...this was just a pleat/glue in a couple of places/pleat again type routine...

 

I went around twice to ensure I covered the L'Occitane emblem on the top of the box. I didn't worry about the ones on the sides.

 

I added the tails of the rosette separately, and stuck one of the Baked with Love stickers in the centre.

 

Cellophane sourced from Koch & Co in a batch of 100 sheets for just $6 a couple of years ago, was used as the lining. I got my moneys worth out of that lot. Note to self to buy some more.

 

Chocolate drizzled honeycomb was refrigerated to ensure the chocolate set, then into the box, layered with baking paper, it all went....

 

...three layers in all...then cellophane delicately folded over, and another sticker applied to hold it all in place...

 

...I know...pretty ain't it?

 

A final touch of a sunny golden yellow double satin ribbon, and honestly, it looks like we've spent up big on gourmet gifts....

I know you're dying for the recipe so here it is....

 

*Exercise care when making toffee or honeycomb. Sugar burns are excruciating and require medical attention. Don't attempt this one with small children or animals under foot*

 

Home Made Honeycomb

 

Ingredients:

 

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons Golden Syrup (I imagine you can also use Molasses or Treacle)

2 teaspoons of Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda but NOT Baking Powder which has Cream of Tartar added)

 

Equipment:

Medium saucepan

Wooden spoon

Measuring cups

Teaspoon

Oven tray

Baking paper

Box and lining for packing

Glass of iced water and a teaspoon

 

Method:

 

Line the baking tray and set in a convenient spot on your benchtop.

 

Measure all ingredients except the Bicarb Soda, directly into the saucepan.

 

Put the pre-measured Bicarb Soda in a small cup or bowl, ready to empty into the toffee as soon as it is ready. Timing is all.

 

Place the saucepan over a medium heat and start stirring.

 

Keep stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.

 

Turn the heat up to high, and let the mixture bubble away, without stirring it, for about another 5-7 minutes until it reaches Hard Crack stage.

 

Now this is what the teaspoon and iced water are for. Get a bit of the toffee on the end of the teaspoon, and dunk it into the iced water. If it hardens smooth and glass like, it's ready. Test it carefully with your teeth if you need to.  If it remains chewy and stringy, it's at Soft Crack stage and it's not quite there. Keep it bubbling. Mind you, watch it carefully. It can go from one to the other, in the space of a minute.

 

Once you have the toffee at Hard Crack stage, turn off the heat source and immediately take the pan to the bench, add the premeasured Bicarb Soda, and stir with the wooden spoon till it froths.

 

This is actually the fun bit. When the toffee froths madly and expands like a mad scientists experiment, you get this wild feeling of satisfaction, almost as if you've engineered something far more complex than honeycomb. My bestie and I used to make it as teens, just for the froth magic.

 

Without delay, pour the mixture evenly onto your prepared tray. Do not be tempted to smooth it or fuss with it. Just leave it be, flowing wherever it wants on the tray. Set it aside to cool completely.

 

Once it's cooled, you have this great slab of  what is recognisable honeycomb. Don't try to cut it with a knife. Just break it into big and small irregular pieces. It looks fabulous.

 

You can leave it as is, or drizzle/dribble/coat it with melted chocolate.

 

This ended up being fun as there were some pieces without much choc coating and some liberally coated. It looked really effective once it was boxed.



 

We layered it with strips of baking paper...

 

 

...three layers in all, just enough to fill our recycled box nicely....

 

We tucked it in and kissed it goodbye with our cute stickers.

 

 

I believe it was very well received.

 

Total cost? About $3. Looks like we spent $30. Honest.

 

Have fun!