Hokey Pokey, it would seem, is not just a toddler’s dance. Down Under, it’s a beautiful, fluffy, yet crispy piece of confectionery delight enjoyed from New Zealand to England. Even Nigella Lawson loves a good nibble of this treat – straight out of a gift box, in the car – from time to time.
| Servings |
| 9×11 piece |
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Hokey Pokey, it would seem, is not just a toddler’s dance. Down Under, it’s a beautiful, fluffy, yet crispy piece of confectionery delight enjoyed from New Zealand to England. Even Nigella Lawson loves a good nibble of this treat – straight out of a gift box, in the car – from time to time.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup honey -OR-
- golden syrup
- 2 tsp baking soda
Accompaniement
- vanilla ice cream
Servings: piece
Units:
Instructions
- First step – prepare a lined baking sheet that will be quick and easy to reach from your stovetop. Like lightening quick. Then mix the honey and sugar together in a fairly large pot (you’ll see why in a moment). Add the candy thermometer and heat over medium high for about five minutes or until 300F (a.k.a. hardball candy stage) and when a little is dropped into ice water off a spoon, it forms a hard ball. I highly recommend doing the ice water test even if the thermometer reads 300F because you might have it sitting in a hot spot (or a cold spot). I had to cook mine a little longer than my thermometer suggested because of this. If it doesn’t get to hard ball, the candy won’t harden properly and will come close to pulling your teeth out.
- Now, remove the thermometer and whisk in the baking soda. Quickly. Some people like to sift in the baking soda to make sure it’s evenly distributed. Either way It balloons up fast. Once it does, stop whisking or you’ll deflate it. P.S. You don’t want it to overflow. If it gets close, pour gently and with no hesitation onto your lined baking sheet (I used silpat).
- Without disturbing it, let cool for fifteen minutes. Hammer into manageable pieces and eat alone or with ice cream. Store extras immediately at room temperature in an airtight container.