Blogmas Day 8 | Recipe: Cinder Toffee/Honeycomb

It's time for another baking recipe! My last couple, Peppermint Creams and Baked Apple, were really popular so I hope you enjoy this one as much!

I've been trying for months to get this recipe right. I practiced with one recipe, and it was just too complicated and I ended up burning the sugar each time! My mum and Dad, and my friends have been very patient with this one as they have had to try some terrible things!

But I finally have found a recipe that works, and that is super easy to do! I modified the original recipe that I took from BBC Food slightly and I've ended up with something super delicious! It's really simple, requires very few ingredients and can be done very quickly.

If you want to make something that looks a little bit like this, keep reading for the Recipe:

 

 

You Will Need:

 

200g Caster Sugar

40ml Runny Honey

1 tbsp. Liquid Glucose

3/4 tsp. Bicarbonate of Soda

50ml Water

 

 

What to do:

 

1) Line a Baking Tray with baking parchment.

 

2) Into a large pan add the sugar, honey, Liquid Glucose and Water

 

*TIP* when measuring out the honey and liquid glucose warm the measuring spoon with boiling water and the honey and glucose will stick to it less!

 

3)Bring ingredients to the boil in a pan

If you have a sugar thermometer heat until the mixture is 160C, if you don't (like I didn't) heat for about 4 minutes until the mixtures bubbles are almost clear (you'll know what I mean when you see it)

 

4) At this point take the pan off the heat and allow to cool for approximately 30 seconds

 

5)Whisk in the Bicarbonate of Soda really quickly. The mixture will more than double in size and turn from a cloudy colour to an orange ''honeycomb'' colour. Be careful that the mixture doesn't touch your hand as it might be hot.

 

6) Pour the mixture into the lined baking tray. It might continue to increase in size but will shrink down eventually.

 

7) Leave the honeycomb to cool for 30 minutes 

 

Here is what mine looked like a couple of minutes into it's cooling time

 




8) Break into shards and serve

  

 

This would make the ideal sweet snack, sweet treat gift or small pieces could be used as a cake topping!

 

I hope you enjoyed reading this and you have a go yourself!

 

Enjoy!

 

Love, Hannah x

 





Recipe | Baked Apple

I make this so much when I have apples that need eating. It's great for a pudding, or snack, or a really light quick meal maybe.

If you fancy making something that looks a bit like this, keep reading:

You will need (per serving):

One Apple
A handful of sultanas
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon


What to do:

1) Preheat your oven to 190⁰C/ Gas Mark 5

2) De-core the apple. I used an apple corer but if you don't have one just use a very sharp knife

3) Place the apple on the baking tray. Fill the apple centre with Sultanas. (You could also used other mixed fruit like cherries or apricots)

4) Slowly pour the honey into the centre of the apple allowing it to soak down through the fruit.

5) If there is any excess honey rub it on the outside of the apple

6) Sprinkle with cinnamon

 



7) Bake for 12 - 15 minutes in the middle of the oven.

8) Once you've taken your apple out the oven, place it on a plate and drizzle with a little more honey.

So that's it. Hope you like the look of this. It's super simple, and only needs a couple of ingredients, and things you'll probably have in the cupboard!

Post again soon

Hannah x

Recipe | Peppermint Creams

I've been doing a lot of baking recently and find it so relaxing. Since I had the stroke, I've struggled with movement, co-ordination and grip in my left arm and hand. Cooking and baking is really good to wake it up a bit.

The other day, I went to the shops and picked up saw some peppermint extract (very exotic!). I had no idea what I'd do with it but decided to get it anyway.

I had no recipe so turned to the internet and found one for Peppermint Creams.

If you fancy making some that look a bit like these, continue reading....

You will need:

1 egg white
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 and 1/2 tsp of peppermint flavouring
400g Icing sugar
50g dark chocolate to decorate


What to do:

1) Whisk the egg white in a large mixing bowl until stiff peaks form as you lift the whisk out of the bowl.

2) Add the lemon juice and peppermint flavouring and whisk slowly.

3) Add icing sugar and whisk until a thick paste forms (I added it 50g at a time so that I didn't get covered when I turned the whisk on).
I found the paste to be quite hard to mix after I'd added about 300g of icing sugar so stirred it in first then finished it off with the whisk from that point.

4) Roll the paste out thinly onto a surface covered in icing sugar.

5)Cut out shapes with a cutter of your choice up to 5cm in size.

                                        

6) Chill in the fridge for 1 - 2 hours until they set.

Later.....

1) Melt the chocolate in bowl over a saucepan of boiling water - don't let the dish touch the water!

2) Decorate the peppermint creams with chocolate and put back in the fridge to set.
I drizzled chocolate over some and half dipped some - you could fully cover them if you have more chocolate!

And taa-dah.....you final peppermint creams may look a little bit like this....

 
The original recipe says it makes between 15 and 20! I got a lot more than that but I think these are the perfect size....the more the better!
They are sooo yummy and very moreish...I think I'll have one everytime I pass the fridge!

Hope you like them :)

Hannah x

To make mine I tweaked this recipe:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/peppermint_creams_00124
I'll definitely go back to BBC Food for more recipes, there was such a great variety and it was really easy to find what I was looking for.