Sponge Toffee (Honeycomb Toffee)

Sponge Toffee smashed up into bite sized pieces.

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4.48 from 19 votes

Sponge Toffee (Honeycomb Toffee)

A classic sponge toffee recipe, made in your own kitchen (and it’s easier than you think!)

Cook Time3 30

Total Time3 30

Course: Dessert, Holiday Baking

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 128kcal

Author: Jessica

Ingredients

2 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
½ cup Corn Syrup
½ cup Water
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
4 oz Semi Sweet Chocolate for topping (optional)

Instructions

It is important to read this entire recipe before you begin. The steps move fast, and you need to be ready to work fast with the candy.
Line a 9”x13” glass baking dish with parchment paper. Grease parchment paper using a little bit of butter. In a small bowl sift together the baking soda and cream of tartar, set aside. Measure out the pure vanilla extract and place it in a small bowl.
In a large saucepan (use a larger saucepan than you think you need; the mixture bubbles up very quickly), add the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir together and place over medium/high heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves and it just starts to bubble. Stop stirring and insert a candy thermometer. Let the mixture boil until it reaches 300°F on the candy thermometer.
Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to an area that is close to the lined baking dish. Add the vanilla extract, and using a whisk, stir vigorously for 5 seconds. The mixture will bubble rapidly during this time. Sprinkle the soda/cream of tartar mixture over the top and whisk vigorously again for 5-10 seconds. The mixture will start to expand and bubble VERY QUICKLY.
Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Do not touch or move the pan after the toffee mixture has been poured in, touching or moving it risks deflating the bubbles created in the mixture. You will notice that the mixture continues to expand for a couple of minutes until it is puffy. Let the sponge toffee rest for at least 2 hours until it is fully cooled and set. The sponge toffee is fully set when it is firm and you can knock on it gently and it sounds hollow.
After the sponge toffee is set, melt the chocolate in a small microwave safe container, stirring after every 30 seconds until it is fully melted. Pour the melted chocolate over top of the sponge toffee and use a spatula to spread it out. Let the chocolate set by refrigerating the sponge toffee for around 15-30 minutes.
After the chocolate has hardened, remove the sponge toffee from the pan and peel off the parchment paper. Place the block of sponge toffee on a large cutting board, and using a butter knife, firmly insert the butter knife vertically into the sponge toffee, twisting slightly to break it apart. Repeat in random spots until the sponge toffee is all broken up into pieces.

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Notes

Working with candy can be dangerous. Do not touch the toffee before it is set, it will be hot and sticky. In this state, it will instantly adhere to your skin and can cause serious severe burns.
Sponge Toffee can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoyed for up to 1-2 weeks.
To clean: You will notice that the toffee in the pot, on the thermometer, and anything else you use will be covered in rock-hard toffee candy. To easily clean this, put everything that has hard candy on it into the pot that you made the sponge toffee in, cover it completely with water and bring it to a boil on the stove. You will notice that all of the candy dissolves, and then your utensils can be washed as normal.

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