Chocolate-Dipped Honeycomb

Honeycomb, also known as sponge candy or hokey pokey, is a deliciously crunchy and rich candy that can easily be made at home. With a distinctive airy texture and the appearance of a honeycomb, this sweet treat requires a few ingredients and patience. Slow and steady is the way to go, as rushing things in candy making will always yield candy with the wrong texture and flavor. Our recipe, beyond giving you the wonderful honeycomb, instructs on how to cover it in decadent chocolate for a confection that is as delicious to eat as it is beautiful to look at.

In order to achieve a crisp texture and fluffy appearance, baking soda comes into play. By adding this ingredient to the hot syrup, a million bubbles of carbon dioxide are released, giving the candy pockets of air that will keep as the candy cools off. Baking soda also gives some flavor and allows the candy to be more chewable. To that extent, a note of caution: Honeycomb requires some chewing, thus making it unsuitable for people with extensive dental work that can become loose.

Before you start, we recommend you have everything ready: all ingredients measured, a heavy-bottomed saucepan, a baking pan, a pastry brush, and a candy thermometer. You want to use a saucepan large enough so that the mixture can triple in size and still be safely contained. You can control the thickness of the honeycomb by selecting a pan size based on your preference. If you use an 11x17-inch pan, the honeycomb will be approximately 1/4-inch thick, while a 13x9-inch pan will yield a 1/2-inch candy. For an ever thicker candy, use an 8x8-inch pan. Note that the amount of chocolate required may vary depending on how thick you made your honeycomb and how many pieces you make.