Cinder Toffee Recipe (Honeycomb) - British & Regional Recipes

British Recipes > Cinder Toffee (Honeycomb)

How to make cinder toffee:

This recipe would have been popular with children before sweets/candies were readily available in the shops. Probably originate from the North of England and the name 'cinder' comes from the appearance of the toffee which does look like a burnt out piece of coal i.e. a cinder. This sort of toffee is now more commonly called 'honeycomb'. See Cooking with Sugar.

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1/4 pint water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
(see measure conversions for more information)

Method

- Boil sugar and water for about 20 minutes.
- Have a deep bowl of cold water ready.
- Take the toffee from the heat, quickly add the bicarbonate of soda (the toffee will rise up). - Then pour the toffee into the cold water. - When cold put onto a plate and eat.

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If you ended up with brown water, it sounds like you liberated the mixture from the flames too soon, and the water content was too high so it encouraged the dissolution of the delicious tasty candy goodness.

You should try again, but let the water boil away until the mixture reaches a semi-thick consistency. Be careful of the stuff when it is thick, it is like napalm and will cause deep burns if you should happen to accidentally paint it on yourself.

-ALH

#13 - Adrian - 04/28/2008 - 11:18

Where did cinder toffee originate more precise than the north of england?

#12 - Brian - 04/27/2008 - 13:58

The recipe didn't work for me - had to go straight in the bin. :¬(

#11 - sarah - 04/27/2008 - 08:26

Crunchie bars are cinder toffee coated in chocolate.
You need to cool as quickly as possible to keep the honeycombe texture - try filling the sink with cold water, pouring the mixture into a tin then placing the tin in the water cooling bath - dont need to submerge but you can if you want as long as you have reached a high enough temp with the sugar

#10 - Michelle - 03/21/2008 - 06:01

Sugar is soluble in water, so if you leave it in the water it all dissolves and turns into brown water.

If you have a sugar thermometer is should reach 138 Degrees Centigrade. If you havn't got a thermometer drop a small amount of the liquid into a jug of water and see if it sets, it not more cooking needed.

Adding it to the water should cool it quickly, then remove it, however, simply pouring into a greeseproof lined baking tray and being patient works better.

#9 - Andrew - 01/07/2008 - 11:33

Would that toffee be called Puff Candy??? Because I would'nt put it in a bowl of water I've done a similar one and put it on a tray with greaseproof paper ,and it does'nt dissappear inthe water,then you can knock 7bells to break it into eatible bit, lovely grub Thanks Alex xx

#8 - Alex - 10/18/2007 - 19:38

if you use caster sugar it gets a better consistancy or however you spell it

#7 - ryan - 10/09/2007 - 08:27

Problems with setting are because the mixture hasn't reached a high enough temperature. Look at the cooking with sugar section.

#6 - mary - 08/14/2007 - 10:20

I followed all the instructions,but when I poured the toffee liquid into the cold water,All I ended up with was brown water.Where did I go wrong

#5 - Gary - 08/13/2007 - 09:48

I have always used granulated sugar for this recipe.

#4 - Mary - 07/28/2007 - 15:51

what type of sugar works best for this recipe? thanks!

#3 - emma - 07/28/2007 - 05:06

It sounds as if the toffee hasn't reached a high enough temperature or it hasn't boiled for long enough.I tried it and it worked ok. You get a sort of honeycombe (like the middle of a Crunchie bar).

#2 - mjay - 06/20/2007 - 16:37

followed instructions but when poured the toffee into the deep bowl of cold water i waited untill cold when i looked there was no toffee there just a bowl of brown water could you clear this up for me please

#1 - craig - 06/17/2007 - 07:55

;-)really good, clear instructions. Completly easy to follow and amazingly easy to read. Me and my kids followed your instructions exactly and our toffee was lovely.
Thankyou xx

#0 - Emily - 04/15/2007 - 05:10


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