Honeycomb

This recipe tastes SO good, and it looks so cool, too! When you mix in the baking soda, the honeycomb mixture becomes bubbly and oozy, and it is sure to capture the attention of people of all ages.

What you need:

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 8 teaspoons honey
• 8 teaspoons golden syrup, maple syrup, or dark corn syrup (I used a mixture of maple syrup and corn syrup)
• 8 teaspoons water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• Parchment paper
• A tray
• A candy thermometer
• A pot

Steps:

• Grease a baking tray and line it with parchment paper.

• Add sugar, honey, golden syrup, and water to a large pot.

• Mix the ingredients over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
• Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.

• Allow the mixture to boil for about 10-15 minutes until it reaches 300 ^oF, then quickly remove the pot from the heat.

• Add the baking soda and quickly stir the mixture.

• Pour the honeycomb onto the prepared tray.

• Allow the honeycomb to cool and break it into small pieces.

• Melt the chocolate and dip each piece into the chocolate.

• Allow the chocolate on the pieces to cool in the fridge, then enjoy your tasty treat!

What makes the honeycomb so bubbly?

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate (NAHCO₃), is a base, which means it has a high pH. Alkalines react with acids, or things with a low pH, in acid base reactions. The honey and golden syrup that are used in the recipe are acidic. When we add sodium bicarbonate to the honeycomb mixture, an acid base chemical reaction occurs, creating carbon dioxide (CO₂). Carbon dioxide is a gas, so it causes the mixture to bubble and foam, making it to appear to grow in size, turning the hot toffee into honeycomb.