Old Fashioned Sponge Candy Food

SPONGE CANDY

Steps:

• Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a medium heavy-bottomed, tall sided saucepan over medium heat, stir together the corn syrup, brown sugar, and vinegar. Stir frequently, bringing mixture to a boil.
• Once the mixture is boiling, attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan, making sure the tip of the thermometer is in the boiling liquid, but not touching the bottom of the pan.
• Continue to cook on medium without stirring the candy until it reaches 300°F on your candy thermometer.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Mixture will bubble up creating the bubbles and texture in the candy. Mix only until the baking soda is evenly combined, careful not to over-stir as this will deflate the bubbles.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan as evenly as you can. Tilt the pan around to help the candy spread, but don't hit the pan or use a spatula to spread, as this will deflate the bubbles. It's ok if it's not perfectly even.
• Sprinkle with flaked sea salt if desired, and allow the candy to cool in the pan for at least an hour.
• Remove candy from the pan using the parchment paper to lift it out and break the candy into pieces using a mallet or a knife. I don't worry too much about the pieces being perfectly shaped.

OLD FASHIONED SPONGE CANDY

Steps:

• line the bottom and sides of a 9x9" square pan -- with aluminum foil -- butter foil and set aside.
• combine sugar, vinegar and corn syrup in a heavy pan --
• stir once over medium heat till sugar dissolves --
• heat until mixture reaches the hard crack stage or 290*-310* on candy thermometer.
• remove from heat, carefully stir in baking soda.mixture will foam quite high --
• pour mixture into prepared pans, set aside at room temperature until firm --
• invert pan to remove candy.
• peel foil off and break candy into small pieces --
• store in an airtight container at room temperature -- .

SPONGE CANDY

Steps:

• Line 9-inch square cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with foil, extending foil over sides. Generously butter foil. Combine sugar, corn syrup and vinegar in heavy large deep saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Continue cooking without stirring until clip-on candy thermometer registers 300°F, swirling pan occasionally, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately add baking soda and stir until well combined (mixture will foam vigorously). Immediately pour mixture into prepared pan. Cool completely.
• Using foil as aid, lift, candy from pan; fold down foil sides. Cut or break candy into large pieces (save any small pieces or shreds to use as a topping for ice cream). (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

HONEYCOMB CANDY - AKA HOKEY-POKEY OR SPONGE CANDY

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, honey, and water, and using a wooden spoon, stir constantly over low heat until the sugar is fully dissolved.
• Put candy thermometer into the mixture to monitor temperature, increase the heat and boil mixture to exactly 270 degrees F (132C).
• Reduce heat to as low as possible and maintain the temperature 270F for exactly 15 minutes.
• It is very important that the temperature of the mixture does not fluctuate; if the temperature begins to rise, remove the pan from heat occasionally to reduce the heat.
• After the temperature has been maintained for 15 minutes, remove the pan from heat, take out the thermometer, and allow the bubbles to subside.
• Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in finely sifted baking soda.
• Immediately and quickly pour the mixture into a large oiled baking dish.
• (Please note, important: the pouring step requires strength and you'll be handling extremely hot liquids; if you're not strong and agile enough you might want to leave that step to a strong and able assistant.) When candy has completely cooled, remove from pan and break into pieces.
• Many lovers of honeycomb candy like to coat the pieces in chocolate- you can dunk the pieces into melted chocolate if you like.