Making My Own Crunchies

[Bren In Pots]

Thinking about it you're got to be right Manda, wonder if it turns out differently with vinegar.

[Jeanied]

Found it - I wasn't deluded! Makes a change
Yellow Man
Recipe for Yellow Man

Ingredients:

1 lb/ 1/2 kg/ 1 1/2 cups golden syrup
8oz/ 250g/ 1 cup brown sugar
1 heaped tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp malt vinegar
1 tbsp baking soda

In a large saucepan slowly melt together all the ingredients except the baking soda. Do not stir. Boil until a drop hardens in cold water (240°F, 190°C on a sugar thermometer). Stir in the baking soda. The toffee will immediately foam up as the vinegar releases the gas from the baking soda. Pour out onto a greased slab or the back of a baking tray and while just cool enough to handle fold the edges towards the centre and pull repeatedly until the whole mass is a pale yellow colour. Allow to cool and harden in a greased tin and break into chunks with a toffee hammer.

[OllieMartin]

Okay forum genii,
If I'm going to make bars out of this honeycomb; how can I mould the hot mixture into shape? Once it tries I'm not sure I could successfully cut it into bars, and I can't find a suitably shaped mould that I'd risk searingly hot sugar in.
Anyone know where I could buy a mould?

[OllieMartin]

hmmmm, perhaps this one:

Paton Calvert Flexible Silicon Ovenware 9 Cup Mini Loaf Mould - 6797 [5012597679700] - £6.99

[Jeanied]

Hi Boss, how about eclair moulds? Whadyathink?

[OllieMartin]

Hi Boss, how about eclair moulds? Whadyathink?
[ATTACH]12160[/ATTACH]

That's just the kind of thinking I'd expect from a board member! Good work

[Shadylane]

What about an ice cube tray, they wouldn't be bars obviosuly but chuck in your gob size cubes. mmmmm

[bluemoon]

My Nan used to make this when we were kids and I'd forgotten all about it. Must try some.

[Rhona]

I thought I'd make some, pour it into bar-shaped moulds and then chocolate coat it to make homemade Crunchies

You're not going stay single for long with that kind of talk, young man.


Gordon Ramsey has a gorg recipe for honeycomb ice cream, so if you've got any left over, after the chocolate-coating frenzy, you could try that? I can post if you like. Or you could just sit with them on a plate with a cup of tea and a copy of Heat magazine, but I suspect that's just me.

[OllieMartin]

Okay, the mould arrived and it looks perfect. So perfect it's given me another idea:
How easy is it to make chilli chocolate?

I'm guessing that if I melt chocolate and mix in chopped chillies...voila!
Can it really be that simple? And will that actually be tastey?

[ginger ninger]

Chocolate and chili are a great combination, I had some chili chocolates bought for my birthday this year...yummy.
I would think that if you finely chopped up a chili and mixed it with the chocolate, it would be OK, just make a small amount first, that way if you don't like it you've not waisted too much chocolate (now that would be sacrilege).

[OllieMartin]

Chocolate and chili are a great combination, I had some chili chocolates bought for my birthday this year...yummy.
I would think that if you finely chopped up a chili and mixed it with the chocolate, it would be OK, just make a small amount first, that way if you don't like it you've not waisted too much chocolate (now that would be sacrilege).

Good point, what's to lose‽

Making some....now!

[Pumpkin Becki]

Ollie, don't be surprised if your chocolate 'blooms' (where the surface goes dull). Ideally you should temper the chocolate before coating or moulding it, especially if you plan to give it as gifts. See link...

Learn How to Temper Chocolate

'Course, if its for your own personal consumption immediately, then the bloom won't have formed, so you'll be fine!!

[OllieMartin]

Ollie, don't be surprised if your chocolate 'blooms' (where the surface goes dull). Ideally you should temper the chocolate before coating or moulding it, especially if you plan to give it as gifts. See link...

Learn How to Temper Chocolate

'Course, if its for your own personal consumption immediately, then the bloom won't have formed, so you'll be fine!!

Great advice, thanks Numbers. Didn't notice any tempering yet, but I only got it out of the fridge this morning. Will have to invest in a thermometer.

So now I need ideas for presentation. I don't really fancy wrapping the bars in cling-flim or presenting them in a freezer bag! Any thoughts?

[Pumpkin Becki]

Lakeland do little cellophane bags suitable for food use

Lakeland, the home of creative kitchenware

(I suspect there are cheaper/ higher volume places to buy this sort of thing from too.) I bought the clear gusseted ones last year and gave my new neighbours little gifts of peppermint creams for Christmas.