Puff Candy is a sweetie that I’ve always associated with Scotland, it can also be known as Hokey Pokey, Cinder Toffee, Candy Toffee to name but a few. Whatever it’s name by making it yourself you are assured a quality product at a fraction of the price of it’s well known counterpart. It does come with an extreme sweetness warning so when I make this I love to share it out.
Ingredients
- 250g of Caster Sugar
- 125mls of Golden Syrup or Corn Syrup
- 3tsps of Bicarbonate of Soda
- 100g of chocolate (optional)
Method
- Line a large tin with grease proof paper.
- Measure the sugar and syrup into a large heavy based pan.
- Stir to combine once, then heat until the sugar has melted.
- Bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat until your mix turns a golden brown. this will take between 3 & 5 mins.
- Remove from the heat and very quickly beat the bicarb of soda into the mixture.
- Do not panic when the mixture starts to foam and rise up your pot, this is normal.
- Quickly pour into your prepared tin and leave to set. this will take around 1-2 hours.
- Once cold and set, remove from the tin and carefully peel off the paper, set the paper aside.
- Place on a chopping board and taking care, cut into shards.
- If using, melt your chocolate in a bowl over a pot of boiling water.
- Remove from the heat and dip your puff candy into the melted chocolate, set aside on your saved grease proof paper. Allow to set.
- Keep your Puff candy in an airtight container. It should keep for up to two weeks.
- Do not leave your candy out in the open air once set as the sugar shall start to bleed out.
- Share with friends and family and enjoy
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I associate this with Bonfire night – my Mum used to make Plot Toffee (Cinder Toffee) and Parkin Pigs – little pig shaped biscuits of parkin.
This just brought memories flooding back, Helen. Looking at the picture, and reading the recipe, I can even remember the taste.
You mention how sweet it is – never mind how sticky! Incredibly sticky – lovely to lick fingers after eating it.
The first year I was away at university – Mum sent me a tin for Bonfire night, containing …her home-made Plot Toffee and Parkin Pigs, so I wouldn’t miss home too much. Needless to say – it made me miss home even more!
Memories, Helen, memories – food memories – taste memories. Thanks, Helen – that has taken me back a long time, to some very happy times.
Is is 3 teaspoons or tablespoons of baking soda?
tsps is teaspoons. Tablespoons would be Tbsps.
Is it baking chocolate? Unsweetened?
What about putting cocoa powder into the mix instead of dipping in melted chocolate? I figured out the answer to my what type of chocolate once I realized it was being dipped into the chocolate. It is sweetened.
Sorry for not getting back to you, been out of phone contact. Glad you’ve figured out what to do, either plain chocolate or milk chocolate work for dipping, down to your own preference. I’ve never tried putting cocoa into the puff candy however I am a firm believer in trial and error.Let me know how you get on. H