Coconut Ice and Honeycomb Recipes

This week in Baking Club, the children made two different types of confectionery.

First, they made coconut ice, which was cut into pieces once set and put into bags. This would make a perfect Christmas gift!

Then, with adult supervision, they made honeycomb. It was amazing to see it grow and react when the bicarbonate of soda was added!

The recipes for these sweet treats are below - please share your results with Mrs London if you have a try at home!

Coconut Ice

380g icing sugar, sifted

320g desiccated coconut

1 x 397g tin condensed milk

Few drops pink or red food colouring gel

1. Line your baking tin with baking paper.

2. Sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the desiccated coconut and condensed milk, then stir together with a wooden spoon until you have a stiff mixture.

3. Divide the coconut mixture in two and remove half of it from the bowl to the lined tin.

4. Add the food colour to the remaining half a tiny bit at a time, mixing it in until you have your desired shade of pink.

5. Press the white coconut mixture down in the tin to the edges, and gently flatten with a wooden spoon to make the bottom layer.

6. Add the pink mixture and press down into the corners, then flatten to make the pink layer. Press it down so that the two layers stick together.

7. Chill in the fridge for two hours, or until set. Remove from the fridge and cut into small squares.

Honeycomb

200g caster sugar

5 tbsp golden syrup

60ml water

2 tsp baking soda

1. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Combine sugar, syrup and water in a heavy medium sized saucepan and set it over a medium low heat. Stir gently until the sugar has mostly dissolved.

3. Turn the heat up to a medium high or high heat and brush away any sugar crystals from the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in water. Do not stir the mixture.

4. Once the mixture starts to bubble, keep a close eye on it. The bubbles will go from rapid and frenzied to slow and appear almost like glass. As soon as it reaches this stage, watch the colour carefully. As soon as it reaches a deep amber colour like that of maple syrup, remove the pot from the stove.

5. Place the pot on a heat proof surface, and make sure your prepared tray is nearby.

6. Add the baking soda and quickly whisk it into the caramel.

7. Pour the now foaming caramel onto the baking tray and leave it to set. Once cool, after about an hour, break it into pieces using a heavy rolling pin or similar.