Nigella's Hokey Pokey

Hmmmmmmmmm ... how to describe how this irresistible little treat ended up being made?  If I were to cut straight to the chase I would explain that I made it to go alongside a recipe that I tried to convert from an American magazine.  The recipe, for pie, failed ... I think maybe I didn't convert one or two of the weights quite right [hanging my head in shame] and so we ended up eating the pie with a straw purely as a 'tester' ... I have pledged to adapt the recipe until it can be eaten with a spoon!  Anyhoo, the pie was to have Honeycomb / Hokey Pokey / Cinder Toffee (call it what you will) generously layered on the top and the chief taste testers (namely Hubby and Mr JS) saw no point in wasting this treat.  They claimed a piece just happened to fall into their mouths every time they passed the tin!

Nigella's Hokey Pokey
100g caster sugar
60ml golden syrup
1 1/2 tsp bicarb of soda

Put the sugar and syrup into a saucepan and stir together to mix.  You mustn't stir once the pan's on the heat, though.

Place the pan on the heat and let the mixture first melt, then turn to goo and then to a bubbling mass the colour of maple syrup - this will take 3 mins or so.

Off the heat, whisk in the bocarbonate of soda and watch the syrup turn into a whooshing cloud of aerated pale gold.  Turn this immediately onto a piece of reusable baking parchment or greased foil.

Leave until set and then bash at it, so that it splinters into many glinting pieces.

Makes 125g
Nigella Express