A timeless classic Christmas candy that's light and airy candy inside and chocolate-dipped on the outside. Easy to make! Great for cookie exchanges and hostess gifts because it keeps fresh for a long time!
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Additional Time2 hourshrs
Total Time2 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Course: Candy & Treats
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate sponge candy, homemade candy, homemade Christmas candy, honeycomb candy, sponge candy, sponge candy recipe, what is sponge candy
Servings: 24
Calories: 154kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
1cupgranulated sugar
½cupdark corn syrup
½cuphoney
1tablespoonwater
2 ½teaspoonsbaking sodasifted
2cupsmilk chocolate melting waferssuch as Ghirardelli
Instructions
Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper, and spray it very well with cooking spray; set aside.
To a high-sided medium stockpot* (See Notes), add the sugar, dark corn syrup, honey, water and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally to encourage the sugar to melt.
After the sugar has melted, clip a candy thermometer to the side of your stockpot, and do not touch it. Don't stir, move the pot, just let it be and leave it alone, until the mixture reaches 300F exactly. Do not overcook! It will take about 20 minutes to come up to 300F, give or take. The mixture will start looking increasingly thick, opaque, and yellow; this is normal.
Remove the pot from the heat, and immediately add the baking soda.
Pour mixture into prepared pan and allow it cool to set up, about 1 hour.
After it has cooled, either break it into pieces or slice it with a knife. It's crumbly and won't slice evenly or perfectly so don't worry about that.
To a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate melting wafers** (See Notes) according to the package directions.
Dip the candy into the chocolate to coat it. I find this easiest by balancing the candy on a wide-tined fork and letting the excess chocolate run through.
Place dipped candies on a large sheet of parchment paper and allow chocolate to set up, about 1 hours. Optionally, add festive-colored holiday sprinkles at this point before the chocolate sets up, if desired.
Candy will keep airtight at room temp for at least 2 weeks (probably at least 1 month); I don't recommend refrigerating or freezing it because the texture will change.*** (See Notes)
Notes
*Use a sufficiently tall, high-sided stock pot. The mixture will expand and bubble up pretty dramatically as it boils so use a pot with ample room; bigger or taller than you probably think you need.**Use Ghirardelli Chocolate Melting Wafers rather than chocolate chips for your dipping chocolate. It’s less prone to seizing, can be reheated, and stays dip-able longer than chocolate chips will.***Being that you can store the candy airtight for at least 2 weeks, it makes great gifts for teachers, coaches, friends, coworkers, or as hostess gifts.Pack the candy up in cute reusable jars or a festive looking cellophane bags, and as you find yourself needing little gifts throughout the holiday season, you’ll have some already ready to go.****Serving size is 1 piece of approximately 24 pieces the batch makes, you can make them smaller or larger if desired. Nutritional info is provided as a courtesy and is an approximation only.