Old Fashioned Angel Food Candy is one of the easiest and tastiest homemade candy recipes!
I have a confession to make…I haven’t started my Christmas shopping yet. Not one single gift has been purchased. As of when I’m writing this post, I have 13 days to get all of my shopping done, wrapped, and under the tree. Eeeeeks!
I just want to sit around eating Christmas candy, snuggled under blankets, reading books or watching movies. I don’t want to shop. Do you want to come do all my Christmas shopping for me? Please? If you do I’ll make a batch of this Angel Food Christmas Candy for you. Deal?
Truth be told, Angel Food candy is so easy to make, I’d get the better end of the deal. While you’d be out hitting the over crowded mall, standing in long lines, fighting over parking spaces, getting tangled up in tape, looking for your scissors, etc. I’d be mixing up just a few ingredients to create some of the tastiest Christmas candy around.
I have an aunt who used to make Angel Food Candy each year, and it wasn’t until she brought it up to me the other day that I even remembered it. It’s probably been 30 years since I’ve had Angel Food Candy, but now that she’s given me the recipe and I’ve made it myself, you can bet another year won’t go by without me making it again.
You may be wondering what Angel Food Candy is. It’s kind of hard to describe but it’s a hard-ish candy, also known as “sponge candy” or “honeycomb candy”. It tastes like toffee, but has a more airy, crunchy center, and the inside looks like a sponge or honeycomb. Most Angel Food Candy doesn’t include sea salt, but I decided to up the ante just a bit and add a sprinkling of San Francisco Salt Co’s Fleur de Sel (French Sea Salt). Angel Food Candy is good without it, but amazing with. I wouldn’t skip this step if I were you!
The key to getting the center of this candy just right is making sure you don’t let the temperature of the mixture go past 300°F. The most accurate thermometer I’ve found for candy and other things is the ThermoWorks Thermapen. This isn’t sponsored…I just absolutely love this food thermometer. It is so fast and accurate, I’ve never had better luck making candy than I have when using the Thermapen. (It’s spendy, but now that I’ve used it for about a year, I think the price is well worth it!). You can buy a Thermapen on Amazon here.
If you are looking for an easy and different candy to include in your holiday entertaining plans, I can’t recommend this Angel Food Candy enough. Definitely make it! Now, I’ve got to go because I’ve got some Christmas shopping to get started. Enjoy!
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Angel Food Candy, also known as Honeycomb Candy or Sponge Candy, is a simple treat to add to your holiday entertaining gifts!
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 25 minutes minutes
Servings 12 servings
Author Dine & Dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup dark corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon San Francisco Salt Co Fleur de Sel optional
Instructions
In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and vinegar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Cook without stirring until the temperature reaches 300° (hard-crack stage) on a candy thermometer. Do not overcook (and remember that the temperature will continue to rise even after you turn the heat off, so work quickly at this point).
Remove from the heat and quickly stir in baking soda. Quickly pour into a buttered 9-in. x 9-in. glass pan. Do not spread candy. Just pour it in and let it set.
When cool, break into bite-size pieces.
In the meantime, melt chocolate chips and vegetable oil together over low heat. Once melted, dip candy pieces into the chocolate, shake off excess and set on waxed paper. Sprinkle with Fleur de Sel (optional) and serve once chocolate is hardened.
Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
FAQs
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, corn syrup and vinegar. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Heat, without stirring, to 300 to 310 degrees F or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard, brittle threads. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda.
Why does my angel food candy fall? ›
It's normal for the mixture to rise and then fall some in the pan. Let cool completely.
What is fairy food made of? ›
Also known as “yellowman” in Northern Ireland, “fairy food candy” in Wisconsin, and “puff candy” in Scotland, the candy is made by combining sugar, a golden syrup and bicarbonate (or baking) soda. This final ingredient produces the candy's iconic texture.
What is the candy with angel in the name? ›
Sugar and dark corn syrup are cooked with vinegar and tempered with baking soda to make a crunchy candy that gets covered in a chocolate coating.
Why is it called Angels food? ›
The name, which comes from the texture, which is "so light that angels could eat it and still fly without being weighted down", has given it a special association in some communities.
Why is cinder toffee called honeycomb? ›
Cinder toffee, also commonly known as honeycomb toffee, sponge toffee, or hokey pokey, is a light and crunchy confection with a distinctive honeycomb-like texture. It's a popular treat known for its aerated, spongy structure and rich, toffee-like flavour that's both sweet and slightly burnt.
Why do you cool angel food upside down? ›
Cooled in the pan incorrectly: Inverting the pan ensures that the cake continues to expand and hold its shape once cooled. Cooling the cake upside down is crucial – if you cool the cake in the pan right side up, the cake will collapse on itself.
Why does angel food cake upset my stomach? ›
The gas and bloating you've experienced after eating your cake is because of the gastrointestinal side effects of the maltitol and lactitol. These sweeteners are slowly and only partly absorbed from the digestive tract, and this can cause a laxative effect or gas.
Why is my angel food sticky? ›
Sticky cake and cupcake tops are from a reaction with sugar and water. Sugars are hygroscopic, meaning they attract water. Within baked goods, sugars help maintain a moist and tender crumb. Sugar on the exposed tops, however, will grab water from humid air, creating a wet or sticky top.
What is seafoam candy made of? ›
Combine the brown sugar, dark corn syrup, and vinegar over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, cook without stirring until a candy thermometer reaches 300 F or "hard-crack" stage.
There really isn't a difference between these, other than the regional origin of said names. In the US, this candy is usually called honeycomb candy, or sponge candy, or fairy food. Usually this is made with sugar and corn syrup or honey, and baking soda.
Why is sponge candy so expensive? ›
The Sponge Candy recipe while not complicated does require some specific and expensive equipment to make it and many candy shops around the US do not make their own candy but buy and resell mass produced candy. Lastly the number of people sharing and passing on this Buffalo specific recipe is declining.
What candy has a daddy in the name? ›
The Sugar Daddy was created in 1925 by The James O. Welch Company and was originally called a "papa sucker." In 1932, the company changed the candy's name to Sugar Daddy.
What is a Valentine candy? ›
Sweethearts (also known as conversation hearts) are small heart-shaped sugar candies sold around Valentine's Day. Each heart is printed with a message such as "Be Mine", "Kiss Me", "Call Me", "Let's Get Busy", or "Miss You".
What are trolls candy? ›
Turn snack time into hug time with DreamWorks Trolls candy from Jelly Belly! We've created an assortment of fun jelly bean flavors inspired by the entire Trolls cast, complete with Berry Blue, Orange Sherbet, Jewel Very Cherry, Sunkist Lemon and Sunkist Lime.
What is honeycomb candy made of? ›
Honeycomb toffee, honeycomb candy, sponge toffee, cinder toffee, seafoam, or hokey pokey is a sugary toffee with a light, rigid, sponge-like texture. Its main ingredients are typically brown sugar (or corn syrup, molasses or golden syrup) and baking soda, sometimes with an acid such as vinegar.
What is the pork product in candy? ›
Candy. Numerous foods contain gelatin, a protein derived from the collagen in cow or pig bones, skin and connective tissues. It's often used as a thickening or stabilizing agent and can be found in a variety of candies, including Altoids, gummy candies and Starburst chews, among others.
What is pig candy made of? ›
Pig candy is a dessert made by taking thick strips of smoked bacon and pecans and coating them in caramel or another type of sugar, notably brown sugar. Cayenne pepper can be added and it can be dipped in chocolate.
What is plant based candy made of? ›
Vegan candies use familiar ingredients like sugar, honey, and molasses from sugar cane or beets. This makes for a familiar sweet taste that's reminiscent of traditional candy. Vegan candy also uses many fruits like raisins, apricots, and dates in its recipes.
