I remember buying cinder toffee from Darwen market with my Grandpa when I was little - the stuff there was chocolate coated, which you could do with this homemade version too. To stop the cinder toffee melting, the easiest way to do this is by drizzling melted chocolate over the set toffee.
Both the cinder toffee, also known as honeycomb or hokey pokey apparently, and the chocolate pots are very quick and easy to make and can be made in advance. I had a hard time not scoffing all the cinder toffee before the big day though - be warned!
Chocolate pots
Ingredients: (makes enough for 6 small espresso cups)
1 x 100g bar good quality dark chocolate
300ml tub double cream
Couple of drops vanilla extract
Method:
Break up the chocolate in a glass bowl.
Gently bring the double cream to the boil in a saucepan.
Pour over the chocolate and stir to mix well. Add the vanilla extract.
Pour into individual espresso cups cover and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours to set. The chocolate pots will keep well for a couple of days.
Cinder toffee (Nigella's recipe)
Ingredients:
100g caster sugar
4 tablespoons golden syrup
1 and 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
Method:
Grease a baking tray and put aside.
Put caster sugar and golden syrup into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Roughly mix. Turn heat on to medium and let the caster sugar and syrup melt. You can gently swirl if necessary but you mustn't stir once on the heat.
Once the mixture has melted, cook for a further 3-4 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.
Take off the heat and immediately add the bicarb of soda. Whisk together. The mixture should fluff up into a golden cloud. Pour into your pre-prepared baking tray and leave to set. Break into pieces once set.
