Japan – Karumeyaki (Honeycomb Toffee/Sponge Toffee)

by Zayna Khan

Honeycomb caramel, caramel sponge, hokey pokey, No matter what you call this pack, we all agree that it is one of a kind. Crunchy, light, and sweet pieces of caramel plunge you back into childhood for sure. This is actually a toffee or you can say dessert that will bring you to your childhood memories. This looks like a honeycomb but has a very caramel taste. Its color is like honey, its appearance is like honeycomb so named it, Honeycomb toffee. It has many other names like given below.

• Honeycomb caramel
• Caramel sponge
• Hokey pokey
• Sponge toffee
• Cider toffee
• Seafoam
• Golden crunchies

These homemade honey candies covered in dark chocolate sprinkled with sea salt – have the perfect balance of sweet chocolate, caramel, crunchy, salty, and sweet. The karumeyaki is made of sugar usually brown sugar, so it will always be sweet, but overcoming that sweetness with salt, butter, and cooking techniques is key and helps remove all the sugar kick in this candy and creates the exact honeycomb appearance in the toffee.

This Karumeyaki will last longer in dry environments, be sure to freeze or put it in a cold environment to make sure they hold their shape in the Humid area. A crispy bar dipped in chocolate will last for a month.

TOFFEE

Toffee is actually a dessert or candy, the snack that is created by caramelizing the sugar with butter, some salt, flour if required. Then the cooking temperature is very crucial. Many essences, nuts, flavors, some special elements are added like sprinkles, chocolate, etc, and convert into the shape. This forms a toffee.

• Toffee is hard to do the temperature to melts the sugar into caramelized form is about 150 to 160 degrees celsius.

• If you want the chewy candy-like texture then milk and cream are added and the temperature must be below 100 degrees.

• The thermometer is essential for making toffee to accurate temperature measurements.

REGIONAL NAMES OF THE DISH

CINDER TOFFEE

In Britain, this is known as cider toffee. It is referred to as brittle toffee similar to the Bonefire toffee.

Yellowman, Yellaman is the yellow chewy toffee in Netherland that can be resembled this Japanese Kamuyaki. This is famous worldwide ad Japanese has its own flavor and texture.

ANGEL FOOD CANDY/FAIRY FOOD CANDY

It is the chocolate-covered candy. It is soft by adding the chocolate topping and crunchy toffee. This is a very unique version of the toffee and called by this name, Fairy food candy.

OLD FASHIONED PUFFS

In Massachusetts, this is known as old-fashioned puffs. First of all, they look like puffs, sponges but the hardest version. Puffs must be considered soft elements. But they are hard to crack and sweet. They are considered as Old fashioned puffs.

Nowadays the puffs are old with cream and they are very soft like a bun or cake. But these puffs are hard so they name them as old-fashioned.

SEA FOAM

These are also known by the name seafoam, Because of their appearance, they look like a foam very light and airy, but they are very dense and hard. They are known as seafoam in many areas like :

• Maine
• Wahington
• Utah
• California
• Michigan

MANY OTHER NAMES LIKE

• Gulali in Indonesia

• Sponge toffee (tire éponge) in Canada

• Ppopgi in Korea

• Swallowed Sugars in TAIWAN

• Turkish honey in Hungary

• karumeyaki in Japan

• Hokey Pokey in New zealand

TOPPINGS

There are toppings of the toffee

• Assorted sprinkles
• Blanched almonds
• Chocolae sprinkles
• Chocolate dip
• White chocolate
• Crushed peppermint
• Coconut
• Nuts
• Raisins
• Heat toffee crunch
• Peanut butter chips
• Cherries
• Mini Red jellies
• Walnuts
• Peanuts
• Maple syrup
• Cream and many more.

EQUIPMENTS REQUIRED

• Baking sheet & Parchment paper
• Cooing pot
• Whisk or mixer
• Wire rack.

INGREDIENTS

• Sugar : 2 cups
• Golden syrup : 1 cup
• Water : 1/4 cup
• Seasalt : 1 teaspoon
• Baking powder : 1 teaspoon ( bubbles like honeycomb )

• Chocolate dip as required
• Sprinkles as required

COOKING METHOD

• Take a cooking pot and add golden syrup with sugar and water to start dissolving it.
• Heat must be low so it may not burnt fromthe bottom.
• Wait until the sugar melts, now add seasalt and mix it continously.
• Now medium the flame and stirr continously.
• Add baking podwer, it will change the color of caramel to light yellow to bright yellow.
• The syrup temperature should be at 150 degrees of celsius to hard crack the candy.
• No remove it from flames and pour it in the flat tray.
• The thickness of the pan is 8 inches and spread it carefully.
• Now let it cool down completely.
• Donot break until it cool down.
• Now with the hammer crack this toffee in pieces.
• Serve and Enjoy 🙂