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 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.
What is chocolate sponge candy? ›
The toffee section, or the “sponge”, is completely coated with milk or dark chocolate. Sponge candy is made from a few simple ingredients. Sugar, corn syrup, water, vinegar, and baking soda are what create the magical filling of sponge candy.
What is a substitute for dark corn syrup? ›
Molasses can be used in place of dark corn syrup in an equal amount when making baked goods, glazes, and sauces. Alternatively, you can combine 1 part molasses with 3 parts light corn syrup to match the color, flavor, and consistency of dark corn syrup more closely.
Why is it called angel 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 does angel food cake taste weird? ›
The egg taste might be due to using low-quality eggs, not fully incorporating the eggs into the batter, overmixing, or other factors. Here are some steps you can take to help get rid of the egg taste: Use Fresh Eggs: Ensure you're using fresh eggs. Older eggs can sometimes have a more pronounced taste.
Why is my honeycomb chewy not crunchy? ›
Chewy honeycomb happens when the mixture hasn't been cooked for long enough. This is most common when you don't use a sugar thermometer. If you don't heat the mixture to 149°C the sugar won't achieve the brittleness required for that crumbly, crunchy texture.
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 candy is named after an infant girl? ›
In 1920, the Curtiss Candy Company refashioned its Kandy Kake into the Baby Ruth, and it became the best-selling confection in the five-cent confectionery category by the late 1920s. The bar was a staple of the Chicago-based company for more than six decades.
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 are rascals candy? ›
Description. Candy Retailer Rascals Hard Fruit Shaped Candy come in assorted fruit flavors and colors. The fruit shaped candies come in assorted colors and fruit flavors including strawberry, peach, banana, and blueberry.
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 is Buffalo NY known for? ›
There are several theories on how sponge candy became one of Buffalo's many claims to fame. One thing is for certain – there's a ton of BuffaLove for the airy, crunchy-yet-creamy, sweet confection that Buffalonians have called their own since the early 1900s.
What states have sponge candy? ›
Making sponge candy the old-fashioned way
Many parts of Buffalo and Western New York may take claim to the origin of sponge candy, however, the unique candy is popular in many areas of the country.
What does angel food have in it? ›
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups egg whites.
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar.
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
- ½ teaspoon almond extract.
- 1 ¼ cups cake flour.
- 1 ¾ cups white sugar.
Ingredient List. These peanut butter pinwheels are the perfect no-bake treat! They're made with a simple dough of mashed potatoes, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and salt, and then filled with creamy peanut butter. They're easy to make and taste so amazing!
What is seafoam candy made of? ›
Combine light brown and white sugars, water, corn syrup, and salt in a heavy 2 quart saucepan. Cook covered until mixture boils rapidly. Remove lid, place candy thermometer in pan, and cook without stirring to 260 degrees F (127 degrees C). Remove from heat.
