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Ballycastle yellowman
Honeycomb toffee
Yellowman: golden honeycomb toffee from the Lammas Fair
Yellowman is the bright yellow, brittle honeycomb toffee hacked from great slabs at the Ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle, County Antrim, at the end of every August, often eaten with dulse. Golden syrup, sugar and butter are boiled to the hard-crack stage and then foamed with bicarbonate of soda into a crunchy, airy toffee. Chef's tip: have the tin and the soda ready before you start; once it reaches temperature you have seconds.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 7 oz granulated sugar
- 7 oz golden syrup
- ⅞ oz butter
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of sodasifted
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Butter a 20 cm square tin. Put the 7 oz granulated sugar, 7 oz golden syrup, ⅞ oz butter and 1 tbsp white vinegar in a large, deep pan (it foams up a lot).
3 minStep 2: Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves, then boil without stirring for 8–10 minutes, until it reaches 300°F on a sugar thermometer, or until a drop snaps cleanly in cold water. Take care: the syrup is extremely hot.
12 minStep 3: Take off the heat, tip in the 1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda and whisk for 5 seconds only. It will foam up. A common mistake is over-whisking, which knocks out the bubbles.
1 minStep 4: Pour straight into the tin and do not spread it. Leave until completely cold and hard, about 1 hour, then break into pieces. Keep airtight, as it softens in damp air.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ballycastle yellowman take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of granulated sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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