Caramels, Honeycomb and Nougat-style Sweets

Hot sugar: sugar syrup and caramel are far hotter than boiling water, and they stick to skin and burn badly. Use a large, heavy pan, keep the handle turned in, stand back when adding cream or bicarbonate, and keep a bowl of cold water nearby. Nothing leaves the pan until it has cooled, and children should not help with this chapter's sugar work.

Adding cream: warm the cream first and pour it in slowly, with the pan off the heat and your arm well back. Cold cream makes the sugar spit and seize into a lump; if it does, return it to a low heat and stir until it melts again.

Sugar thermometer: use a thermometer that is rated for hot sugar (up to about 180°C), clip it to the pan without letting it touch the bottom, and put it in warm water, not cold, after use so it doesn't crack. The temperatures here are approximate: use them as a guide with the colour.

Tins for hot sugar: line the tin with baking parchment and oil it lightly, and put the tin on a heatproof board or folded tea towel. Never pour hot sugar into a plastic or glass dish, and don't move the tin until it is cold.

Cutting caramel: leave the set caramel for at least 4 hours or overnight, then cut with a large oiled knife, pressing straight down. A warm knife cuts soft caramel cleanly, and a wet or cold one drags.

Keeping: wrap caramels individually in baking parchment and keep them in an airtight tin in a cool place for about 2 weeks (general guidance). Honeycomb goes sticky in damp air: store it in an airtight tin with a sachet of silica gel or a dry slice of bread, and eat within about a week.

Hot sugar: sugar syrup and caramel are far hotter than boiling water, and they stick to skin and burn badly. Use a large, heavy pan, keep the handle turned in, stand back when adding cream or bicarbonate, and keep a bowl of cold water nearby. Nothing leaves the pan until it has cooled, and children should not help with this chapter's sugar work.

Honeycomb foams up: when the bicarbonate goes in, the hot sugar rises to three or four times its volume in seconds. Use a large, deep, heavy pan, whisk quickly and stand back, and pour at once. Never lean over the pan, and never touch the foam.

Sugar thermometer: use a thermometer that is rated for hot sugar (up to about 180°C), clip it to the pan without letting it touch the bottom, and put it in warm water, not cold, after use so it doesn't crack. The temperatures here are approximate: use them as a guide with the colour.

Tins for hot sugar: line the tin with baking parchment and oil it lightly, and put the tin on a heatproof board or folded tea towel. Never pour hot sugar into a plastic or glass dish, and don't move the tin until it is cold.

Teeth and small children: honeycomb, brittle and hard caramels are hard and can break teeth or choke very young children. Break honeycomb into small pieces and don't give hard sweets to children under 4.

Keeping: wrap caramels individually in baking parchment and keep them in an airtight tin in a cool place for about 2 weeks (general guidance). Honeycomb goes sticky in damp air: store it in an airtight tin with a sachet of silica gel or a dry slice of bread, and eat within about a week.

Thermometer: use a digital probe thermometer, and clean it between uses. Temperatures for chocolate are small differences, so a degree or two matters. The figures in this course are approximate: if the chocolate packet gives its own temperatures, follow them.

Teeth and small children: honeycomb, brittle and hard caramels are hard and can break teeth or choke very young children. Break honeycomb into small pieces and don't give hard sweets to children under 4.

Keeping: wrap caramels individually in baking parchment and keep them in an airtight tin in a cool place for about 2 weeks (general guidance). Honeycomb goes sticky in damp air: store it in an airtight tin with a sachet of silica gel or a dry slice of bread, and eat within about a week.

Allergens: chocolate contains milk (except some dark), and often soy (lecithin) and sometimes nuts or traces of them: check the label and the 'may contain' line. Cream, butter and many coatings are dairy, and cookies and biscuits contain wheat and often egg. Dairy-free dark chocolate and coconut cream can replace the dairy in many recipes, but the texture changes.

Hot sugar: sugar syrup and caramel are far hotter than boiling water, and they stick to skin and burn badly. Use a large, heavy pan, keep the handle turned in, stand back when adding cream or bicarbonate, and keep a bowl of cold water nearby. Nothing leaves the pan until it has cooled, and children should not help with this chapter's sugar work.

Nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and other nuts (and spreads made from them) are serious allergens, and some chocolate is made in factories that handle nuts. Never serve them to a guest without asking, and make a nut-free swap when anyone has an allergy.

Nut-free swap: use only sunflower and pumpkin seeds (check the labels).

Teeth and small children: honeycomb, brittle and hard caramels are hard and can break teeth or choke very young children. Break honeycomb into small pieces and don't give hard sweets to children under 4.

Keeping: wrap caramels individually in baking parchment and keep them in an airtight tin in a cool place for about 2 weeks (general guidance). Honeycomb goes sticky in damp air: store it in an airtight tin with a sachet of silica gel or a dry slice of bread, and eat within about a week.