HONEYCOMB CANDY

Makes: 12 to 16 servings

Cooking spray or softened butter, for the pan

1 tablespoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup honey

¼ cup water

For the chocolate dip

(optional): 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or softened butter. Line the bottom and the 2 long sides with a sheet of parchment paper that extends a few inches over the long sides to form a sling.

2. Place 1 tablespoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar in a small bowl and stir to combine. Place the baking pan, baking soda mixture and a small fine-mesh strainer near the stovetop.

3. Place 1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup honey and ¼ cup water in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, gently stirring with a flexible heat-proof spatula, until the mixture bubbles. Clip a candy or deep-fry thermometer to the side of the pot and cook without stirring until the bubbles begin to subside, the color of the mixture darkens and turns amber, and it reaches 300 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Working quickly, remove the pot from the heat and remove the thermometer. Sift the baking soda mixture through the strainer into the pot. Whisk until combined; it will bubble up. Carefully pour the candy into the pan, scraping it gently out of the pot with a spatula. Do not try to smooth it out once it hits the pan or you will deflate all of its coveted bubbles.

5. Place the pan on a heat-proof surface or wire rack and let cool at room temperature until hardened, 30 to 60 minutes. (The candy will collapse a bit as it cools.) Break with your hands into small pieces.

6. If dipping your honeycomb in chocolate, fit a wire rack over a baking sheet. Place 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute total. Decoratively dip part of each piece of candy in the chocolate and place on the rack. Refrigerate or freeze until the chocolate is set.