Authentic Yellowman: A Speciality of Ireland

[Eleanor Rose]

Candy Food Baguio's Peanut brittle 8
Rossannabondes [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Food Dictator​

Yellowman (or Yellaman or Yellow Man) is a traditional Irish toffee, yellow-golden in colour and brittle (often referred to as honeycomb candy). It is authentically made in big blocks from which small pieces are hammered off and served in small paper cone cups. Yellowman is still sold and served throughout Ireland. This recipe makes a crunchy, sweet confection that is ideal for an after-dinner bite.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. butter

1 (16-oz.) bottle light corn syrup

1 1⁄4 cups light brown sugar

2 tsp. white vinegar

2 tsp. baking soda

Directions:

Butter an 8 1⁄2" x 12" baking pan with 1 tsp. of the butter and set aside. Melt the remaining 2 tbsp. butter in a medium, deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Add corn syrup, sugar, vinegar, and 2 tbsp. water and stir until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking sugar mixture, without stirring, until temperature reaches 300º on a candy thermometer, 10–15 minutes.

Working quickly, remove saucepan from heat, carefully sift in baking soda, and vigorously whisk (hot syrup will bubble up in the pan) until baking soda is completely incorporated, about 5 seconds. Immediately pour into prepared pan. Set aside until candy is hard and completely cool, about 30 minutes, then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. Yields one pound.


Source: Darina Allen's book, “The Complete Book of Irish Country Cooking” (Penguin Studio, 1996).

 

[Eleanor Rose]

Yellowman (an original recipe circa late 1800s)

1 lb tin golden syrup (corn syrup); 1/2lb brown sugar; 1 teasp. baking soda; 1 heaped tablesp. butter; 2 tablesp. vinegar

Melt the butter and run it round the pan. Then add the sugar, syrup and vinegar. Stir until sugar and all ingredients are melted. Boil without stirring until a little of the toffee becomes crisp and brittle if put in cold water. Then add the baking soda, which will make it foam up; stir again, then pour on to a greased slab or large dish. Turn edges to the centre, and pull the toffee when cool enough. Pull until it is pale yellow in colour. It can be poured into a greased tin and cut into squares if preferred.

Source: From 'A Taste of Ireland', by Theodora Fitzgibbon, published 1968.

 

[Eleanor Rose]

Since the 1950’s Yellowman has also been served with a drizzle of melted chocolate over it. Both bicarbonate of soda and corn syrup were developed and manufactured for use in baking in the late 1800’s, and Yellowman was made soon after. Earlier types of ‘pulled’ toffee were sold before this time.

Source: Oakden

 

[nc native]

Thanks for the Irish candy recipe! This looks like peanut brittle without the peanuts
I love peanut brittle and I'm going to have to see if the candy maker in my family (my
stepdaughter) can whip some of this up for Saint Patrick's Day since a majority of my
genes are of Irish/Scottish origin.

 

[Larryh86GT]

I too am a big fan of peanut brittle. I've tried various nuts and prefer
almond brittle the best.

 

[donna]

Looks tasty. Thanks for posting.