Trial and Error with Honeycomb Brittle

Saturday started off as a beautiful day with fun errands planned like a trip to the craft store, making brittle and decorating the house. Then I saw the FedEx "We Missed You" slip I had ignored for a few days and realized that the package was my replacement phone! The major hurdle with this was that the pick-up center was located in Northeast DC. If I did not go today, I know it would be another two weeks before I would retrieve it...so I ventured out sans a GPS (!) to the notorious NE. 

There is a striking change in scenery starting around 2nd street as you make your way into this quadrant. I felt like I was in a rap video, or an Eminem movie. 

With only two wrong turns I made it safely to the FedEx pick up building to pick up my package. Then I opened the package to find my new phone was PURPLE. 

Somewhere along the line I came down with a serious case of Christmas Fever. I completely bypassed Thanksgiving and have decked the halls, so to speak. The excuse for this is the dinner party we are hosting on Monday night for some old and new friends, so naturally I went a little overboard. 
First came the homemade wreath.

Followed by the tablescape.

Then went crazy with Christmas lights.

Lastly, I made honeycomb brittle. Or tried, at least. For only having four ingredients, one of which is water, it is remarkably fragile. I found this recipe in my Martha Stewart Living magazine and was so excited because I've loved this stuff forever but have not found a recipe. 

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp baking soda

I put the sugar, honey and water in a pot to bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Then lower heat to medium, stop stirring until mixture reaches 300 degrees on candy thermometer. -- It was this step that tripped me up. My candy thermometer must be a little off because it took too long the first time for it to reach hard crack temperature, so it burned. Once you take the sugar off the heat, you mix in the baking soda and gently pour into a pan that is coated with cooking spray. This batch did not smell great, nor did it taste good. Into the trash it went.

Second attempt:

I took into consideration that my thermometer was slow and just watched for the sugar to turn a caramel color. My error was prematurely taking the sugar off the heat and mixed in the baking soda. Since it hadn't reached the hard crack stage, it never formed the crunchy, airy consistency of honeycomb brittle.

 Another batch straight into the trash. UGH! 

I'm now out of honey, so I will try this again when I buy some more. I will NOT give up. Maybe I'll opt for a nice peppermint or peanut butter swirl bark until then.