Yellow Man (Ulster)

This particularly delicious confection is a Northern Ireland speciality. It is traditionally sold at the “Oul’ Lammas Fair”, Ireland’s oldest traditional market fair.

1½ cups golden syrup
1 cup brown sugar
2 oz Irish butter (50 g)
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 Tbsp. baking soda

Take great care with this one as boiling sugar can be very dangerous!

Gently mix the syrup, sugar, butter and vinegar together in a large saucepan. Then bring it slowly to the boil (do not stir). Boil until a drop hardens in cold water, then carefully stir in the baking soda.

The mixture will foam up when the soda goes in!

Pour out on to a lightly greased slab and when cool enough to handle, work the edges into the centre. Keep doing this until the mixture turns to a pale yellow colour.

Pop it into a lightly greased flat tin and leave to cool and set. When cold, break it into bite size chunks with a clean hammer.