1. Honeycomb: First, line a heatproof baking dish with parchment paper. Combine sugar, honey, and water in a medium pot. Heat over medium until it boils, monitoring the temperature with a thermometer until it reaches 149°C (300°F). Remove from heat and quickly stir in the baking soda just until combined. Be careful—it will foam up a lot! Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared dish without stirring or spreading it, as this would break the air bubbles. Scrape any remaining mixture from the pot and add it on top. Let it cool completely (about 1–2 hours).
2. Marshmallow Fluff: Heat water, sugar, and corn syrup in a small pot to 115°C (240°F). Meanwhile, beat egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form. Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin, steady stream into the egg whites, mixing continuously with an electric hand mixer. After adding all the syrup, beat on high for another 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Set aside.
3. Apricot Sauce: Chop the dried apricots and combine them with apricot juice, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice in a small pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes until softened. Dissolve the cornstarch in a bit of cold water, stir it in, and bring everything to a boil until thickened. Set aside to cool.
4. Cookie Dough: Cream butter with the white and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing well. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined—don’t overmix!
5. In a deep dish, layer the components: a part of cookie dough, a tablespoon of marshmallow fluff, and a tablespoon of apricot sauce. Repeat until all ingredients are used. Tip: Store leftover fluff in a jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.
6. Use a cookie scoop (or tablespoon) to form 12 evenly sized balls from the layered dough. Place them on the prepared baking tray. Chill the cookies in the fridge for 1 hour – don’t skip this step! Chilling ensures the cookies hold their shape and don’t spread too much when baked.
7. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) and bake the cookies for 13–15 minutes. While baking, carefully cut the honeycomb into small pieces. Remove the warm cookies from the oven, adjust their shape if necessary, and gently press the honeycomb pieces onto the tops. Let the cookies rest for about 10 minutes before enjoying.