While she did not want to be named, the 14-year-old advised anyone wanting to make hokey pokey to wear pants while doing so.
About three weeks ago, she and some friends attempted to follow a TikTok challenge inspired by Squid Game, in which participants need to use a needle to carve out a specific shape from hokey pokey they have made, without the confection breaking.
She had not watched the gore-heavy Netflix series.
As she had made hokey pokey many times before, it seemed like a good idea, she said.
However, as she was cooking, there was an accidental sugary explosion, which she attributed to over-vigorous mixing and a lack of syrup in the recipe.
"I took it off the element and held it over the carpet, added baking soda to it and it exploded, melted my skin off."
She rushed to the bath and put her leg in cold water.
Having called her mum’s partner, it was off to the emergency room where she was bandaged up following a second cold bath.
Her wound was healing well, but she had decided she would wear pants next time she made hokey pokey, and advised others to do the same.
Mum’s thoughts?
"Don’t do it again."
She was proud of her daughter’s handling of the situation, including her quick thinking, which saved her from worse burns.
"Cooking with hot sugar is basically working with molten lava and if it gets on your skin it can be serious. Just be careful."
The Southland teen’s experience is not unique; three children were admitted to a Sydney hospital with burns after attempting the same challenge.
Their injuries ranged from mild scalds to nerve damage.