I think we've all met a few people who deserve a lump of coal from Santa, and I'm not talking about the cute candy version I'm sharing with you today!
My first batch failed because I cooked the sugar too long and it liquefied. The end result was a shiny block of black candy which was pretty, but far too hard to eat! I got it right the second time, and as it cooked, I wrote down important visual cues to look for as it is being made.
Christmas Coal Candy (Carbon Dulce)
Recipe adapted from Fragante Delicia, with my commentary [click for printable version]
Step 1:
1 egg white
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar divided, plus a little extra might be needed for thickening purposes
1 1/2-2 tsp. black gel food coloring such as Wilton brand
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
- Whisk together 1 cup of the powdered sugar along with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar. The mixture should be very stiff as you whisk. Pick up some of the batter with the whisk, and allow it to fall back into the bowl. It should cling to the whisk when you pick up the batter, and fall in thick heavy pieces back into the bowl. If it does not, add a little more powdered sugar until this consistency is achieved.
- Set aside while you cook the sugar (next step).
3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water

- Line an 8x8 (or similar size) heat-proof pan with parchment paper, set aside.
- Combine water and sugar in a large non-stick saucepan. Mix sugar and water together by stirring and mashing them together with a heat-proof spatula until it is the consistency of wet sand.
- Insert a candy thermometer and let the mixture cook until it reaches 258-260 degrees. The mixture will stay grainy and look weird and you might think you've done something wrong but you haven't. When it's close to the 250 degree mark, the mixture may begin to lightly brown from cooking. It should still be grainy and not in a liquid state.
- When 258-260 degrees is achieved, add the black egg white/powdered sugar mixture to the pot and stir (don't whisk) with a heat-proof spoon. The mixture may foam, so be careful!
- When thoroughly mixed, pour into the prepared pan and allow to stand until hardened. When hardened, break into pieces.
Notes:
- I used a chisel and hammer to break the candy into chunks. It's certainly a hard candy, but it has a break-away crumbly quality too. You might get away with cracking it on the edge of a kitchen counter top, though I'd imagine that method is messier.
- Make sure you achieve a deep black color with the gel food coloring, otherwise your finished candy may have a purplish hue to it. Black food coloring is funky like that.
Presentation ideas:
- Small burlap pouches can be easily made or bought for festive presentation . Tie the bag up with a red ribbon and a "naughty" tag.
- Put a large chunk of coal candy in the toe of a stocking, along with a small hammer.
Brilliant! Totally hilarious and absolutely wrong at the same time. I hope you never have to deal with clients like that again. :)
ReplyDeleteHehehe, that is awesome! Unfortunately, I wouldn't know where to find that black gel food coloring here...
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
this looks so fun! is the cooked sugar hot enough to cook the egg white in the first mixture? how does the end result taste? thanks so much for all your fun recipes!
ReplyDeleteThe large amount of powdered sugar keeps the egg white from cooking. It tastes like pure sugar! Definitely more of a textural treat than a flavorful one.
ReplyDeleteThanks KT!
these are so cool! i can't get over how creative you are... i'm always in awe of your creations! this is such a fun idea! thanks so much for sharing heather :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a cute idea! I want to try out the recipe just to see what the coal-texture feels like!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Whenever I see a statue of Jesus my first thought is, "sexy." Don't even get me started on Indonesian cat carvings. ;-)
Haha such a cute idea! I'm saving this and making it for my family this year, they'll love it! :)
ReplyDeleteIm so glad Im not the only one who thinks indonesian cat carvings are sexy. Phew. LOVE THE COAL - this is going to all my colleagues!
ReplyDeleteOoh my! That's such a cool idea and totally unexpected. I can already imagine the look on my husband's face when I make this.
ReplyDeleteI should make this for my brother...
ReplyDeleteoh don't you just love her site?
ReplyDeleteshe has a cookbook coming out
can you imagine what will be inside that one?
just like her, you are amazing!
How do you think adding flavorings such as a few drops of mint would impact it? Do you think the texture would still come out alright? Just wanted to throw that out there and see what you think before trying it out.
ReplyDeleteI think that would be really cool, and would work if you use candy oil. You know, such as the type that LorAnn sells? Hot candy will seize if very much water is introduced. I'd say you could get away with a couple drops of candy oil. Especially since its flavor is super-strength and you don't have to use much.
ReplyDeleteI might try it myself! I have some licorice oil and some marshmallow oil on hand... one or the other might go well.
Great idea!
I enjoyed reading this post. Hopefully the Christmas Eve shopper was just lonely and is no longer. Love this black coal candy and your presentation of it is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to try this! I love the idea!!
ReplyDeleteQue interesante receta, me parece genial. Saludos
ReplyDeleteso inventive, and seriously looks like coal!
ReplyDeleteThat looks amazing! How long do you think the shelf life on it would be? I'd love to mail some out as a gift, but am wary since the egg white doesn't cook all the way.
ReplyDeleteHi sparkygeek!
ReplyDeleteI'd say... probably 2 weeks? This is the first time I've made it, so I can't say for sure. It is dry and a little chalky, so it seems to me that it would be very stable to ship.
The egg white definitely cooks all the way when it is poured into 260 degree sugar! No worries there!
Thanks!
This is so fun! haha love this idea!
ReplyDeleteOnly you could come up with something so fun. I LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteCute! You did such a great job with visually showing how to do it! Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing, Heather! YOU are amazing to find something like this! It is so magical and fun, yet might scare some little kids at first. They will think Santa is mad at them. LOL! Love it.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Gloria
What a great novelty! I love this for the kids haha
ReplyDeletewow, I have never ever seen coal candy before! Pretty darn amazing!
ReplyDeleteThis is hilarious! You ROCK!
ReplyDeleteI've seen those coal candies around some stores, and I've always wanted to try one. They look and sound interesting.
ReplyDeleteAnd I know what you mean about late night customers. I get them all the time at the dry cleaners and all I want to do is close up and go home, but they insist that I unlock the door and take their clothes.
When I saw the picture I really thought it was coal! You did a perfect job with the texture and color to make it look like coal. I love this idea and I know just who to give it to! :) Thanks for the technique pic.
ReplyDeleteThis is too good. I just love your blog for all the interesting surprise you spring at us. I have to make this soon.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! I thought it was made from Oreo! You are the smartest :)
ReplyDeleteThat man did sound super inconsiderate and I'd say he does deserve coal for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteLove this coal candy, amazing!
What fun!!
ReplyDeleteYour place is always so much fun Heather. I love the way you put all this together with the peek of Christmas greens and the sweet little burlap bags and of course that "naughty" tag is just perfect! xoxo ~Lili
ReplyDeletehaha! What a cute idea! I will definitely be putting this in stockings!
ReplyDeleteThis is fabulous and hilarious at the same time. Anyone would be lucky to find these lumps of coal in their stocking at holiday time.
ReplyDeleteOkay that is hilarious, and "Sexy" all at the same time;p
ReplyDeleteLove it!
ReplyDeleteOh my Goodness! I love this and know just who to make it for...as a joke of course! :) Thanks for sharing it. I am also sharing this with my FB fans and hope that you do not mind!
ReplyDeleteThis is so clever! And so easy too! Thanks for such a creative recipe, Heather!
ReplyDeleteGirl, you are too much. This TOTALLY looks like coal. I bet it does taste really good though :)
ReplyDeleteThat man sounds like a piece of work. Too bad you didn't have some coal to share with him then as maybe he would have gotten the hint!
ReplyDeleteLove this idea!
Wow, what an unusual approach to Christmas baking! Thank you for sharing the recipe - and your anecdote!
ReplyDeleteWell, I tried making it. and I got the sugar and the texture right, but, mine turned out purple on the inside. I used the Wilton gel black coloring, and the bottled lemon juice. What did I do wrong? Do I need to add more black? use fresh lemon? Help please!
ReplyDeleteI would use more black gel food coloring. I used bottled lemon juice, so I don't think that caused the problem. My first batch was purplish, so I upped the gel food coloring.
ReplyDeleteBlack powdered food coloring is super concentrated and can also be used in this recipe. I should probably add that suggestion to the text in this post. You can find it in cake specialty stores and online.
That said, I used gel for the coal in this recipe.
awesome idea!
ReplyDeleteYou always come up with the cutest, most unique recipes to share, Heather. I love your naughty vs. nice photos:) Thanks for sharing your funny story~Yikes! :) XO, Sue
ReplyDeleteWow, this looks great! Can't wait to try it!!
ReplyDeleteThis is so so gorgeous! I posted a link on Edible Crafts. Ugh, I worked retail for many, many, many years. The night shift at the coffee shop in the heart of DC made for the best stories. Oh, the amount of coal I could've given out.
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS SPECTACULAR!! hmm i wonder if a blend of the naughty and nice would be neat too?!
ReplyDeletexoxo
I have never tried coal candy, but this post is inspiring me to try only the homemade kind!
ReplyDeleteJessie the Possible Baker
When I was a little girl my mom would get coal candy at Christmas. It was a shiny block in a box. It came with a small hammer for whacking off pieces and it tasted like licorice. We loved it. I bet you could have done the same with your first batch that you said failed.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely amazing! So funny!
ReplyDeleteLove the new banner, btw! :)
This looks great!
ReplyDeleteIf you have already tried making this with the candy oil, which flavor is good? Or what flavors do you recommend? Also, which brand of candy oil would you recommend?
Thanks!
This is too cute! I love the 'naughty' tag too. My daughters would get a kick out of helping me make (and eat) something like this. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post and I must say that coal candy looks rather "sexy" ;-) You know even though you had to work late that night and it was kind of a pain, it made for a good story to tell and now it turned to awesome candy idea, I totally love it. Tomorrow is St. Nicholas Day and I remember cleaning my boots really well so I'd never get coal in them, though I wouldn't mind the kind you made here.
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredibly fun, super cute idea!! Love it! Can't wait to give it a try!! :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. LOVING the new look! ;)
ReplyDeleteIt really does look like coal. So crazy!!
ReplyDeleteHe incluido esta publicación en Mis Favoritas, si quieres verlo está en:
ReplyDeletehttp://blocderecetas.blogspot.com/2011/12/mis-favoritas-vestidos-de-navidad.html
Espero que te guste!
These are really neat.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I'm a little slow, Heather and just noticed your new header~LOVE it!
ReplyDeletethis is awesome!
ReplyDeleteHas anyone tried this? Is the candy hard like lollipops? Or is the texture more like spongey toffee, kinda hard but chewy at the same time (like the centre of a Crunchie bar)?
ReplyDeleteI really wanna make it for my sisters, but they have loose teeth...
Totally going to make this and I'm gonna put a poem with it:
ReplyDeleteHere are some candy
We hope you do enjoy
While we try to help Santa
Weed out the good girls and boys
Give the candy canes only
to those who have been good
And make the naughty eat their coal
Like naughty people should!
hehehehehe......
I just made this. It came out perfect and so easy. Wish I could post my photo. Looks great in a little sack with a naughty tag.
ReplyDeletedid not come out as expected. I bought Wilson black food coloring, and all it did was tinged the sugar mixture light purple. So I had to improvise and make red candy. Oh well. Is there a difference between gel coloring sold at specialty store vs grocery? I'm curious because I have both nearby...
ReplyDeleteMine didn't set properly- it was just a huge batch of powder with one or two small lumps :(
ReplyDeleteI added LorAnn oil in Cola flavour (I used half a bottle) and it tastes nice, just a shame it didn't make nice big rocks!
I made two batches of this, one plain and one with creme de menthe oil and they both came out great! I was very surprised that I was able to do it since I've never made candy before but this was simple and fun. I can't wait to give them out tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteDoes the black food colouring not stain ones teeth and mouth? Either way I think this is a fantastic idea. I have just stumbled upon your website and your recipes look divine!
ReplyDeleteI found this on Sugar Rush before Christmas, and nearly died laughing! So much confusion until now that I'm finally letting you know how much my family enjoyed this hilarious treat! We made ours peppermint. And we thought the black tongues were something well-deserved by all the "naughties". Thanks for sharing! I'm enjoying your other things as well!
ReplyDeleteAbout the black colouring gel: for the next two years I've been using the Wilton brand and getting more and more mad at it, as it gets a weird dark bluish blue instead of a real black.
ReplyDeleteAnd then came enlightement: powder pigments!! they provide great results with little amount, black is really black now (not crappy blue). If you can, give a powder a try instead of gel
This is beautiful and genius! Sadly I have never seen black food colour before....
ReplyDeleteWilton food colouring is not very "true". Those in the cake decorating world will generally tell you to stay away from Wilton edibles - but a lot of their tools are great!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to making this recipe this Christmas:) Thank you!
Ohhhhh I'm going to do this tomorrow. Christmas baking day :D
ReplyDeleteI have tried to make this twice, first batch didn't work, second worked but both times the black doesn't come out, it's purple , no matter how much black I put in it doesn't get dark, im really sad cuz this is so cute, but I don't wanna waste anymore sugar :(
ReplyDeleteLOVE this! i just made it! cannot wait to break it apart and put it into the miniature stockings i bought! Going to let my son give them to his friends! This was my first try and it worked perfectly!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant idea! Thank you so much for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteJudy
Can I add lori-ann flavoring to make it taste better? When should I add it?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Add it in step one.
DeleteNice information !!
ReplyDeleteWhen could I add cocoa powder?
ReplyDeleteHmm. I think you'd have to combine it with the powdered sugar before mixing it with the other ingredients. Maybe sift the two together first.
DeleteHi, I'm glad I found your recipe for this. I used to have this when I was little and can't wait to try my own! I was thinking of making a batch to give out at Christmas day, how long in advance can I make this? How long do you think it lasts? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi! This candy will last for months if it's kept in a cool dry place. A cabinet or pantry would work fine.
DeleteThanks Heather! That's what I thought but wanted to check. Have a very merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI ate this and died
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback! RIP.
DeleteHow long till its completely hardened?
ReplyDeleteAllow it to stand overnight. 8 hours to be sure.
Delete