One of the highlights of my holiday season is the annual visit from my good friend Krampus. While you mortals are eagerly awaiting the big guy in his red suit, I prefer his much shaggier, much darker companion.
We have spent many a long winter night munching on penta-graham cookies and sipping hot cinnamon and orange tea sweetened with these inky black lumps of sweet indulgence.
For many people, getting coal is a symbol you’ve been naughty, but for us denizens of hell, it’s how we sweeten all our drinks!
To make your own Krampus approved Christmas coal you will need:
- 1 egg white
- 1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon lemon juice
- Black food coloring
- 3 Cups white sugar
- 1/4 Cup water (subtract 1 teaspoon if adding flavoring)
- 1 teaspoon flavoring extract of your choice (optional)
Whisk 1 cup of your powdered sugar together with your egg white, lemon juice, and black food coloring until fully incorporated. If adding in flavoring, add that in this step.
(A note about your food coloring: As you add in your black food coloring, make sure you add in enough to achieve a true black which means adding in more than you think you need. Trust me on this. When you add in the other ingredients, it will lighten the mixture overall and in some instances that means your once black powdered sugar mixture will fade down to a not quite as threatening looking purple or (gasp) lilac. Oh, the horror.)
Slowly add in the additional 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. As you mix, it should become very thick and stiff and have a spackle-like texture to it. In fact, I have it on very good authourtiy that this mixture makes excellent spackle in emergency situations. Keep mixing until all your powdered sugar is fully incorporated into the mixture.
Set this aside for now.
Combine your white sugar and water in a large pot over medium-high heat. As you mix them, the sugar will absorb the water but not totally liquefy or melt. The texture will be closer to wet sand.
Using a candy thermometer, bring the temperature of the mixture up to 260F/127c. As the syrup cooks it will remain grainy and may start to change color to a light golden hue but should NOT melt completely.
Once you sugar mixture reaches 260F/127C, add in your powdered sugar/egg white mixture, stirring constantly. Be aware it may foam up as you mix so be careful!
As soon as it is fully mixed, immediately pour into a
8X8′ pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool fully.
Once cooled and hardened, break into smaller pieces.
Use a few lumps in your coffee or tea to sweeten it to your liking or just pop a few in your mouth for a sweet treat…
Just don’t forget to leave a few out for Krampus!
Bone appetite!
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Again, this is fantastic! A nice slab of evil in the middle of all this angelic festivity that’s flying around.
Could you add a flavoring? Extract or powdered flavoring?
Absolutely! In fact, I’ve added that into the recipe. Mix in your flavoring in the first step along with your egg whites and lemon juice.
🙂