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Christmas Coal Candy is a playful holiday treat that looks like lumps of coal but tastes sweet and crunchy. It’s a fun way to add a little humor to your festive spread, often gifted as a joke for those on the naughty list while delighting everyone with its crackly texture and vanilla sweetness. Made with simple pantry ingredients, this candy brings a spark of joy to any holiday gathering.
I made this for the first time during a last minute gift swap and everyone was both amused and impressed. Since then it has become a quirky favorite for our holiday parties.
Ingredients
- Granulated sugar: the main sweetener for that classic candy crunch
- Light corn syrup: helps prevent sugar crystallization ensuring smooth texture
- Water: dissolves the sugar and adjusts syrup consistency
- Vanilla extract: adds warm depth and balances sweetness
- Black gel food coloring: key for achieving that coal like dark color. Gel types work best for rich pigmentation
- Large egg white: whipped to create the fluffy, puffed texture characteristic of this treat
- Cream of tartar: stabilizes the egg white foam for perfect peaks
- Salt: balances flavor and enhances sweetness
- Optional peppermint or anise extract: adds a fresh or licorice twist if you want to experiment with flavor
Instructions
- Sauté the Aromatics:
- Make Sugar Syrup:
- In a medium saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir over medium heat just until the sugar fully dissolves to prevent graininess in your final candy.
- Cook to Hard Crack Stage:
- Increase the heat and cook without stirring. Use a candy thermometer and wait for the mixture to reach 300 degrees Fahrenheit or 150 degrees Celsius. This ensures your candy will be crunchy and hold its shape.
- Add Flavor and Color:
- Take the saucepan off the heat. Quickly stir in the vanilla extract and several drops of black gel food coloring until your syrup turns a deep, even black shade. This step must be fast to avoid the syrup cooling down prematurely.
- Whip Egg White:
- In a clean, grease free bowl, beat the egg white with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. This fluffy foam is what gives Coal Candy its puffed, airy texture.
- Combine Mixtures:
- Slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the whipped egg whites while mixing continuously at low speed. The heat of the syrup will cook the egg whites slightly, causing the mixture to puff up and thicken to a crackly consistency resembling chunks of coal.
- Shape and Cool:
- Immediately pour the mixture into your greased, parchment lined 8 by 8 inch pan. Let it cool and set at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Once firm, break the candy into irregular chunks to mimic coal pieces.
Black gel food coloring is a favorite of mine not only for the rich color but also for how it keeps the candy looking striking and vivid even after cooling. I remember making this with my niece one holiday, and she insisted the candy looked like “real coal” which made everyone around the table laugh.
Storage Tips
Store the candy in a dry, airtight container to keep it crisp. Moisture softens the candy and can make it sticky. Avoid refrigerating as condensation can affect the texture.
Ingredient Substitutions
You can substitute light corn syrup with golden syrup or glucose syrup if that is what you have on hand. For a flavor twist swap vanilla extract for peppermint or anise extract, but use sparingly so it doesn’t overpower the candy.
Serving Suggestions
Wrap the chunks in clear bags tied with festive ribbons for quirky holiday gifts. You can also sprinkle some edible glitter or crushed peppermint on top just after pouring to add extra visual sparkle and flavor.
This quirky coal candy is a lighthearted holiday treat that's as fun to give as it is to eat. Share it with laughter and a touch of sweetness.
Your Recipe Questions Answered
- → What gives Christmas Coal Candy its black color?
Black gel food coloring is added to the hot sugar syrup to achieve the deep, coal-like color while maintaining the candy’s glossy finish.
- → How is the texture of the candy achieved?
The texture is created by cooking the sugar syrup to the hard-crack stage and folding it into whipped egg whites, resulting in a crisp, crunchy bite.
- → Can I add different flavors to this candy?
Yes, extracts such as peppermint or anise can be stirred in alongside vanilla to enhance the flavor profile.
- → What precautions should I take while making the candy?
Handle the hot sugar syrup carefully as it reaches very high temperatures and is sticky, to avoid burns.
- → How should the candy be stored after making it?
Store the candy in an airtight container to keep it crisp and prevent moisture from softening the chunks.