Chocolate covered honeycomb coal
Some children are left potatoes, some have lumps of coal that appear in their stocking or shoes. All of the above are a warning from Father Christmas that you may be sliding down the “nice” list and onto the “naughty” one.
If you’d like to make an edible reminder for Santa to place in somebody’s Christmas stockings or St Nicholas day shoes then chocolate covered honeycomb coal may well be the answer.
It is a very simple process.
Make some coloured sugar. Take about 100g of caster sugar and add in a couple of squirts of black food colouring. Mix the sugar and colouring well. If you want the colour to be darker then add more colour. If the sugar has become damp, leave in a warm place to dry.Beside a radiator is fine. I also add a few shakes of edible glitter at this point, well it is Christmas.
Make a tray of honeycomb. Ever since I first opened my copy of “My fun to cook book” at the age of eight I have been amazed by the simplicity and alchemy of the honeycomb making process. Use a deep, heavy bottomed saucepan to make the honeycomb in. A silicon tray liner or very lightly oiled parchment will prevent the honeycomb from sticking. I use Nigella’s recipe as it works beautifully, but if you have a recipe you prefer then use that instead.
Once cooled, break the honeycomb into chunks and shards. Not too small as you need this to resemble coal and not nutty slack.
Melt 200g of chocolate over a pan of hot water and toss the chunks of honeycomb into the chocolate to coat them. Place them on parchment to allow the chocolate to harden. A dark chocolate would look best but if those on the naughty list prefer milk then I use 100g milk and 100g plain chocolate as a compromise.
Place the coloured sugar into a plastic bag. Add in the chocolate covered honeycomb a few pieces at a time and shake gently until coated with the sugar. Leave until fully set. Wrap in litle bags and leave for Father Christmas toplace in the stockings or shoes according to his list. Or you could have them with coffee after a Christmas get together. Someone in the room is bound to have disgraced themselves……
mintcustard 
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