Carbone della Befana: the perfect recipe to make at home

Tradition has it that on January 6, the feast of the Epiphany, the Befana arrives to take away all the holidays, officially closing Christmas. In addition, he should leave the charcoal to the naughty children, to admonish them of their behavior and to urge them to be better during the year that has just begun. What if we add some sweetness to the situation? The coal of the Befana it becomes sugary, delicious, and almost a spell to prepare at home all together. A quick recipe, to be made with only five ingredients as an alternative to the slightly more laborious classic version (but which you will find in the Gallery anyway).

We have found a shortcut to achieve the perfect sweet charcoal recipe, exploiting the idea ofHoney Comb – a sort of alveolate nougat, made with honey and bicarbonate – but adding the black color. Guaranteed effect, qui under the recipe, and scrolling through the photos you will find alternatives and tricks.

Carbone della Befana: the perfect, quick recipe

Ingredients for a 25-28 cm pan

Raw cane sugar 300 g, wildflower honey 80 g, water 60 g, bicarbonate 8 g, pure charcoal tablets 10-15 g

Procedure

In a very large pot, heat water, sugar and honey to make a syrup. Lower the heat and add the pure coal reduced to a fine powder. With a cooking thermometer, check that the mixture reaches 150 ° C. At this temperature, turn off the heat and add the baking soda, stirring quickly: you will see the mixture swell quickly, this is normal. Immediately pour the black honey comb into a pan lined with parchment paper, without leveling it or beating the pan. All you have to do is wait for it to cool and harden, and then break it into chunks.

This version of charcoal will be quite regular but with a dense alveolation that really resembles the real one. For an even more realistic charcoal, then try the classic recipe in the gallery.

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Treats for the Befana stocking
Effective Christmas cakes