The holidays aren’t yet over in Rome! Now that most have recovered from the excesses of New Year’s Eve (and fireworks have almost ceased to go off at random hours throughout the city), we’re all waiting for the next big celebration on Epiphany, January 6th.
Epiphany, of course, is celebrated as the day that the Three Wise Men visited the Baby Jesus, bestowing upon him gifts such as frankincense, gold, and myrrh. Thus, Italians have traditionally given one another gifts on Epiphany rather than on Christmas Day (though that practice is changing).
Just as American children are taught that they must behave in order to insure a visit from Santa Claus on Christmas Day, Italian children have traditionally been told that they must comport themselves nicely in order that Befana, the grandmotherly house frau who failed to accompany the Wise Men to Bethlehem (click here to read her story), might distribute gifts at their house on the feast of Epiphany.
What does Befana bring to children who haven’t been good? She brings Carbone Dolce (sweet coal, see photo above), a type of black candy that looks ominous but is sugary and sweet like rock candy and delights children by leaving teeth and tongue a frightening shade of black. In the run-up to Epiphany, carbone dolce is widely available for purchase both in stores and at the Piazza Navona Christmas Fair, as pictured above.
There’s still a few days before Epiphany (or Befana, as the holiday is often called in Italy), so if you’re eager to point out the bad behavior of friends and family when the 6th of January comes around, it’s time to start buying the carbone dolce and we suggest the Coal Bubble Gum shown at the bottom of this post. Its chic box reads “because you’ve been very bad.”
Or, if you want to bestow a little tender loving care with your gift of coal, you can always make your own:
Carbone Dolce
3 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon black gel-paste food coloring
5 teaspoons pure extract — peppermint, cinnamon, or anise
1 teaspoon baking sodaLine an 8-inch square baking pan with a piece of aluminum foil large enough to overhang the sides by about 2 inches. Set aside.
Bring sugar, 3/4 cup water, and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar, and wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystals from forming.
Once mixture comes to a boil and all the sugar has dissolved, clip a candy thermometer to pan, and raise heat to high. Continue cooking without stirring until mixture registers 300°. Remove from heat.
Carefully add food coloring, extract, and baking soda; stir slowly with a clean wooden spoon until thoroughly combined and mixture no longer bubbles, about 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan, and let cool completely.
Lift foil to remove candy from pan, and transfer candy to a large plastic bag. Crush with a kitchen mallet into chunks.
