Chiara Cajelli is the author of the book 'Per noi, per loro', in which she reinvents recipes by creating a version that is suitable for our four-legged friends.
For the podcast series , Chiara relives her childhood memories of the special night between January 5 and 6 and recreates 'sweet coal' by following three step-by-step recipes that promise to make everyone in the family happy.
RECIPE 1 - TRADITIONAL
INGREDIENTS
- 125 g icing sugar
- 20 g egg whites (room temperature)
- 2 g cream of tartar
- 3 drops lemon juice
- 5 g food grade alcohol or vodka
- 300 g caster sugar
- 100 ml water
- 10 g black food colouring powder
- 4 g baking soda
METHOD
1) Whip the egg white with lemon juice, half the colouring and all of the cream of tartar until stiff.
2) Add the alcohol and then the icing sugar little by little: you should obtain a sort of icing/paste, similar to the royal icing used for decorating biscuits.
3) Heat the water with the caster sugar and the remaining colouring.
4) When it reaches 142° C, add two generous spoonfuls of the previously prepared paste to the syrup. Mix well and finally incorporate all the baking soda. The mixture will swell.
5) Pour into a tray lined with baking paper, without levelling it so that it looks like lumpy charcoal and wait for it to dry. It will take a couple of hours.
6) Break into irregular pieces that resemble charcoal chunks.
Source: SBS
INGREDIENTS
- 300 g caster sugar
- 80 g honey
- 60 ml water
- 8 g baking soda
- 10 gm black food colouring powder
PREPARATION
1) In a very large saucepan, heat the water, sugar and honey to obtain a syrup. Lower the heat and add the colouring.
2) With a food thermometer, check that the mixture reaches 150° C, then turn off the heat and add the baking soda, stirring quickly. The mixture will swell.
3) Transfer the black honeycomb immediately onto a tray lined with baking paper, without levelling it or slamming the pan. Wait for a couple of hours for it to dry and cool.
4) Break into irregular pieces that resemble charcoal chunks.
C'è sempre un po' di timore nell'andare a dormire il 5 gennaio, perché è possibile che la dolce vecchina, invece che caramelle e cioccolato, lasci nelle calze appese accanto al camino del carbone. Source: iStockphoto / Getty Images
Vet-approved
INGREDIENTS
- 150 g rice flour
- 60 ml water (or no-fat Greek yoghurt/natural Kefir)
- 1 heaped teaspoon of honey
- 1 scant teaspoon of 100% pure vegetable charcoal in powder (or half of a crumbled tablet)
1) Combine all the ingredients to obtain a sort of pastry. Add water if the mixture is too dry and hard.
2) Roll out to 5 mm thickness and carve the biscuits in the shape of your choice (bone/paw), and of the size you prefer (small for small dogs, bigger for big ones).
3) Bake in a preheated static oven at 170° C for 10 minutes.
4) Give them to your dog sparingly, every now and then, as a treat.
ASCOLTA L'EPISODIO SPECIALE DELLA BEFANA DI "SCARRAFONI IN CUCINA"
Il carbone della Befana
SBS Italian
29:06
LISTEN TO THE SPECIAL HOLIDAY EPISODE OF "THE UGLY DUCKLINGS OF ITALIAN CUISINE"
Sweet Coal and the Italian tradition of La Befana
SBS Italian
23:52
THE PODCAST
Scarrafoni in Cucina - The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine returns in February with a second series of podcasts dedicated to the ugliest dishes that Italians love.
To whet our appetite, a special episode entirely dedicated to Befana and the coal that the old lady brings to boys and girls every year has just been published.
Follow Scarrafoni in Cucina - The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine on the SBS Radio App or on your favourite podcast app.
