Cathy2 wrote:The originator of the recipe were English immigrants.
Cathy2 wrote:English are foreign!
David Hammond wrote: I love it when foreign favorites are transplanted, kind of like the tripe sandwiches that RST has theorized were the basis for Italian beef sandwiches.
Coal Candy
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. black paste food colouring 1/2 cup water
1 tsp. anise extract
Line 8" square baking pan with foil, extending edges over sides of pan. Lightly grease foil with butter. Combine sugar, corn syrup and water into heavy 2-quart saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil, being careful not to splash sugar mixture on side of pan. Carefully clip candy thermometer to side of pan ( do not let bulb touch bottom of pan). Cook about 15 minutes until thermometer registers 290 degrees F., without stirring. Immediately remove from heat. Stir in anise extract and food colouring. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Cool completely. Lift candy out of pan using foil. Place candy between 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Pound with mallet to break candy into 1-2" piececs.
I'm very late in replying to this post, but I was born and raised in Coal City/Diamond IL. I know about the G-Shaft Diamond Mine Disaster and Marker because my great-grandfather was a survivor of it. In the last few years, the original recipe for G-Shaft candy (not G-Shaft coal candy which used to only come out at Christmas time), was bought out by Dan's Homemade Candies in Joliet IL, www.danshomemadecandies.com/, and is availalbe year round in store and on-line purchasing. I just bought some and it's as good as ever! They also have wonderful caramel corn, best I've ever eaten!Cathy2 wrote:Hi,
Cathy, I hate to burst your bubble, but that is NOT the correct recipe for G-Shaft candy (NOT Coal Candy). The original recipe that came over from England was bought out from the family by Dan's Homemade Candies in Joliet IL. It is not a recipe that was ever published correctly or they would lose their business sales. I can tell by looking at it that you've left off at least one ingredient and have 2 others that are not at all part of it. Whoever gave you this recipe was pulling your chain. I know of what I speak since I'm from the area where the candy originated at in IL. My great-grandfather was also a survivor of the mine disaster that the candy was named after, G-Shaft.
The link to Coal Candy is dead, fortunately I made a copy of the recipe:
Posted by Caroline in Sask on Sun, Dec 5, 99 at 20:51Coal Candy
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. black paste food colouring 1/2 cup water
1 tsp. anise extract
Line 8" square baking pan with foil, extending edges over sides of pan. Lightly grease foil with butter. Combine sugar, corn syrup and water into heavy 2-quart saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil, being careful not to splash sugar mixture on side of pan. Carefully clip candy thermometer to side of pan ( do not let bulb touch bottom of pan). Cook about 15 minutes until thermometer registers 290 degrees F., without stirring. Immediately remove from heat. Stir in anise extract and food colouring. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Cool completely. Lift candy out of pan using foil. Place candy between 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Pound with mallet to break candy into 1-2" piececs.
Regards,
m'th'su wrote:Hi Cathy,
There's a hard non-licorice flavored version that's sold all over Italy called carbone. This might be a stretch, but that area of Illinois coal country was largely populated by Italian immigrants, and maybe there is a connection. Though I'm uncertain if the influx was as early as 1872.
Mike
David Hammond wrote:C2,
Yes, I noticed this thread on CH and thought it might be good to follow up on...thanks for doing it for me.
I usually troll the aisles at Walgreen's in search of new and unusual "penny candy"; I'm surprised that I missed this one.
David
Cathy2 wrote:Tahoe Teddy,
My only access to the this recipe was one clipped above, which does use anise (licorice) flavoring.
I had heard a few months ago about Dan's, what I have not yet done is contact them about it.
I knew they stopped making it after a key death with the final blow a shortage of sugar during WWII. I had heard the family was holding tight to the recipe, though a local Joliet Pharmacy would make some around Christmas. I had the sense this pharmacy was not to the original recipe, but a close approximation.
It has been on my short list of things to do to get down to Dan's for their G-shaft candy. Dan's also has a great reputation with LTH for their caramel apples.
Regards,