Recipe: Some more 'black' ideas

Great ideas, Page, as usual.

Wilton, for one, makes black food coloring. It is a
paste and is very bitter. Personally I would not even
try to color pasta with this coloring.

I like Page's ideas for decorating the table and the bowls.
You might also investigate some of your stores and
see if you can find black celephane wrap (like they use
on Easter baskets, but not black LOL). You could wrap
or cover all the food bowls with celephane before serving
so when the guests arrive they see all black on your
table.

Also, don't forget black licorice sticks or strings.
They could be used as garnishments.

There are a few ways I know of to get around
the black food coloring bitterness for
frosting cakes or cookies.

1.) Buy clear "piping gel" in the cake decorating
section of your store. It should be in the same
place you find your Wilton food colorings. You can
dye piping gel very black with a mere drop of black
food coloring. Piping gel is primarily sugar and
is very sweet. Add a tiny bit of black to begin.
You'll be surprised how quickly it turns. Piping
gel is very shiney and remains shiney after colored.

2.) Another Black icing:

2 egg whites (best to use artificial egg white)
4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
black food coloring

Place the egg whites in a bowl.
Using an electric mixer set on high
speed, beat until soft peaks form.
Add the confectioner's sugar and
lemon juice and continue to beat
until thick and shiny. The icing
should spread easily. If the icing is too
thin, add more sugar. If it's too thick,
add a bit of water. Add black food coloring.

OR

3). For very black icing that tastes good
add cocoa to buttercream icing: then add black food
color (a smaller amount will be needed).
Only color to a dark charcoal gray. Allow to set
before using - color will intensify.
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LASTLY: I have NOT tried this. Below is a recipe for licorice drops.
If you really have your heart set on black, I would be tempted
to make a batch and see if you can pour it onto a flat sheet so
it could be draped over the top of a cake.

Licorice drops

1 cup (1/4 liter) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50 ml) brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 ml) water
1/4 cup (50 ml) light corn syrup
1 tbsp (15 ml) black food colouring
1/4 tsp (1 ml) anise extract or pulverized anise seeds

Put the sugars, water and corn syrup into a pot, set the pot over
medium heat and stir. When the batch has boiled for the first
time, wash the sugar crystals down from the sides of the pot. Put
the thermometer in the pot and cook without stirring to 290F (143C)
[soft crack stage]. Take the pot from the heat and add the food
colouring and the anise flavouring and stir them in gently.

With a teaspoon, drop round patties about the size of quarters onto
a greased baking sheet. If the candy in the pot gets too firm for
spooning, reheat it gently until it softens.

Cool the drops completely but not in the refrigerator or the pieces
will stick. Wrap the drops individually in wax paper or cellophane.
2-4 tsp cumin seeds
500 ml yoghurt*
150 ml fresh cream* (or