Lumps Of Coal Cookies Make Being Naughty At Christmas A Lot Nicer

Remember the holiday threat that kids who ended up on Santa's naughty list would receive only lumps of coal in their stockings? That seems like an old-fashioned threat from another era (coal, really?), but this year, it's turned into a tasty treat instead.

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Nestle is selling a limited-edition holiday cookie dough called Lumps of Coal, and it's obvious where the name comes from. The chocolate cookie dough is filled with chocolate morsels, and set to be baked into deep, dark cookies that look just like Santa's favorite old-school threat.

The dough is made with 100 percent chocolate, no artificial ingredients, no artificial colors and no preservatives, Nestle said in a press release. Each package sells for $2.99 and makes 24 cookies, each of which is 80 calories.

It's now available at national and regional retailers through the end of the year. It's up to you if you want to use the baked cookies as presents or supposed punishments, though only true chocolate-haters would turn down a Lump of Coal cookie.

It's not quite clear why lumps of coal became the default bad-kid stocking stuffer in Christmas tradition. Mental Floss speculates that it's because the fireplace, once fired by coal instead of wood, was where stockings were traditionally hung. That proximity means grabbing a lump of coal would be an easy punishment for jolly old St. Nick. The Halloween equivalent has to be poor ol' Charlie Brown being given rocks instead of candy when he trick-or-treated. The Peanuts gang had some harsh, kid-hating neighbors, apparently. And if the whole "lumps of coal" concept is sending you back in time, check out these old-school snacks we bet you completely forgot existed.