I love all mushrooms but these are something a little unusual, even for fungi. Legend has it that King Alfred the Great was left to watch over some cakes baking, but being preoccupied, forgot about them and they burnt. These tough 'shrooms resemble burnt cakes, hence their name. If we're being scientific about it, they're really called Daldinia concentrica as their insides have a concentric pattern.
Much like burnt cakes, they are largely regarded as inedible, although they're not dangerous to eat. They have been used to relieve cramps according to folk remedy and are sometimes known as Cramp Balls. You're most likely to see them attached to dead ash and beech trees, amongst other broadleaved trees and whilst they are in season during the summer to autumn, they can hang about for many years!
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