The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook (35 page)

Serves 16 hungry people for tea or 32 stuffed people for dessert

Most recipes for fruitcakes advise maturing the cakes for a few months to allow the flavors to ripen. This cake, however, also tastes delicious fresh. To make this cake for kids, replace the brandy with apple juice and serve within 24 hours, or wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze, unfrosted. Defrost before coating it with marzipan and icing.

Despite eating four helpings of trifle at Christmas tea, Crabbe and Goyle have no problem polishing off the chocolate cakes Hermione had set up as a trap (see
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
, Chapter 12).

1½ cups whole milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar Pinch salt

3 large egg yolks

¼ stick (2 tablespoons) butter

¼ teaspoon rum extract or ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Leftover slices of Christmas pudding or Christmas cake

¼ cup marmalade

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ground nutmeg or cinnamon, for dusting

1. Combine the milk, cornstarch, brown sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and stir to dissolve the cornstarch. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until hot but not bubbling. Pour ½ cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly, then pour the mixture into the saucepan while stirring. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and bubbling. Remove from the heat and add the butter and rum or vanilla extract. Stir to combine, then pour through a sieve, using a rubber spatula to push the mixture through. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold or up to 3 days.
   

2. Crumble a few slices of the Christmas cake or pudding into the bottom of a 9-inch serving dish, preferably clear glass, that is 2½ to 3 inches deep. The crumbled cake or pudding should come about 1½ inches up the sides. Spread the marmalade as well as you can over the cake or pudding; it will be sticky. Then spread the brown sugar custard over the marmalade, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve or up to 3 days.
   

3. Before serving, combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the trifle and dust with ground nutmeg or cinnamon.
   

Serves 8 to 10

Professor Trelawney was crystal-ball gazing and she saw herself joining the Christmas feast. Imagine that! So here she is at the table, and Professor McGonagall, though she has little patience for the old fraud, offers her some tripe (see
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
, Chapter 11).

1½ pounds dressed honeycomb tripe (beef, goat, or sheep)

3 cups sliced yellow onions

2 cups whole milk

1 pinch ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Place the tripe in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, remove, drain, and rinse with cold water. Cut the tripe into bite-size pieces and return to the pot along with the onions, milk, nutmeg, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 2 hours.
   

2. Strain the tripe and reserve the liquid. You should have 2 cups of liquid; if necessary, add enough milk to make 2 cups.
   

3. Wipe the pot. Melt the butter in the pot over medium-high heat. Add the tripe and stir to coat. Add the flour and stir to coat. Add the reserved liquid and continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
   

4. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with parsley.
   

Serves 4

At Harry's second Christmas at Hogwarts, Hagrid is greatly helped by the eggnog. With every cup he consumes, he's able to sing carols progressively louder (see
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
, Chapter 12).

6 large eggs

¾ cup granulated sugar

3½ cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream, divided

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Ground nutmeg for serving

1. Whisk the eggs with the granulated sugar in a medium sauce-pan until frothy. Whisk in the milk and 1 cup of the heavy cream and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F or is very hot but not bubbling. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Pour through a sieve. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold.
   

2. Beat the remaining cup of heavy cream with the remaining teaspoon of vanilla and the confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form. Pour the chilled eggnog into mugs or glasses. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with the nutmeg.
   

Serves 6

At the Yule ball, diners get to choose their food from menus, which include foreign foods to accommodate the visitors from Durmstrang and Beaux-batons. Harry chooses goulash, a Hungarian dish. Perhaps he was curious … or maybe Aunt Petunia made a delicious goulash all the time and he just loved it (see
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
, Chapter 23).

3 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided use)

2 pounds chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 onion, finely chopped

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 14-ounce cans chicken broth

1 10-ounce package mushrooms, chopped

3 tablespoons paprika

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped

½ cup sour cream

Egg noodles, for serving

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven or wide pot. Sear the meat in batches over high heat on both sides until crusty brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the batches to a large plate. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and add the onions and celery, cooking over medium-high heat until softened, scraping up the fond (browned bits), about 5 minutes. Add the flour and toss to combine. Pour in the chicken broth while stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling.
   

2. Add the mushrooms, paprika, tomato paste, and the browned meat along with its accumulated juices. Bring the stew to a simmer and continue to simmer for 1½ hours. Add the red pepper and cook another ½ hour. Remove from the heat.
   

3. Whisk the sour cream with a ½ cup of the cooking liquid, then stir it into the goulash. Serve the goulash over buttered egg noodles.
   

Serves 8

Ah, Hogsmeade! The only entirely wizarding village in all of Great Britain and the highlight of the year for third-year students at Hogwarts … but it's a problem for our hero. You need a permission slip signed by a parent or guardian in order to be allowed into Hogsmeade, and Uncle Vernon is never going to sign it.

Harry thinks he solved his problem by striking a deal with his uncle, but then he loses his temper in a really bad way and has to flee. Scratch that. So he asks the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, to sign his permission slip, but the Minister won't do it, either. He tries to explain the situation to Professor McGonagall, but she's very strict: no permission slip, no Hogsmeade. So it's a very dejected Harry who heads to the Gryffindor common room while everyone else leaves for Hogsmeade.

Like many misfortunes in life, this turns out to be a blessing in disguise. Fred and George, in a rare show of generosity and sympathy, give Harry one of their most precious possessions, the Marauder's Map, which will show Harry a secret way into Hogsmeade. The map plays a very important role many, many times throughout Harry's adventures, right up until his final confrontation with Voldemort.

Harry gets the map and he gets to visit Hogsmeade, and is it ever worth it to break the rules to come see this place. There's nothing like Honeydukes in the Muggle world. Not only does it sell fine confections like toffees and chocolates and fudges, but it also carries a line of magical sweets. Unfortunately, this cookbook cannot replicate the magic of Honeydukes. The Bonbons don't explode, the Sherbet Pouches don't cause you to levitate, the Acid Drops will not burn a hole in your tongue, and the Sugar Mice won't squeak in your stomach. But don't be disappointed, because the sweets that follow taste magically good. And the chocolates really will protect you from despair should you be visited by a dementor (see
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
).

Ron reminisces about Acid Pops, remembering how the one Fred gave him when he was little burned a hole in his tongue. He wonders if he should try getting Fred back by buying him a Cockroach Cluster and telling him it's peanuts (see
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
, Chapter 10).

¼ cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon citric acid (see note)

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Combine the water, sugar, corn syrup, and cream of tartar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to bubble. Wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in hot water if sugar crystals have formed on the sides. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 300°F.
   

2. Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle the citric acid over the sugar syrup and stir to combine. When the bubbling has subsided, use an oiled teaspoon to drop teaspoonfuls of the sugar syrup onto the prepared sheets 2 inches apart to allow room for spreading.
   

3. To store candies, wrap them in sheets of parchment paper, making sure the candies don't touch, as they will stick together.
   

Makes about 40 candies

Citric acid is available in fairly small quantities on the Internet.

Harry sneaks into Honeydukes through the cellar, and boy, what a sweetshop! The mouthwatering candies that line the shelves are a sweets-lover's fantasy. The following recipes represent the nougat, coconut ice, sugar mice, peppermint creams, sherbet balls, chocolates, and bonbons that Harry saw (see
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
, Chapter 10).

Rice or wafer paper, for lining the pan and the top of the nougat (you can order it online)

2 cups granulated sugar

¾ cup light corn syrup

¼ cup honey

1 cup water

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup whole toasted pistachio nuts

1 cup toasted blanched slivered almonds

1. Spray a 9″ × 13″ pan with cooking spray and line it with the rice or wafer paper. You may need to cut the paper to fit or use two sheets. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, honey, and water in a medium saucepan. Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the 5-quart bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and begin beating on medium speed. Place the saucepan on the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, wash down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in hot water if necessary, and clip on a candy thermometer.
   

2. Here's the first tricky part. Try to time the egg whites reaching soft mounds and the sugar syrup reaching 240°F at the same time. When this happens, increase the mixer speed to medium-high. Dip a 1-cup heatproof measuring cup into the sugar syrup, and then, with the mixer still running, pour the syrup slowly into the egg whites against the side of the bowl (if you pour the sugar syrup into the center of the mixer bowl, the mixture will fly against the sides and harden instead of incorporating into the egg whites). Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and glossy while continuing to cook the remaining sugar syrup, stirring to prevent scorching.
   

3. Here's the second tricky part. Try to time the egg whites reaching the stiff, glossy stage with the sugar syrup reaching 300°F. As soon as that temperature is reached, turn the mixer to medium-high and slowly pour in the sugar syrup against the side of the bowl. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Add the nuts and fold in by hand. Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan. It sets up quickly, so the hotter it is, the easier it will be to spread it in the pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and press down rice or wafer paper over the top.
   

4. Let the mixture cool and set overnight. Use a serrated knife to cut 8 sections along the width and 8 sections along the length to make 64 rectangles. The nougat is hard to cut and remove from the pan and won't look as neat and professional as the one at Honeydukes, but it tastes absolutely stupendous. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
   

Makes 64 pieces

Even though it's difficult to find wafer paper, it's really the only thing that works. Nougat is very soft and sticky; unlike marshmallows, it absorbs corn-starch or confectioners' sugar, so if you used those it would still stick to the pan, and you would have to use copious amounts of grease to allow you to remove the nougat. Doing that, of course, would ruin the candy.

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons golden syrup or light corn syrup

¼ stick (2 tablespoons) butter

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup ground desiccated coconut (shredded sweetened coconut may be substituted)

Few drops red food coloring

1. Grease an 8-inch square pan. Line it with parchment paper, allowing the paper to come up two of the sides. This will make it easy to remove the fudge and slice it.
   

2. Combine the sugar, milk, golden syrup or corn syrup, butter, heavy cream, and salt in a large saucepan. (As you cook, the mixture will expand like crazy, so be sure the pot is large enough. A 4-quart pot is a good size, but you'll still need to watch it.) Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the ingredients are combined. Wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in hot water to get rid of sugar crystals. Just a few crystals on the sides can cause the fudge to recrystallize.
   

3. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 238°F. This whole process may take more than 30 minutes, so be patient. Don't worry if it looks curdled; it will smooth out as it thickens during the beating process.
   

4. Remove the pan from the heat and wait until the mixture cools to 125°F. Remove the thermometer, add the vanilla and coconut, and beat or stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture loses its gloss and is very thick, about 10 to 15 minutes. You might want to enlist a friend to help with the beating — you can take turns. Scrape half the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. If necessary, you can use a piece of plastic wrap and the palm of your hand to do this. Add the food coloring to the remaining half and mix until the color is evenly distributed. Spread it over the first layer. If this seems too complicated, tint the whole lot pink instead of making layers, or don't add the color at all.
   

5. Cool completely before cutting into 1-inch squares (8 cuts in one direction and 8 cuts in the other). Store in an airtight container. The fudge keeps for several weeks.
   

Makes 64 pieces

If the mixture gets too hot, the fudge will seize up into a hard, grainy clump when you try to stir it. If it doesn't get hot enough, the fudge will not thicken and will remain a gloopy glump. You can then try to save it by putting it back in the pot with some water (don't worry; the water will evaporate) and reheating it to the correct temperature.