The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook Presents: A Magical Christmas Menu (4 page)
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Authors: Dinah Bucholz
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You can make the crust a day in advance, and also freeze it for up to 2 months if it is well wrapped in plastic.
Harry doesn't understand why peppermint humbugs are served along with the roasts and chops and potatoes at his first Hogwarts feast. But it makes sense if you think about it. Maybe the candies were supposed to be like after-dinner mints to freshen your breath (see
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
, Chapter 7).
Scrooge's famous “Bah, humbug!” exclamation and peppermint humbugs are unrelated, though some people in England give out humbugs on Christmas as a joke. The only other thing you need to know about a humbug is that it's a type of pulled candy, literally pulled, as you will see in the instructions. Traditional humbugs are striped white and black, but it's for home cooks to tint the candy one color. If you make the candy with a friend, double the recipe, divide the hot candy, and tint it two different colors. When the candy is stiff enough, you can twist and pull the two colors together.
1/3 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Few drops green food coloring or other desired color
Spray an 8-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and cream of tartar and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to boil. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, wash down the sides with a pastry brush dipped in hot water.
Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches 260°F. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the peppermint extract and food coloring and mix well.
Pour the syrup into the prepared pan. Let the syrup cool for a few minutes. Put on a pair of clean heavy rubber gloves and spray the gloves with cooking spray. Rub your hands together to evenly distribute the oil. If you can tolerate the heat, you can skip the gloves and just oil your hands.
Pick up the hot candy and begin pulling it, twisting along the rope as you pull. This will be difficult at first, as the candy will be a mushy glob and will seem to just gloop and droop. Gradually it will stiffen and be easier to pull. Fold the rope in half and then half again and twist and pull again. Repeat and repeat and repeat. As you pull and twist, the candy will begin to look more opaque and will take on a pearlescent sheen, very pretty to behold. When the candy is too stiff to pull, snip the rope at ¾-inch intervals onto a sheet of parchment paper. The candies will look like teeny-weeny pillows. Do not let the humbugs touch each other; instead wrap each piece individually in parchment paper or plastic wrap to prevent sticking. Store in an airtight container. The humbugs will begin to recrystallize after two or three days.
Makes about 20 ¾-inch pieces
Eat these candies with caution. They can really cement your teeth together!
After Harry's been spirited away in Mr. Weasley's Ford Anglia to the Burrow, he enjoys the rest of summer vacation with Ron. On the last night before start of term, he digs into a fabulous dinner prepared by fabulous cook Mrs. Weasley, finishing off with dessert and hot chocolate (see
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
, Chapter 5).
Before Coenraad van Houten was born, people enjoyed hot chocolate with pools of grease floating on top. But then along came the Dutch chemist, who figured out how to press out the cocoa butter from the cocoa beans in the early 1800s. Plus, he invented Dutch cocoa, which is leaps and bounds better than natural cocoa. We modern folk owe him a big debt of gratitude: every city should have a statue of this man, and every village and hamlet should have a Coenraad van Houten Street.
½ cup water
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant coffee
2 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 cups whole milk
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped cream, optional, for serving
Unsweetened cocoa powder, optional, for serving
Combine the water, sugar, cocoa powder, and coffee in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chopped chocolate until smooth. Return to the heat and add the milk, cooking and stirring until just heated through (do not boil). Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the hot chocolate immediately into four teacups. You can top the hot chocolate with a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.
Serves 4
This hot chocolate is very rich. For a lighter version, put 1 heaping teaspoon cocoa powder, 3 to 4 heaping teaspoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon instant coffee, and a few drops of vanilla extract into a large mug. Pour in a little boiling water and stir until dissolved. Add more boiling water to come ¾ of the way up the mug. Stir well, then add milk or cream to fill the rest of the mug. Try adding a few mini-marshmallows to the cup before drinking. You can use a stick of cinnamon as a stirrer to add a bit of cinnamon flavor. For smooth creaminess, replace the dark chocolate with white chocolate.
Purchase
The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook:
From Cauldron Cakes to Knickerbocker Glory — More Than 150 Magical Recipes for
Wizards and Non-Wizards Alike
Dinah Bucholz
