Harry Potter Snacks, Part 3

Thanks to Addie Broyles for the story in today's Austin American-Statesman on Harry Potter treats! See the recipes I shared below:

Unforgettable Pensieve Dip

11/4 cup hard cider
4 cups smoked cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups Emmentaler cheese, shredded
11/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Sausage (for dipping)
Apple slices (for dipping)
Rye bread, chopped into pieces (for dipping)

Heat a large saucepan on medium heat and warm hard cider until simmering. Toss shredded cheese with cornstarch, then add a handful at a time to the simmering cider, stirring as you go, until fully incorporated and smooth. Sprinkle in the cinnamon and remove from heat. Add to a warm fondue pot and serve with sausage slices, apple slices and bread pieces for an unforgettable snack.

Pumpkin Juice

5 cups apple juice
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Stir all ingredients until thoroughly combined and serve chilled for a refreshing drink. For an extra kick, add 1/2 cup spiced rum to create "Rumkin Juice."

Cockroach Clusters

2 cups walnut (or pecan) halves
4 ounces chocolate bark
4 ounces dark chocolate
2 ounces peanut butter, melted (optional)
2 ounces caramel, melted (optional)

Spread out nuts on wax paper. Place chocolate bark and dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for a minute. Stir, then heat another minute, stopping every 20 seconds to stir. Drizzle over nuts and place in refrigerator to set, about 20 minutes. If desired, first drizzle nuts with peanut butter or caramel, then chocolate, for an added dimension of flavor.

Harry Potter Snacks, Part 2

We are on the eve of the premier of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and I cannot wait! It's been a magical 5 weeks of viewing our favorite HP movies and enjoying some treats from the movies, along with a few of our own classics.

Ron's wands were a fun invention for a Harry Potter party we had a few years ago. Since he breaks his wand in the Chamber of Secrets, it's a quite fitting use of broken pretzel rods! And for the butterbeer, there are several interpretations, both hot and cold, alcoholic and not, that you can find online. We loved this simple recipe, and it wasn't sickeningly sweet like I feared. The baked brie isn't HP-related per se, but it seemed like something the Hogwarts students might enjoy. Especially with the Harry Potter logo that Christine so masterfully added to it. These recipes are so simple, a first year could do them!

Ron's Wands

1 bag pretzel rods (both whole and broken is fine)

6 ounces chocolate bark

Sprinkles

Lay out wax paper and prepare your pretzel rods. Place chocolate bark in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for one minute. Stir, then continue heating, stopping to stir every 20 seconds, until smooth. I recommend doing this in a tall glass, so when you dip the pretzel rods you can cover as much of the pretzel as possible. Lay on wax paper and add sprinkles. Let set about 20 minutes.

Butterbeer

6 pack cream soda cans, chilled

1 cup butterscotch snapps, chilled

Combine both ingredients and serve in chilled mugs. Fit for a Hogwarts feast! Sorry, no photo :(

Baked Brie

1 package puff pastry, thawed

1 wheel brie cheese

1/4 cup fig jam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the puff pastry and place brie cheese wheel in the center. Spread fig jam over the cheese and then tightly wrap the puff pastry dough around it, trimming the excess. You can then press a logo of your choice on the excess and press on top, if desired. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. I served with wheat crackers.

Harry Potter Snacks, Part 1

Somehow I've managed to keep my love for Harry Potter pretty quiet on the blogosphere, but with HP and the Half Blood Prince coming out this summer, it's time for me to reveal my nerdiness as well. My house is hosting weekly Harry Potter viewing parties, complete with fun wizard snacks, each Tuesday night leading up to the 6th movie premiere on July 15th. No matter how many times I read the books or see the movies, I love them equally every time.

My roommate Christine and I spent a good deal of time brainstorming and finding recipes from fellow bloggers, which I will be sharing in the coming weeks. For fellow fans, I hope you appreciate it! Even if you're not, these recipes are pretty tasty on their own :)

Chocolate Frogs

Thanks to Christine's dedication, she ordered a frog mold online. We then simply melted chocolate bark and filled each frog, adding walnuts and cashews to them for an added crunch. What a hit!

Cauldron Cakes

These spice cakes were simple and light!

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix eggs, sugar, butter,cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla in large mixing bowl on whip for 2 minutes. Mix other solid ingredients and milk in gradually in the large mixing bowl. Fill muffin tins about half way and bake 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Juice

We washed it all down with a fresh glass of Pumpkin Juice, which my friend Greg coined "Rumkin" Juice by adding a healthy dose of rum. Booze or not, this beverage was surprisingly refreshing!

5 cups apple juice
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Combine all in a large pitcher and stir well. Serve on ice. Makes about 6 cups.