Cookies and Wands: A Recipe Inspired by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The last Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is one of my favorites. A recipe inspired by this movie are sugar cookies decorated with the deathly hallows symbol.

These cookies are simple and cute. Start by simply making a batch of sugar cookies, and decorating them with the deathly hallows symbol.

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups all-purpose flour
   
   
2. 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
   
   
3. 1/4 teaspoon salt
   
   
4. 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
   
   
5. 1 cup sugar
   
   
6. 1 egg, beaten
   
   
7. 1 tablespoon milk

Directions: 

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 
2. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. 
3. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. 
4. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. 
5. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. 
8. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. 
9. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time.
10.  Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack

After all of this, decorate them with the deathly hallows symbol. 

I solemnly swear I am up to no good,

-Brittany 

Potions and Liquid Luck: A Recipe Inspired by Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

This recipe, inspired by Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, is for those of you 18 and over. In this Harry Potter film, Harry finds a potion book with notes written in it by a person who calls himself the Half Blood Prince. These notes help Harry to become extremely good in his potions class. We can see this in the clip below:

We can see in this clip that because of Harry's skills in the potion class, he actually wins a small amount of Felix Felicis or Liquid Luck. The recipe below is a cocktail inspired by Felix Felicis:

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 oz simple syrup
2. 1/4 lemon juice
3. 1.5 oz ginger beer
4. champagne or sparkling wine 

Mix the syrup and lemon juice in the bottom of a glass. Add ginger beer and fill with champagne or sparkling wine. 

photo courtesy of buzzfeed

This Harry Potter inspired cocktail is delicious, and a crowd-pleaser. Enjoy it while sitting around a cauldron pretending to make potions. 

I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,

-Brittany  

Butterbeer: A Recipe Inspired by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army is created. Dumbledore's Army was created by Hermoine, Ron, and Harry for Harry to teach others defense against the dark arts. The first meeting place for Dumbledore's Army was the Hog's Head, where butterbeer is a favorite of everyone's. Butterbeer is a non-alcoholic beverage that everyone in Hogwarts loves. It's a sweet, refreshing drink that can be replicated by anyone, including muggles. Below is a clip of Dumbledore's Army first meeting in Hog's Head.

Unfortunately, in this clip they are not drinking butterbeer, but they are in the place that they would in another situation. Below is a recipe used to make your own delicious butterbeer.

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk
2. 1/4 up of butterscotch topping 
3. 2 tbsp of whipped butter at room temperature
4. 1 1/2 cups of vanilla cream soda

Directions:

1. Combine condensed milk, butterscotch topping, and butter in a glass measuring cup.
2. Heat mixture in the microwave for 1 minute. 
3. Remove from microwave and stir until the butter has melted and incorporated into the mixture. 
4. Heat the cream soda in another g;ass measuring up for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
5. Divide butterscotch mixture between two mugs. Fill the mugs with heated cream soda and stir thoroughly. 

Grab a group of friends, make a few mugs of butterbeer and discuss how you could defend yourself against Voldemort. 

I solemnly swear I am up to no good,

-Brittany 

Magic Wands and Competition: A Recipe Inspired by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

There's a lot of magic done with wands in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. An example of this is the scene where Harry and Voldemort battle:

As we can see in the clip above, Harry and Voldemort are seen battling using their wands to battle each other. The wands are very important to this scene because without them, there would be no battle. Obviously, all wizards need a wand, and I suppose muggles do as well. Even though muggles don't have magic powers of any sort, they should still be able to get a wand if they want. Below is a recipe for the best kind of wand: an edible on.

Ingredients:

1. Pretzal rods
2. Chocolate (white, and milk)
3. Food coloring 
4. Sprinkles

Directions:

1. Melt the chocolate using the microwave until smooth and creamy. 
2. Dip one end of the pretzal rod into the chocolate. If using white chocolate, add food coloring add any color to add some decoration.
3. While the chocolate is still melty, roll the chocolate into the sprinkles to also add decoration.
4. Place on wax paper and put into the fridge to allow the chocolate to harden.
5. Once cooled, enjoy!

(photo courtesy of Pinterest)

These wands are a delicious alternative to not having any magic powers like Harry. Use these to have "pretend" battles like that of the clip above.

I solemnly swear I am up to no good,

-Brittany

Dinner Gone Wrong: A Recipe Inspired by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter is serving the Dursley's and Aunt Marge a delightful dinner. As seen in thee clip below, things go terribly wrong.

As we can see, during the dinner Aunt Marge makes some terrible comments about Harry's parents, causing him to become angry and unable to control his powers. He began to "inflate" Aunt Marge, causing her to float away. Before all of this happened, the family was enjoying a delicious meal. Below is a recipe for one of my favorite meals. You will eat so much of this meal, you will feel like Marge; inflated.

Buffalo Chicken Calzone with Blue Cheese Dip:

Ingredients:

1. 2 chicken breast halves diced
2. 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded
3. 2/3 cup tomato sauce 
4. 1 tsp hot sauce 
5. 1 pound of pizza dough thawed
6. 1 tbsp olive oil
7. 2 tsp grated Parmesan 

Ingredients for dip:

1. 1 cup of sour cream
2. 1/3 cup blue cheese, crumbled
3. 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cheese, tomato sauce, and hot sauce. Mix well and set aside.
3. Roll dough out using a rolling pin into a 12-inch circle. Spread chicken mixture over half of the circle, to within 1-inch of the edge. Fold over the half with no mixture on it so that it meets the other side, forming a half moon. Pinch the edges together to seal. 
4. Put the calzone on to the baking sheet and brush the top with olive oil. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan. Using a sharp knife, make a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape during cooking. Bake 15 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. 

For the dip:

1. While the calzone is baking, in a small bowl, combing sour cream, blue cheese and chives. 
2. Serve calzone sliced with sour cream dip on the side. 

Though this recipe is not in Harry Potter, or really has anything to do with Harry Potter, you will eat a lot of it because it's so good. After eating all of that, you will look and feel exactly like Aunt Marge in the clip above. This recipe is directed more towards the muggles, since my first two posts were directed more towards the wizards. 

I solemnly swear I am up to no good,

-Brittany 

Polyjuice Potion: A Recipe Inspired by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

In the second book and movie of the Harry Potter Series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, we see the first introduction of Polyjuice Potion. For those of you muggles who may not know what Polyjuice is, it is a mixture that contains a hair from a person other than yourself. When this potion is consumed, your appearance changes to look like the owner of the hair. We can see this in the video below:

Harry, Ron, and Hermoine all consume Polyjuice Potion in this clip, and we actually see Harry change on screen. This transformation can last anywhere from minutes to hours, depending on how well the potion has been brewed. The potion is extremely difficult make, and takes a lot of preparation. For example the lacewing flies have to be stewed for twenty-one days before making the potion. The total process takes around one month to complete and is listed below:

Part One, Step One:

1. Add 3 measures of fluxweed to the cauldron (must be picked on a full moon).
2. Add 2 bundles of knotgrass to the cauldron.
3. Stir 3 times, clockwise. 
4. Wave your hand then let the potion brew for 80 minutes.

Part One, Step Two:

1. Add 4 leeches to the cauldron.
2. Add 2 scoops of lacewing flies to the mortar, crush to a fine powder, then add two measures of the crushed lacewings to the cauldron.
3. Heat for 30 seconds on a low heat.
4. Wave your hand to complete this stage of the potion. 

 Part Two, Step One:

1. Add 3 measures of boomslang skin to the cauldron.
2. Add 1 measure of biorn horn to the mortar, crush to a fine powder, then add one measure of the crushed horn to the cauldron.
3. Heat for 20 seconds at a high temperature.
4. Wave your wand then let the potion brew for 24 hours.

Part Two, Step Two:

1. Add 1 additional scoop of lacewings to the cauldron.
2. Stir 3 times, counter-clockwise. 
3. Split potion into multiple doses, if desired, then add the pieces of hair of the person you wish to become.
4. Wave your hand to complete the Polyjuice Potion.

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Polyjuice_Potion

Since some of you reading this are probably muggles and are not able to get your hands on the majority of the ingredients listed in the potion above, there is also a recipe that use ingredients muggles are able to get. This recipe, unfortunately, will not allow you to change into another person, sorry muggles.

The first step is to make Sweetened Ginger Tea Concentrate. This is made from:

1. 2 ginger tea bags
2. 1 cup of hot water 
3. 2 tbsp of honey

The muggle ingredients for Polyjuice Potion are:

1. 1 cup of orange juice (no pulp)
2. 3 tbsp of the sweetened ginger tea concentrate (recipe above)
3. 2 halfed canned peach slices
4. 1/2 cup of Sprite
5. 1 drop of any color food coloring. 
6. 4 tbsp of vodka (only for those of you over 18)

Follow these steps below to finish your muggle Polyjuice Potion:

1. Steep bags of ginger tea in hot water for 10 minutes. 
2. Mix in the honey.
3. Place the orange juice, peaches, and sweetened ginger tea concentrate in a blender.
4. Blend until peaches have been crushed and mixed into the juice.
5. Add the vodka (if desired), and Sprite.
6. Serve chilled 

Here is a picture of my Polyjuice Potion. I made mine a pretty, orange-pink color, but you can make yours any color you want by adding any color of food coloring. Even though this version of the Polyjuice Potion does not have any abilities to change you into another person, it will definitely taste better than the wizard version of it. 

I solemnly swear I am up to no good,

-Brittany 

Here Comes Hagrid: A Recipe Inspired by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

In the first book and movie, Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone, we are introduced to Harry's life with the Dursley family. As we all know, that life was not good. Harry was unaware that he was a wizard and was only known as the boy who lives under the stairs until Hagrid comes and tells him differently. The first time Harry meets Hagrid (that he remembers) was while the Dursley's were hiding him from Dumbledore and the school of Hogwarts. Hagrid finds Harry and the Dursley's in a shack away from their usual home. Hagrid also finds Harry the moment he turns 11. So, being that it is his birthday, Hagrid brings him a special surprise, as we can see in the video below:

Hagrid bringing this birthday cake for Harry makes Harry begin to trust him, seeing that he has never received anything so kind and thoughtful from the Dursley's. This cake is so important, because it's the first of the many nice things Harry receives in his life. Shortly after this scene, Harry finds out he's a wizard, turning his life completely around for the better. This cake symbolizes the first of a better life at Hogwarts.

Here is my attempt at recreating this cake given to Harry by Hagrid:

The goal of this cake is to not make it look pretty. Hagrid is a large, ungraceful man.. his cake is not going to look good. All that matters is that it tastes good, and is made with love. 

Now, there are two ways you can go about making this. You can either buy a cake mix, add three eggs, 6 tablespoons of oil, and some water, or if you're brave, you can make the entire cake from scratch. Here's a recipe if you choose to go with the second (bless your soul):

Ingredients:

• Butter
• 1 3/4 cups of flour
• 2 cups of sugar
• 3/4 cups of cocoa powder 
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or around 175 degrees Celsius). Take two round cake pans and butter them so the cake won't stick. Then line the pans with parchment paper, and coat it with more butter and some flour. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder into an bowl fitted for and electric mixer and mix on the lowest speed. In a different bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla and slowly add into the other bowl, keeping the mixer on low speed. Pour the batter into the two cake pans, splitting it evenly between the two. Next, take your magic wand and bake the cakes using a spell for 5-10 minutes. If that doesn't work, you're probably a muggle and should use the oven to bake them for 35-40 minutes. When they are completely done, place them on a cooling rack and leave them to cool completely.

Just like with the cake, there are two options you have for the frosting. You can either buy a container of plain vanilla frosting and pink food coloring, or you can make your frosting from scratch. If you choose the second option, here's a recipe for that:

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups of confectioners' sugar
• 2 tbsp of milk
• 1/3 tsp of vanilla extract 

Combine all of the ingredients together until light and fluffy. Set aside a small amount for the writing, and add pink food coloring to the rest until you get it to the right pink, without making the frosting taste bad. If your cakes are cooled completely, put a small amount of pink frosting on top of the first cake. Set the second cake on top, and frost the entire cake with the pink frosting. Take the small amount of frosting you set aside earlier, and add green food coloring to it. Write "Happee Birthdae Harry" in your most childlike handwriting on top of the cake, and you are finished!

If you have a friend named Harry and it just happens to be his birthday, you can undoubtedly give him this cake for that occasion, only after you bust down his door and tell him he's a wizard. If he questions the spelling errors or what on earth you are doing, obviously he is a muggle and probably not a person you should continue to be friends with.

I solemnly swear I am up to no good,

Brittany