Chocolate Eclairs

Chocolate Eclairs are one dangerously delicious pastry, so it's no surprise that they are included at the Hogwarts feast:

"Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding..." (Sorcerer's Stone 125).

I had always assumed that eclairs were super hard to make. They're really not, though they are pretty touchy as far as temperature goes! We will use the recipe from The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook.

For the Choux Pastry, You Will Need:

1 cup water

1/2 sick butter

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbs granulated sugar

1 cup flour

4 large eggs

pastry bag for forming eclairs

For the Chocolate Pastry Cream, You Will Need:

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 Tbs cornstarch

1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup granulated sugar

pinch salt

3 large egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

For the Chocolate Glaze, You Will Need:

1/2 cup heavy cream

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1. For the choux pastry, combine the water, butter, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce the heat and add the flour all at once, mixing quickly with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball around the spoon.

3. Transfer the dough to a bowl and allow it to cool slightly.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl. I recommend beating the first couple with a fork, as the force of an electric beater causes the dough to clump around it. Bu definitely use an electric beater before moving on to step 5.

5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and grease and flour a baking sheet.
6. Cut a slit at the end of a pastry bag and fill it with the choux pastry dough. Note: Dinah Bucholz says to cut a 1.5" slit, but I found this to be way too huge.
7. Pipe 3" logs onto the baking sheet. Heads up, they puff up like crazy, so leave some expanding space.

8. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through. Then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes, again rotating halfway through the baking time, until the pastries are puffed and golden.

9. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature. At this point, they can be sealed in a ziplock or airtight container and frozen for up to 2 months. But really, I don't so much recommend this, as even if you defrost them completely without opening the container, they still get a little moist from the condensation.
10. To make the pastry cream, combine the milk, heavy cream, cornstarch, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until hot but not bubbling. Reduce the heat.

11. Slowly pour 1/2 cup-ish of the hot mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly, then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan while stirring constantly.

12. Return the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and bubbling. This happens surprisingly fast! Remove from heat.

13. Add the vanilla and chocolate. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture through a sieve (or not, I didn't). Cover the mixture with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate until cold, or up to two days. A note about the cream: It's really more like pudding than anything else.

14. To make the glaze, combine the chocolate and cream, microwave 1 minute, and stir until smooth. Cool until thick enough to spread. Heads up, it takes a really long time to cool that much... I definitely didn't wait long enough.

15. To assemble the eclairs, split them in half with a sharp knife (I left a bit of a hinge) and fill the bottom half with about 2Tbs of the pastry cream. Replace the top.

16. Spread about 2 tsp of the glaze over the topes and allow the glaze to set.

The are best when eaten immediately, but can be refrigerated. Just be aware that the longer they're chilled, the smooshier they'll get. But honestly, they may not be as pretty, but I think they're even more delicious when they're smooshy! So enjoy!

Treacle Tart

Treacle Tart is often sited as Harry Potter's favorite dessert, but its first mention is at the first Hogwarts feast:

"Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding..." (Sorcerer's Stone 125).

Since Treacle is an ultra-sweet substance, I assumed that treacle tarts would be sickeningly sweet, which is also what Dinah Bucholz says about them (she compares treacle tarts to pecan pie). But I don't think so at all! They're quite lovely and lemony and a perfect end to a meal. Though I do recommend pairing your slice with a bit of custard or a scoop of ice cream. The recipe we're using is from The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook.

What is the difference between a tart and a pie, you wonder? Well, tarts are usually smaller, and are cooked in pans with vertical, fluted edges (unless you don't have a tart pan, like me, in which case they're cooked in a pie pan... which makes it the same as a pie, I guess). 

A note about treacle: I buy mine at various well-stocked grocery stores in my area. I definitely recommend using it instead of molasses if you can find it. Do a google search to find a store near you that carries it.

For the Crust, You Will Need:

2 1/2 cups Flour

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks cold butter, cut into small chunks

2 large egg yolks (ha, I just now realized I used the whole egg instead of just the yolks. oops.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Filling, You Will Need:

1 cup Treacle Golden Syrup or Light Molasses or Corn Syrup

2 1/4 cups bread crumbs

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 egg, beaten with 1Tbs water with which to brush the crust

1. For the crust, place the flour, salt, and confectioner's sugar in your food processor and pulse to combine.

2. Scatter the butter on top and pulse until it resembles coarse yellow meal without any white powdery bits. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

3. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with the cream and vanilla.

4. Pour egg mixture into the flour/butter mixture and toss with a spatula until it clumps together. If it is too dry, add 1Tbs more heavy cream.

5. Divide the dough in two, and form into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.

6. Just before you're ready to roll out the dough, prepare the filling. Be sure your lemon zest and juice is ready before you begin.

7. Warm the treacle in the microwave for 1 minute, then add the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and mix well.

10. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a well-floured surface, roll out the larger (if there is one) disk of dough into an 11" circle. Fold it into quarters, then unfold it into a 9" tart pan and press into the flutes (I used a 9.5" pie pan, and it worked fine).

11. Roll out the second disk 1/8" thick and cut into strips for the lattice topping.

12. Scrape the filling into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

13. Lay half the dough strips over the filling one direction and the other half in the opposite direction, creating a lattice. Trim the overhang and brush the lattice with the beaten egg mixture.

14. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake another 25 minutes until the crust is browned and the filling has puffed up a bit. 

Serve warm with custard or ice cream. 

This dessert is delicious, and would be appropriate during any season at any function. No wonder it's Harry's favorite. Yum.

Apple Pie

I think it's funny that apple pie appears in Harry Potter. When I studied abroad in England, the manor staff threw us a Thanksgiving feast, and they attempted to make apple pie. And though their efforts were valiant, the apple pie was terrible. Their response was, "there's a reason the expression isn't 'British as apple pie.'" But nonetheless, apple pie is the next item in our list of desserts served at the first Hogwarts feast:

"Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding..." (Sorcerer's Stone 125).

I adore pie, and nine times out of ten I will choose it over cake. So I'm very excited to use the excellent recipe found in The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook.

For the Crust, You Will Need:

2.5 cups Flour

3 Tbs granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1.25 sticks butter, cut into chunks

10 Tbs vegetable shortening, chilled

1/2 cup ice water

For the Filling, You Will Need:

8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (yes, you really need 7 minimum)

Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 egg, lightly beaten, for brushing over the crust

extra sugar, for sprinkling over the crust

1. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

2. Scatter the chunks of butter and shortening over the flour and pulse about 20 times, until the mix resembles coarse crumbs with no white bits.

3. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle on the 1/2 cup water, and mix with a spatula or your hands until the dough sticks together. If it's too dry, you can add more water 1 Tbs at a time (better too wet than too dry).

4. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge at least 2 hours or up to 3 days (yes, you really must wait 2 hours-- I didn't, and it made my life very difficult).

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6. Pull out one of the dough balls and roll it out on a generously floured surface into an 11"-ish circle. Try not to make it too big, or you'll end up with way too much dough leftover.

8. Fold the circle in quarters to lift it, then unfold it inside your pie plate. Trim the overhang to about 1", and place the plate in the fridge while you make the filling.

9. Combine the filling ingredients (except the egg and extra sugar!) and mix well.

10. It is recommended, though not required, that you transfer the filling to a saucepan over medium heat and simmer it for 15-20 minutes to remove some of the liquid (this also means you might bake it 30 minutes less). After doing this, I deviated from the book! I scooped the apples out of the liquid and back into the bowl to cool, and let the liquid continue simmering, stirring occasionally, to create a syrup, which I poured back over the apples in the pie, so as to lose the excess liquid but not flavor :)

11. After they are cool, pile the apple mixture onto the bottom piecrust, mounding them up in the middle (I didn't use enough apples to do this... 8 just looks like so much when cut up!), and then drizzle your syrup over them if you're using it.

12. On a very floured surface, roll out your second dough ball into a 10"-ish circle. Fold it into quarters to lift and then unfold it over the pie.

13. Trim the excess even with the edges of the pan and fold the extra from the bottom crust up, and crimp with a fork or your fingers to seal them together. If you like, use the dough trimmings to decorate the top.

14. Beat the egg and brush over the crust with a pastry brush. Cut slits in the top to form air vents. Sprinkle the extra sugar generously over the top (I forgot this part until it was almost done baking, so it never really crystallized, oops).

15. Bake the pie on the bottom rack for 1.5-2 hours, until the crust is golden (and the filling might be bubbling out the vents). Dinah Bucholz recommends placing a baking sheet under the pie pan to catch any potential drips.

This pie is delicious! It really does almost melt in your mouth. No wonder the House Elves serve it at Hogwarts' opening feast!

Blocks of Ice Cream

"A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding..." (Sorcerer's Stone 125).

We escaped our giant list only to enter into another giant list! A list of desserts this time. Nine times out of ten, I will choose ice cream over any other dessert. So the fact that Hogwarts serves giant blocks of it at their feasts only increases my love for it. Since Ms. Rowling does not describe the flavors of ice cream appearing as giant blocks, I get to decide which ones I get to make!

Nutella Ice Cream

Is there any other condiment better than Nutella? Essentially marketing melty hazelnut-chocolate bars as a healthy alternative to peanut butter? Come on, that's genius. Well done Europe. This ice cream is no less delicious. It conjures up visions of gelato shops along beautiful streets in Italy-- I was literally eating it out the ice cream maker as it churned. And luckily, it's so super-sweet that you only need a little bit to satisfy! Do keep in mind though, that while this is the easiest ice cream recipe I've ever found, it also yields very soft ice cream. So pop it in the freezer for a while if you want it to hold a block shape for the feast!

You Will Need:
1.5 cups chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella itself is super sweet, so if you can get another kind, it might be wise!)
14.5 oz (1.5 cups plus 1 Tbs) unsweetened evaporated milk

1. Whisk together the ingredients in a large bowl until they combine together smoothly.

2. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
3. Whisk again and pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Enjoy! It's super delicious!

Next...

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

I adore Edy's Pumpkin Ice Cream, and everyone loves pumpkin pie (especially, it seems, in the Wizarding World!), so why not try making some Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream? The recipe comes from about.com. After making it though, I think I would recommend using 2 cups of cream (it's really thick and difficult to pour into the mixer) and a bit less of each of the sugars and cloves. Despite its goodness, it's almost painfully sweet.

You Will Need:
1 15oz can pumpkin (not pie filling)
1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar (not pictured below, oops)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeng
1/4 tsp ground cloves (not pictured, oops again)

1. Gently heat the heavy cream, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a pan until bubbles form around the edge. Do not boil. Whisk until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let it cool to rom temperature.

2. Beat the pumpkin, cream mixture, and spices together with an electric mixer on medium for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides.

3. Chill the mixture for awhile in the fridge.
4. Pour/scrape the mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

This is another one that results in a very soft-serve texture, so you might want to pop it in the freezer for awhile if you'd like a harder ice cream (but like most homemade ice creams, keep in mind that if left in the freezer overnight, it'll be hard as a rock, so let it thaw a little before serving!).  And enjoy!

If you're craving something sweet and autumnal, this is for you!