Ice Mice

Yet another magical sweet greets us today:

"Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbert balls that Ron had mentioned; along yet another wall were "Special Effects" sweets: Droobles Best Blowing Gum (which filled a room with bluebell-colored bubbles that refused to pop for days), the strange, splintery Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps ('breathe fire for your friends!'), Ice Mice ('hear your teeth chatter and squeak!'), peppermint creams shaped like toads ('hop realistically in the stomach!') fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons" (Prisoner of Azkaban 197).

I've made Ice Mice once before, and my skills at sugar sculpting are sadly lacking. Making them however, reminds me of one of my favorite attractions at Disney's Epcot: the Japanese sugar sculpting Lady! (seriously, watch that video, she's amazing, and I have the most glorious memories of watching her while I lived there). But alas, I am not a Japanese professional candy-sculptor. So you just have to deal with the sad little mice I make with Dinah Bucholz' sugar mice recipe from The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. 

You Will Need (I halved this recipe):

3/4 stick (6Tbs) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted

1. Combine the butter, corn syrup, and vanilla and beat until thoroughly combined.

2. Add the confectioner's sugar slowly, while beating on the slowest speed, until it forms a dough-like consistency. If the dough seems too wet or sticky, add 1Tbs of confectioner's sugar at a time.

3. Wrap the fondant in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. It will keep for up to 6 weeks. 

4. To form the mice, pinch a piece of fondant off the ball, roll into a body, add a head, pinch little ears, etc. Basically we're sculpting with sugar :) If you'd like, use a toothpick to make eyes, and a piece of licorice for a tail :) Repeat, repeat, repeat.

5. Place the mice on parchment paper and leave them out overnight to dry (except that mine have always melted... so maybe let them dry in the fridge).

If you make your dough dense enough (keep adding powdered sugar), these should turn out pretty adorable. My dough always ends up pretty sticky... I can literally form one mouse before I have to put the dough back in the fridge to firm up again. But if you're successful, they turn out pretty cute! Eating one is about all I can handle, since, as you may have noticed, they're basically just sugar! But that one is pretty tasty! So enjoy!

Levitating Sherbert Balls

Today we continue plowing through Harry's first visit to Honeydukes:

"Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbert balls that Ron had mentioned; along yet another wall were "Special Effects" sweets: Droobles Best Blowing Gum (which filled a room with bluebell-colored bubbles that refused to pop for days), the strange, splintery Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps ('breathe fire for your friends!'), Ice Mice ('hear your teeth chatter and squeak!'), peppermint creams shaped like toads ('hop realistically in the stomach!') fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons" (Prisoner of Azkaban 197).

As I brought up in my last entry, according to Ms. Rowling's grammar, levitating sherbert balls are in fact the same thing as Fizzing Whizbees (and yes, in the book, it is spelled s-h-e-r-b-e-R-t). The Honeydukes shop (at Universal Orlando) disagrees, and Dinah Bucholz includes a recipe for Sherbert Balls in The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. 

Normally, this would mean that we would make some Sherbert Balls. Unfortunately, Ms. Bucholz' recipe includes citric acid, which I have only been able to find online, and I really have no other need for it other than this recipe. And since I am a poor starving artist, I won't be spending my rent money on esoteric ingredients. The recipe does look like a lot of fun though, so if you feel like giving it a try, you should check out Dinah's book and make yourself some "Levitating" Sherbert Balls!

Fizzing Whizbees

Our next new item in our list of sweets is one of my very favorite things sold at Honeydukes:

"Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbert balls that Ron had mentioned; along yet another wall were "Special Effects" sweets: Droobles Best Blowing Gum (which filled a room with bluebell-colored bubbles that refused to pop for days), the strange, splintery Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps ('breathe fire for your friends!'), Ice Mice ('hear your teeth chatter and squeak!'), peppermint creams shaped like toads ('hop realistically in the stomach!') fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons" (Prisoner of Azkaban 197).

You may have noticed that according to the grammar in the above sentence, Fizzing Whizbees are "levitating sherbert balls." However, Honeydukes at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter disagrees, as does Dinah Bucholz. The first time I tried Fizzing Whizbees at Honeydukes, I popped one in my mouth and was thrown into a fit of giggles that literally took probably ten minutes to subside. They are simply a joy-inducing sweet. Because of this, today we shall make my interpretation of Universal Orlando's interpretation (and thus approved by J.K. Rowling herself!) of Fizzing Whizbees:

You Will Need:

a bee-shaped candy mold

melting chocolate (I like Wilton Candy Melts)

Pop Rocks of your chosen flavor

1. Melt your chocolate according to the manufacturer's instructions, and scrape into a pastry bag (unless you're using Wilton, in which case you can melt it right in the bag and cut off a corner!).

2. Fill your mold with a small amount of melted chocolate, just covering the bottom.

3. Sprinkle a small amount of Pop Rocks over the chocolate.

4. Cover the Pop Rocks completely with more melted chocolate, filling the mold. Smooth the top with the side of a toothpick or your (washed!) finger.

5. Allow the chocolate to set completely before popping them out of the mold.
6. Enjoy!

These are just like the Fizzing Whizbees I had at Honeydukes, and they're so much fun! I definitely recommend that you give it a try!

Coconut Ice

Let's jump right back itno our adventure through Honeydukes:

"Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbet balls that Ron had mentioned; along yet another wall were 'Special Effects' sweets: Droobles Best Blowing Gum (which filled a room with bluebell-colored bubbles that refused to pop for days), the strange, splintery Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps ('breathe fire for your friends!'), Ice Mice ('hear your teeth chatter and squeak!'), peppermint creams shaped like toads ('hop realistically in the stomach!'), fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons" (Prisoner of Azkaban 197).

This marks the second time I'll try to make Dinah Bucholz' recipe for coconut ice. Coconut ice is basically coconut fudge, and for some reason it is usually pink. Both times I've made it it's tasted delicious, but it seems to me that I always somehow scald the milk (or maybe milk always darkens when cooked, but I don't think so), which means that my coconut ice turns out to be caramel-colored. This (to me) makes it pointless to dye it pink. Oh well, it might not be pretty, but it'll taste good! 

You Will Need:

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups whole milk

2 Tbs golden syrup or light corn syrup

1/4 stick (2 Tbs) unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup ground dessicated coconut (shredded sweetened coconut is fine)

few drops red food coloring

1. Grease an 8 x 8" square pan and line with parchment or wax paper.

2. Combine the sugar, milk, golden syrup, butter, heavy cream, and salt in a LARGE saucepan (as you cook, it expands like crazy, so you should definitely use a 4qt pot or larger).

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter is melted and the ingredients are combined. 

4. Clip a candy thermomenter to the side and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 238 degrees. This takes at least 30 minutes. Be patient and DO NOT turn up the heat!

5. Remove the pan from the heat and wait until the mixture cools to 125 degrees. This also takes a long time; you may want to place the pot in an ice bath to speed up the process a bit. 

Note that it's no longer white :(

6. Remove the thermometer and add the vanilla and coconut. Beat/stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture loses its glosses and is very thick (10-15 minutes). You really might want to enlist some help!

7. Assuming your mixture is still light enough, add a couple drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly (or get really fancy and scrape half the white batter into the pan, then dye the other half pink and pour it over the top!). 

8. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Cool completely before cutting into 1" squares. Store in an airtight container (it keeps for several weeks).

Yummy! Despite the fact that my coconut ice has yet to turn out the correct color, it is still quite delicious! I definitely recommend that you give it a try! Enjoy!

Nougat

We have reached that most wondrous of moments in Harry's early life at Hogwarts when he first views Honeydukes Sweet Shop. This is definitely a paragraph we'll be working through for awhile:

"There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbet balls that Ron had mentioned; along yet another wall were 'Special Effects' sweets: Droobles Best Blowing Gum (which filled a room with bluebell-colored bubbles that refused to pop for days), the strange, splintery Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps ('breathe fire for your friends!'), Ice Mice ('hear your teeth chatter and squeak!'), peppermint creams shaped like toads ('hop realistically in the stomach!'), fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons" (Prisoner of Azkaban 197).

Dinah Bucholz' recipe for nougat includes Rice or Wafer Paper, which kind of encases the nougat. I didn't use it because I couldn't find it (though I'm told it is available online and at some specialty food stores). If you have access to it, I definitely recommend using it. Even filo sheets might work. Just know that without it, your nougat will remain sticky forever, and if you wrap it in wax paper (like I did), you might never unwrap it again! Another option would be to use this nougat as an ingredient in something else, like homemade Mars Bars, for example!

You should also know that it is totally possible to make nougat with a regular electric hand mixer. But if you have a stand mixer, use it! I don't have a stand mixer, and for this recipe especially, I sure wish I had one! I will reproduce the recipe here as Ms. Bucholz created it, for use with a stand mixer.

You Will Need:

Rice or wafer paper

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup honey

1 cup water

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 Tbs vanilla

1 cup whole pistachios, toasted

1 cup toasted blanched slivered almonds

1. Spray a 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray and line with rice or wafer paper (you may need to cut the paper to fit, or use more than one sheet).

2. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, honey, and water in a medium saucepan.

3. Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the 5 qt bowl of a standing mixer with a whisk attachment and begin beating on medium speed. 

4. Place the sugar mixture pan on the stove, and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, and clip on a candy thermometer.

5. The goal here is to have the sugar syrup reach 240 degrees at the same time as the egg whites form soft mounds. If you're using a hand mixer, this is impossible. Don't worry about it. When both of these things have happened, carefully pour 1 cup of the hot syrup into the eggwhites while still beating on medium speed.

6. Return the syrup to the heat, and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 300 degrees. Simultaneously, beat the egg mixture until it is stiff and glossy. Again, you want these goals to be met at the same moment (ha). When this does happen, slowly pour the rest of the syrup into the egg whites while beating on medium-high.

7. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

8. Add the nuts and fold in completely with a spatula. 

9. Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan (the hotter it is, the easier this will be, so work fast!). Smooth the top and press down rice or wafer paper over the top.

Note that I used wax paper. Not recommended.

10. Let the nougat cool and set up overnight. Then use a serrated knife to cut the nougat into pieces. Store the extras covered in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

If you don't use wafer paper. you'll need to use your fingers to shape the nougat into edible-sized pieces.

I think this nougat tastes kind of like marshmallows. It's tasty, but it I think I prefer nougat inside other candy bars instead of on its own! But you should make up your own mind! Enjoy!