The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook (3 page)

Harry hates going to his babysitter, Mrs. Figg, when the Dursleys need him out of the way. She has too many cats, her house smells like cabbages, and her chocolate cake tastes ancient (see
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
, Chapters 2 and 3).

2 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate

1 tablespoon instant coffee

1¼ cups boiling water

2¾ cups all-purpose flour

2¾ cups granulated sugar

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup vegetable oil

1¼ cups buttermilk

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9″ × 13″ cake pan.
   

2. Place the chocolate and coffee in a small bowl. Pour the boiling water over the chocolate and coffee and let it stand 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth.
   

3. Using an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix on low speed until well combined. Add the oil and buttermilk and mix well, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each until incorporated. Add the chocolate-coffee mixture very carefully, on the lowest speed, as it will slosh around the bowl. Add the vanilla. Finish by scraping the bowl down and mixing all the batter with a rubber spatula.
   

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until the cake feels firm when touched lightly in the center or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is over baked.
   

5. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve right out of the pan.
   

Makes 24 pieces

Uncle Vernon goes so nuts when letter after letter arrives addressed to Harry Potter that he hammers in a nail with a piece of fruitcake to seal the mail slot (see
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
, Chapter 3).

Traditionally, fruitcake is made with alcohol, which keeps the cake moist and fresh for an extended period of time. Adults who wish to make traditional fruitcake should replace the apple juice with brandy. After the cake cools, use a skewer to poke holes in the bottom of the cake. Pour another ½ cup brandy over the bottom of the cake, wrap the cake in a double layer of aluminum foil, and store upside down. If you want to make this cake months in advance, then once a month, unwrap the cake and pour ½ cup brandy over the bottom. The flavor improves with age.

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup finely ground almonds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

2 sticks butter, at room temperature

1¼ cups packed dark brown sugar

Grated zest of 1 orange

Grated zest of 1 lemon

4 large eggs, at room temperature

¼ cup orange marmalade

½ cup dark raisins

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup dried currants or sweetened dried cranberries

¼ cup apple juice

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep and line the bottom with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, spices, and salt.
   

2. In another large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and zest of orange and lemon with an electric mixer, scraping down the sides as needed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at time, beating well after each until incorporated. Beat in the marmalade. Stir in the flour mixture and then the dark raisins, golden raisins, and currants or cranberries. Stir in the apple juice. Using a spatula, give one final stir to make sure the batter is evenly mixed. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 2 hours.
   

3. Remove the cake from the oven and leave it in the pan to cool. Unmold the cake onto a sheet of aluminum foil and peel off the parchment paper, then reinvert the cake onto a platter or cardboard round. The cake should be eaten the day it is made or wrapped well in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 months. Serve with a nice cup of tea.
   

Serves 16

Aunt Petunia serves roast pork loin at the business dinner with the Masons, doomed by Dobby the house-elf, whose repeated efforts to help Harry end up almost killing him each time (see
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
, Chapter 1).

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground thyme

¼ teaspoon dried rosemary

Pinch cayenne pepper

2 pounds pork loin

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the pork. Rub the mixture all over the pork and place the pork loin on a rack in a roasting pan.
   

2. Roast the pork for about 40 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 145°F. Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
   

Serves 6

1 cup water

1 cup honey

½ cup apple butter or applesauce

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup pickled watermelon rind, diced

2 pounds pork loin

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a saucepan, combine the water, honey, and apple butter or applesauce, and stir to blend. Add the crushed peppers, dried cranberries, and diced watermelon rind. Bring to a boil, cover, remove from the heat, and let stand for 10 minutes.
   

2. Pour half of the fruit sauce over the pork loin and place it in the preheated oven. Bake the pork for 30 minutes. Pour ¼ of the remaining sauce over the pork and continue cooking 10 minutes longer or until the internal temperature registers 145°F on an instant-read thermometer.
   

3. Rest the pork loin for 15 minutes before slicing. Drizzle the remaining fruit sauce over the sliced pork and serve.
   

¼ cup Kentucky bourbon

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup packed brown sugar

2 cloves garlic

¼ cup Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 dash hot sauce

2 pounds pork loin

4 fresh or canned peaches, pitted and cut in quarters

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a blender or food processor, combine the bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, mustard, ginger, Worcestershire sauce, oil, and hot sauce. Pulse until smooth.
   

2. Place the pork loin and peaches into a resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Remove excess air and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
   

3. Remove the pork from the marinade and place it on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast the pork for about 40 minutes until an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F. Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Bring the remaining marinade to a boil in a small saucepan and set aside.
   

4. Slice the pork and drizzle it with the marinade. Arrange the peaches around the sliced pork.
   

When Harry comes inside after completing his chores, he notices that the dessert Aunt Petunia prepared for the dinner party with the Masons is sitting on top of the refrigerator (see
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
, Chapter 1). The British call any dessert “pudding,” as in “What's for pudding?” Since the classic trifle is covered in dollops of whipped cream and often decorated with sugared violets, this is probably what Petunia intended to serve the Masons (before Dobby destroyed it).

1 loaf yellow cake, sliced into ½-inch-thick slices (recipe follows)

½ cup strawberry jam

Custard (recipe follows)

1 pound fresh strawberries, washed, patted dry, and sliced into 1/8-inch-thick slices

Whipped cream

1 tablespoon toasted sliced almonds or sugared violets, if availabl

1. Place the cake slices on a cutting board and trim off the crusts. Spread half the slices with the jam and top with the remaining slices. Cut the sandwiches into 2-inch squares. Layer the sandwiches in the bottom of a round glass serving dish. Cut the remaining sandwiches into small pieces to fill any empty spaces.
   

2. Spread the custard over the cake layer. Line the pan around the perimeter with strawberry slices; then pile the remaining sliced strawberries in the center. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
   

3. Prepare the whipped cream before serving. Remove the plastic wrap and spread the whipped cream on top of the trifle, completely covering all the strawberries with the cream. For a pretty effect, you can fill a pastry bag fitted with a ¾-inch star tip and pipe the cream over the strawberries. Decorate with the toasted almonds or sugared violets.