Harry Potter Treats

This is part I in a mini-series of Harry Potter snacks from the books brought to life (part II is all about the cauldron cakes, part III features every wizard's favorite drink—butterbeer!— and part IV showcases decadent butterbeer cupcakes).

Harry Potter has always held a special place in my life. I started reading the books when I was 11 years old. Harry and I grew up together. The books were as much of a part of my childhood as school or my friends. I've read them more times than I can count—so much so, that many of my cherished hardcover books have began to fall apart at the seams.

Harry Potter and his world have always held a magical quality for me. When I was younger, the wizarding world seemed so close to me that, if I closed my eyes, for the briefest of seconds I could almost imagine myself in it. Thanks to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and briefly living in England for 6 months, those faint dreams of my youth have become more of a reality.

Over the last ten years, Harry Potter has taught me about life and growing up. Dumbledore lectured me on the significance of morality and empathy, as well as the importance of humanity. Harry Potter showed me the power and strength of sticking to your beliefs, especially in the face of adversity. Ron and Hermione taught me the sincere virtue in forgiveness. The characters showed me that every decision comes with consequence, good or bad. Perhaps this sounds silly but, after dozens of book readings and re-readings, I've noticed that I have unconsciously taken these lessons and subtly applied them to my own life.

As the release of the last movie approaches, it marks the end of an era for me. There will be no more Harry Potter books or movies. No midnight release dates to look forward to. The last movie, in some ways, marks the end of my childhood. After July 15th, I will slowly become an adult in my own eyes—the last ties to my childhood will have been cut.

JK Rowling, if you only knew the profound and positive effect you've had on my life. Like Harry with his lightning bolt scar, you, too, have left a permanent mark on me.

While the release of the last movie looms ever closer, I wanted to bring to life various Harry Potter treats from the series. Over the next few days, you can expect to see more Harry Potter snacks and drinks (can we say butterbeer?) as I celebrate the end of a great era. Whether you are hosting your own Harry Potter party, or simply want a sweet treat to celebrate the release of the movie, these Harry Potter snacks are for you. Many of these treat ideas can also be applied to birthday or Halloween parties.

Today's menu: sweets from Honeydukes and the Hogwarts Express food trolley.

"Fred gave me one when I was seven, it burnt a hole right through my tongue. I can remember Mum walloping him with her broomstick." —Ron Weasley

These acid pops make a sweet and unexpected treat for adults and children alike. Sour lollipops are coated in a thin layer of honey and covered in pop rocks. While these won't burn a hole through your tongue, the pop rocks provide an unexpected twist on the traditional lollipop making them twice as fun to eat. The popping and crackling inside your mouth is really something to be experienced. These are also a fun treat for birthday parties.

Acid Pops
Adapted from The Leaky Cauldron

12 lollipops (I recommend using sour ones—these are acid pops!)
3-4 packages pop rocks (any flavor of your choosing)
1/4 cup honey

Unwrap the lollipops. Place the pop rocks into a shallow bowl.

Place the honey in a small bowl and heat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. The hotter the honey is, the thinner the consistency of the honey will become (and we want thin honey!). Coat the lollipops in the honey and roll in the pop rocks. If the honey thickens, heat it up again. Set the lollipops on wax paper until dry.

Assemble these as closely as possible to the serving time as the pop rocks will absorb some of the moisture in the honey and lose some of their "pop."

Ron Weasley once thought he could fool Fred into eating a cockroach cluster if he told him they were peanuts. Cockroach clusters supposedly contain real cockroaches, making them taste as gross as they sound.

These Cockroach Clusters, on the other hand, are tasty little bite-sized cookies. Dry chow mein noodles are covered in a layer of chocolate and butterscotch—this combination may sound strange, but is delicious! These cookies are very similar to the chocolate nests I made for spring. These cookies are very easy to form into a cockroach or bug shape if you are feeling creative, or you can simply make small clusters and pretend the chow mein noodles are spindly cockroach legs. Also a fun cookie idea for Halloween!

Cockroach Clusters

Yields 12 clusters

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1 1/2 cup dry chow mein noodles

Heat up the chocolate and butterscotch chips in a double boiler (or microwave) and stir until smooth. Mix in the dry chow mein noodles until evenly coated.

On a baking sheet covered in wax paper, drop a spoonful of noodles to form small clusters. Let cool completely and store clusters in an airtight container at room temperature.

On the 1st of September, when riding the Hogwarts express for the first time, Harry Potter bought every sweet available from the food trolley (including Licorice Wands) because he had never had wizard sweets before and wanted to try everything he could. And really, could you blame him?

These licorice wands are just fun. Licorice twists are partially covered in a vanilla candy coating to form the handle and sprinkled with, well, sprinkles. Even though these wands are a little floppy (especially if your licorice is fresh), it doesn't change the fact that you can still cast spells with a quick flick of your wrist. Finally a food you are supposed to play with!

Licorice Wands
Adapted from Betty Crocker

6 ounces vanilla-flavored candy coating (or white chocolate)
24 licorice twists (any flavor)
Sprinkles

Melt the candy coating in a small bowl. Coat 1/3 to 1/2 of the licorice twists in the candy coating (I filled a tall, 2 ounce shot glass with the candy coating which made it much easier to dip the licorice twists and get a clean edge). Sprinkle with sprinkles and place licorice twists onto wax paper to dry for at least 1 hour to set the coating.

What Harry Potter snack list would be complete with chocolate frogs? Chocolate Frogs are a popular treat sold throughout the Wizarding world. Each chocolate frog acts like a real frog, thanks to magic, hopping around and generally causing a bit of mischief. Each frog is packaged with a collectible card of famous witches and wizards, which many students collect and swap.

These chocolate frogs are more like bite-sized chocolates than the "real" chocolate frogs, but if you are hosting a party, this size is perfect for your guests. I found my frog mold at a local cake decorating store. If you can't find one there, the internet is always an option.

Chocolate Frogs

Tempered chocolate, melted
Frog chocolate mold

Fill an ungreased chocolate mold with melted chocolate. Hit mold against hard surface several times to level out the chocolate and rid the chocolates of air bubbles. Freeze chocolate for 3-5 minutes (if you leave them in longer, the chocolate will lose its glossy sheen). Remove from freezer, flip over mold, and hit it against a clean surface until chocolates fall out.

Comments

[Camila]

That's AMAZING!

[Sir_Cadogen]

Harry Potter sweets to keep the magic alive -- I think I'll have to come up with an occasion to make these, even though I'm not having a premiere party this time (or, consequently, ever again *sniff*). Thanks for the inspiration!!

[Maria]

The beginning of this post almost made me cry, because it's the same with me. I've read Harry Potter since I was seven, and I'm so sad that the adventure is finally ending. Thank you so much for making these to celebrate a wonderful, magical childhood!

[Stacey]

I get everything you're saying! But, like Jo said at the London opening a couple of days ago, 'whether it's by page or by movie, Hogwarts will always be there for you' (and I paraphrase)

[Pretty. Good. Food.]

So cute! What an adorable idea :)!

[Jessica]

Wow. Reading this I started to tear up. Like many others I grew up with Harry Potter as well. I started to read the books when I was 8 and the first movie came out when I was 11. I live 20 minutes from universal in Orlando and I'm at the wizarding world of Harry potter every weekend. I'm going to miss the anticipation of a new movie. Thank you for helping to make my favorite childhood fantasy a little more real!

[Blair]

I just "stumbled" this page, and am so glad I did! Your introduction sums up the profound impact of JK's world perfectly. I imagine we're about the same age because I too aged with Harry. The more I see online about the "end", the more I realize that I'll probably be bawling at the end of the movie! It is comforting to know that the stories will always be there as a constant reminder of adolescence and simpler times.

[paul@cookingmesoftly]

...fantastic idea your Cockroach Clusters! congrats for your pictures
ciao from Italy

[susie]

My sadness of Harry's last hurrah is the sadness of not experiencing the magic with my kids. Not only has Harry grown up, but so have they! I loved the midnight book releases, the movies, and the lingo. We still cast spells around here (with little luck). Your licorice is whimsical, colorful and fun....I suspect Universal Studios is going to keep Potter fever alive.

[Caroline @ chocolate and carrots]

Aww, what a sentimental post! I was 15 when I started reading the books and watching the movies. And I just spent all weekend watching the reruns of the movies on ABC Family. ;-) I'm so sad it's going to be over. These recipes are just the thing to go out with a bang, though! :-)

[KS]

Wow, the magical treatment!, Where did you get your wand?

[Stacy]

Definitely started tearing up as I read this post. I started reading Harry Potter when I was 12 and I, too, grew up learning similar lessons through J.K. Rowling's stories. Now, being 25, I am filled with the same feelings of my childhood coming to an end.

So excited to see more treats from the books come alive over the coming days! Absolutely magical! Thank you for sharing this!

[Andrea]

I love you so much for this post. I feel like the last Harry Potter movie marks the official end of my childhood (nevermind the fact that I'm in my mid-20s). I'm re-reading all the books again this week in anticipation of the last movie.

[Rebecca]

:D Just wanted to share an idea to add to your chocolate frogs. I made some, but I put guts inside my frogs. I used dried figs and a bit of honey and water and put them in the food processor 'til they made a yummy paste. Nice crunchy, gooey guts!

[bridget {bake at 350}]

I love this post and this candy and Harry and, and, and... :)

I'm making a few HP treats this week, too (cookies)...but not as clever as yours, for sure!

[teacher-chef]

I LOVE everything about this post. The treats are great, photos are beyond words, & your inspiration is "magical". Thanks for sharing! I wanted to share my Harry Potter Butterbeer Cupcakes with you this week as well: http://ringr.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/butterbeer-cupcakes/ :-)

[Bre]

Awww! I followed your picture from Photograzing on SE, and almost teared up reading this post! I've been saying all this week that Thursday will mark the end of an era. I started reading the books @11, also, and my copy of Prisoner of Azkaban has a big section that's totally separated from its binding. Thanks for this little imaginary trip to Honeydukes!

[Malorie @ The Chic Geek]

These are absolutely fantastic! So creative, and it all looks delicious!

[Jessica]

Great post! Where did you get the frog chocolate mold? I would love to make some chocolate frogs :)

[Nadine]

Your post almost brought me to tears. The treats look fantastic; I feel exactly the same way about Harry. I had a party and treats for the final book release...tonight I'm going to the last midnight screening I'll ever see. I've felt silly about how emotional I am, but the series, characters, and lessons really do become a huge part of our lives.

[Kelsey]

What a perfectly lovely way to sum up the magic of the Harry Potter books. I too started reading them as an 11 year old and owe a debt of gratitude to JK Rowling for sharing the wonderful world of Harry Potter with me. Thank you for sharing your versions of the HP treats with us!

[Kristin Rosenau]

Stacy-- That is such a perfect quote. Thank you for sharing.

Jessica-- You're welcome!

Blair-- I'll be bawling right along with you. :)

Rebecca-- I love that idea! A secret surprise in every chocolate frog...

Bridget-- I am in love with your Harry Potter treats (and all of your cookies). I wish I had even a fraction of your decorating talent. Thank you!

Bre-- You're welcome! I'm glad I could bring this imaginary trip to Honeydukes to you.

Jessica-- I got this particular chocolate frog mold at my local cake decorating store, but the mold is available online from CK Products, if you are interested (product # 90-12902).

Nadine-- I feel just as emotional about the series coming to a close. You're in good company.

[janice]

Love this. I just submitted some HP treats to the Make and Takes Spotlight and then saw your post! Same treats but a little different! We re-watched part one of the seventh movie last night and are heading out to the see the final movie this weekend. So sad it's over...I really want more!

[mellisa]

I stumbled on this post and love it! Thanks for sharing :)

[Hoosiersmoker]

COOL! I love these but everyone knows that cockroach cluster is from an old Monty Python sketch called "Crunch Frog" Because "...If we took the bones out it wouldn't be crunchy!" These recipes are great, I cant wait to try them out on my grandson. I think I'll turn him into a newt!

[Kika]

That's funny cause I started reading THE books when I was 11 also. So I know exactly what you mean. Harry Potter is pretty much over now. (Its horrible!) Except for the awesome people like you that keep it alive. Another fun and easy recipe is cauldren cakes. You just make brownies, stick a piece of licorice on two ends (For a handle), then add either icecream or fudge (Or both) to top it off.

[Meaghan Luby]

holy twist of fate, batman! stumbleupon just brought me to this page and i JUST posted my harry potter recipes this morning!!! and we seem to have some overlap.
fun fun fun times! i love this.
http://clutzycooking.blogspot.com/2011/07/harry-potters-magical-menu.html

hope you enjoy mine as much as i've enjoyed yours!
-meg

[Jennifer]

Yum! Your photos are so beautiful and rich with colour!

[carrots]

I loved all your Harry Potter posts!!

[Laura (Blogging Over Thyme)]

This is incredible! You are SO creative. Seriously, you are in the right business now. Harry Potter is my all time favorite book series, and I grew up reading them (obsessively) too. Off to check out the other parts of this series! :)

[Rose]

I just stumbled upon this and I have to agree with you, when the last movie came out I felt as if my childhood had a officially ended. I've been wanting to make some of the treats from the books and I think these are perfect! Thank you for sharing!!!

[Jo-Anna]

Oh I love all of it!! How fun! We adore any and all things Harry in our house!
Jo-Anna

[Monica]

Seriously when the Harry Potter movies ended it felt like a piece of me just shattered, kind of like how a boy breaks up with you and leaves you feeling all raw! Harry was that boy in our lives and he went away forever :( These treats are perfect and reminds me of all my adventures with Harry. Thank you for posting :)

[Dorian Valles]

Love this post especially with Halloween coming up...where did you get all the different flavors of licorice sticks?

[Kristin Rosenau]

Dorian-- I just picked them up in the candy aisle of the grocery store. I don't remember what brand it was, but I don't think they were special occasion items so you might be able to find them there.

[Cindy]

Ah what a wonderful post! I sure enjoyed your notes, ideas, and especially your photography!! We'll be making the cockroach clusters today for my son's Harry Pottery 9th birthday party! :-)

[Rina]

Love your post! It's really hard to find Harry Potter movie here... I read Harry Potter @11 and at that age I already got to the sixth book... Really good recipe... I don't really think there are any licorice in my place... I'm just wondering if there's a recipe for licorice?