Butterbeer, anyone? Harry Potter recipes

Unlike Sarah, I'm a big fan of the Harry Potter books, so I'm sure it'll come as little surprise when I tell you that Wednesday night I made my way to the local theater and stood in line (for an hour, no less) buying tickets for opening night of The Order of the Phoenix.

Now to be clear, I like the series, but I'm not obsessed with it like many of my fellow moviegoers were. Yes, there were the requisite number of muggles people dressed up in long flowing robes complete with witch and wizard hats, and their conversations did revolve around everything Hogwarts. In fact, while standing in line, I overheard several groups of ladies discussing various Harry Potter-related recipes they had prepared prior to coming to the show.

After a quick search on the web (really, who doesn't want to know what Butterbeer tastes like?) I found that MuggleNet.com seems to have the most complete listing of food and drink recipes that are mentioned in the books. So, if you are heading out this weekend to catch the movie or have kids at home, you may want to whip up a batch of Madame Rosmerta's Butterbeer, Pumpkin Juice, or Mrs. Weasley's Treacle Fudge. Recipes can be found after the jump.

Madame Rosmerta's Butterbeer
(recipe adapted from Mugglenet.com)

Ingredients:
1 cup (8 oz) club soda or cream soda
1/2 cup (4 oz) butterscotch syrup (ice cream topping)
1/2 tablespoon butter

Directions:
Measure butterscotch and butter into a 2 cup (16 oz) glass. Microwave on high for 1 to 1½ minutes, or until syrup is bubbly and butter is completely incorporated. Stir and cool for 30 seconds, then slowly mix in club soda. Mixture will fizz quite a bit. Serve in two coffee mugs or small glasses.

Pumpkin Juice
(recipe adapted from Mugglenet.com)

Ingredients:
2 cups of pumpkin, chopped up into chunks
2 cups of apple juice
1/2 cup of pineapple juice
1 teaspoon of honey (to taste)
Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg and/or Allspice (all ground, to taste)

Directions:
Juice the pumpkin pieces by squeezing through a cheesecloth or by using a juicer. Pour the pumpkin juice, apple juice and pineapple juice into a blender. Add the honey and spices, adjusting quantity to taste. Chill or serve over ice.


Treacle Fudge
(recipe adapted from Mugglenet.com)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup light cream or evaporated milk
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup molasses

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix cream, brown sugar and salt together, set aside. In a saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove from heat and add molasses. Add the chocolate mixtures and cream mixtures together. Pour mixture into a pan and let cool. Cut into squares after cooled and serve.

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