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Cocktail

Butterbeer (iced)

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Chilled, Foamy Butterbeer

one and a half slices harry potter recipe butterbeer hogwarts winter grog

Whether you like your butterbeer hot, iced, boozy, or clean, I’ve finally got the recipe for you. Personally, I see no way to drink it other than hot and boozy.

#youreawizardharry

🪄

what you need

1 bottle of cream soda [My brand of choice is Virgil’s Vanilla Cream]

2 oz butterscotch liquor chilled [My brand of choice is Dr. McGillicuddy’s which is, admittedly, quite difficult to find but quite worth the effort of finding it]

*note the use of “liquor” over “schnapps”

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

a dash of cinnamon

freshly ground nutmeg for topping

1/2 tablespoon lemon zest

(optional) 2 oz cognac (or dark rum in a pinch)

how to make it

(makes 2 servings)

Whip the cream with the sugar into soft peaks. Just before it comes together, add the cinnamon to incorporate. A very soft whip works best as it allows the cream to infuse the cocktail more readily.

Add the cognac, lemon zest, and butterscotch liquor to a cocktail shaker with ample ice and shake vigorously.

Strain the mixture into two tall, preferably frosted glasses. Add a few ice cubes and pour the cream soda on top. 

Top with two dollops of the softly whipped cream and grate some fresh nutmeg lightly on top. 

Enjoy immediately, preferably while watching Harry Potter or playing Hogwarts Legacy.  

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Cocktail

Butterbeer (hot)

one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Frothy, Hot Butterbeer

Whether you like your butterbeer hot, iced, boozy, or clean, I’ve finally got the recipe for you. Personally, I see no way to drink it other than hot and boozy.

#youreawizardharry

🪄

what you need

1 bottle of cream soda [My brand of choice is Virgil’s Vanilla Cream]

2 oz butterscotch liquor at room temperature [My brand of choice is Dr. McGillicuddy’s which is, admittedly, quite difficult to find but quite worth the effort of finding it]

*note the use of “liquor” over “schnapps”

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

a dash of cinnamon

freshly ground nutmeg for topping

1/2 tablespoon lemon zest

(optional) 2 oz cognac (or dark rum in a pinch)

how to make it

(makes 2 servings)

Whip the cream with the sugar into soft peaks. Just before it comes together, add the cinnamon to incorporate. A very soft whip works best as it allows the cream to infuse the cocktail more readily.

In a small saucepan, heat the cognac and butterscotch liquor over high heat until very hot (but not boiling). Once steaming, add the bottle of cream soda along with the lemon zest. You want to leave the mixture on high heat for no more than 1 minute before killing the heat and letting the residual heat from the pot heat the liquid. 

Once warm, strain through a mesh strainer into two small mugs. Top with two dollops of the softly whipped cream and grate some fresh nutmeg lightly on top. 

Enjoy immediately, preferably while watching Harry Potter or playing Hogwarts Legacy.  

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Sweet

Mini Pavlovas

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Mini Pavlovas with Cardamom Cream

one and a half slices cardamom pistachio pavlova dessert recipe

Alright, you’ve all probably tried my Pavlova cake by now which quickly became the favorite dessert of last summer. Light, airy meringue with freshly whipped cream, and plenty of berries, what’s not to love? If you want to give them a try this summer, here is the recipe for individual serving cookie-style pavlovas. For more topping suggestions, check out the Pavlova Cake post. Enjoy!

🍓🍓🍓

what you need

1 cup white sugar + 2-3 tablespoons extra

4 large egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cream or tartar (sub arrowroot, rice wine vinegar, or lemon juice)

1 teaspoon corn starch

2-3 teaspoons cardamom

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1/2 pack of strawberries, sliced (for serving)

1/2 cup finely chopped and roasted pistachios (for serving)

how to make it

Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Base. Beat the egg whites until peaks are stiff and stand upright when the beaters are inverted. Add in the sugar and continue beating until the peaks are stiff and glossy. This should take just under 10 minutes. Stir in the cream of tartar and cornstarch.

Spoon meringue into 6-8 small dollops and lightly press down into a 2-3 inch circle with small dips in the middle.

Bake. Place in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 200. Bake the mini Pavlovas for 30-40 minutes total, until turning slightly golden and beginning to crack on top. Remove from oven and cool.

Top. Beat the heavy whipping cream (I use just under a pint) until soft peaks form. Add desired amount of sugar for sweetness (2-3 tablespoons for me) and beat until medium peaks form. Add the cardamom for cardamom cream. Pro-tip: try adding cinnamon and/or maple syrup to the whipped cream to sweeten and flavor. Spoon whipped cream onto meringue base and use a spatula to spread it and smooth it to desired aesthetic. 

Decorate. Top with sliced strawberries and pistachios. Serve immediately.

You can easily make the meringue base and whipped cream in advanced, and assemble the Pavlova at the last minute for serving.

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Pavlova Cake

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Pavlova

Pavlova cake is my new favorite dessert. It is the single most elegant, delicate, graceful dessert I have yet encountered – more so than soufflé, macaron, or profiterol. It is crunchy and mallowy, creamy and mildly sweet, and very customizable. Its cloud-like cream topping rests on a pillowy meringue base, topped with the fruit, chocolate, or accent of your choosing. Best made in low humidity, I give you, (Australian) Pavlova. Also check out this post for mini pavlovas with cardamom cream and pistachio!

🌻🌻🌻

what you need

1 cup white sugar + 2-3 more tablespoons extra

4 large egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cream or tartar (sub arrowroot, rice wine vinegar, or lemon juice)

1 teaspoon corn starch

1 pint heavy whipping cream

Fruit of choice, maple syrup, chocolate shavings, cocoa powder, cinnamon, etc. for topping.

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Dark chocolate shavings over honey cream

how to make it

Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Base. Beat the egg whites until peaks are stiff and stand upright when the beaters are inverted. Add in the sugar and continue beating until the peaks are stiff and glossy. This should take just under 10 minutes. Stir in the cream of tartar and cornstarch.

Spoon meringue onto parchment paper and smooth with a spatula using a circular motion. The meringue should form an 8-9 inch circle with a dip in the middle and higher edges.

Bake. Place in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 200. Bake the large Pavlova for approximately 90 minutes or until edges become golden and the top cracks slightly. 

Top. Beat the heavy whipping cream (I use just under a pint) until soft peaks form. Add desired amount of sugar for sweetness and beat until medium peaks form. Pro-tip: try adding cinnamon and/or maple syrup to the whipped cream to sweeten and flavor. Spoon whipped cream onto meringue base and use a spatula to spread it and smooth it to desired aesthetic. 

Decorate. This is the fun part. Sprinkle on your fruit of choice, cinnamon, chocolate shavings, or anything else that occurs to you. Some of my favorite combinations are listed to the left!

Slice and serve immediately. Pavlova will keep overnight in the refrigerator. You can easily make the meringue base and whipped cream in advanced, and assemble the Pavlova at the last minute for serving.

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Sweet

Hot Chocolate

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Mexican Hot Chocolate

Valentine’s Day is so controversial. Dinner reservations are made and flowers are purchased. Anti-Valentine’s Day parties are planned among groups of single women. Me, I like the concept of a day to stop and acknowledge the uniqueness of your partner and the things you love about them. But I’ve always thought the day best celebrated with something representative of the couple, whether that’s a meal, an activity, or a favorite movie. My Valentine’s days have been filled with videogames and pizza, homemade dinners, and elaborate chocolate selections (because any excuse to buy gourmet assorted chocolates, even if purchased by yourself, for yourself, amiright?). 

If you are making a dinner at home and are worried about dessert, I’ve got a solution for that. Making full dinners is time consuming, so the last thing you want to do is have to worry about making dessert on top of a full spread. Dessert should be something easy or something you can make in advance. The magic of this dessert is its simplicity. And while it makes for a beautifully elegant Valentine’s Day nightcap, it serves just as well on a Tuesday night. This is all-purpose, every day, delicate, creamy, spicy, chocolate deliciousness. And yes, we’re going to follow the chili in chocolate and chocolate in chili rule. However or whenever you choose to test drive this unique conceptualization of cocoa, I promise it will be among the best cups of hot chocolate you’ve ever tasted. Whipped cream or marshmallows… you choose. 

Afterthought: Allow me to take a moment to highlight three of my favorite chocolatiers in case you are looking for last-minute gift ideas. SOMA Chocolatemaker is top of that list, headquartered in Toronto. Check out their cherries tumbled in dark chocolate, their truly artful chocolate bars, or some gingerbread ninja cat cookies (because whynot?).  For chef-quality chocolatemaking, check out NYC-based Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolates.  The pricetag is exorbitant on the Valentine’s Day Chef Selection but the chocolate connoisseur will not be disappointed.  They also have macarons (see below). Finally, the Swiss Teuscher Chocolates has several US-based locations (I discovered it in San Francisco).  The assorted truffles (emphasis on the champagne truffles) are extremely fresh. 

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what you need

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or 1 cup mini marshmallows)

2 cups whole milk or dairy-free milk of choice (cashew or macadamia work pretty well)

2 generous tablespoons fresh, local honey

Ground cinnamon

Ground chili pepper or cayenne pepper 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon sugar or maple syrup

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate chips of choice (I prefer 60% or more cocoa content… 100% makes the hot chocolate a little too thick)

how to make it

Makes two small cups of hot chocolate.

Before you begin, whip the cream into soft peaks adding the maple syrup or sugar to sweeten and a dash of cinnamon at the end. 

Place a small pot stovetop over medium-high heat. Make two dollops of honey on the base of the pot. Add the vanilla and healthy dashes of cinnamon and chili pepper. You will use a larger quantity of chili pepper or a smaller quantity if using cayenne; either way, adjust to your desired level of spiciness. 

Using a fork, blend the spices into the honey until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir as they begin to melt, being careful not to let them stick to the base of the pot. Add the milk.

Using the fork as a whisk, whisk the chocolate continually making sure to get all the chocolate off the base of the pot blended into the milk. Whisk continually as the milk heats until you see steam rising off the top of the chocolate. At sign of the first bubble, remove from heat. Do not boil. If the hot chocolate boils, the chocolate will separate from the milk and the chocolate will acquire a frothy (in a bad way) texture. 

Pour into mugs, top with a dollop of whipped cream, and a dash of chili and/or cinnamon. If using marshmallows, place mallows in cup first and pour hot chocolate over top. Serve with a truffle, a cherry, or a particularly good walnut on the side and you’re golden.