Cookbook Review 2

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook
by Dinah Bucholz

Yes, you read that correctly, there is such a thing as a Harry Potter cookbook. First, let me start off by stating that the cookbook is not authorized by J.K. Rowling or Warner Bros. Entertainment hence the "unofficial" in the title. Ok, disclaimers aside, here we go...

I received this cookbook as a Christmas present from my in-laws. I absolutely love everything Harry Potter and I quickly proceeded to read through the entire thing. The book is compromised of ten chapters, each relating to a different topic or place in the Harry Potter books. There are receipts for Aunt Petunia's pudding, treats from Diagon Alley, a chapter on all the breakfast food Harry, Ron, and Hermione ate while at school, favorite dishes from all the school feasts, Harry's favorite Treacle Tart, and of course a whole chapter dedicated to Harry's favorite cook, Mrs. Weasley.

Each recipe begins with where it is found in the books. Sometimes there are even great historical facts on where the recipe came from or why it has a funny name. A few recipes include ingredients that you can't get in the US (blood sausage anyone?) but most have ingredients easy to find and more than not often stocked in your pantry.

The first thing I made was the Cornish Pasties. The instructions weren't too complicated; it just took a long time. I recommend making the dough a day early if you have the time. I don't think we ate until eight o'clock in the evening when I first made these but they were so worth it. The picture below is from my first attempt.

My second favorite is the Meat and Potato Pies which I shared with you earlier this year.

There are so many others I really want to try, not because they are from Harry Potter, but because they are also just so British. I plan on trying the Mince Pies come this Christmas. And what Sunday roast would be complete without Yorkshire Pudding? I will be sure to share all my Harry Potter baking adventures with you and maybe you can experience some of the magic yourself!

Cheers! And Happy Baking!

Savory Baking - Meat and Potato Pies

I love baking desserts and sweet treats but I also love baking savory dishes. Earlier this week I thought I would try to make something with the extra onion and chuck steak I had on hand. After perusing my Harry Potter cookbook (yes, I have one, and yes, I will post a review sometime!), I decided to try making meat and potato pies. The recipe was really similar to the Cornish Pasty recipe (from the same book) so I knew it wouldn't be too complicated. I cut the cooking time in half, though, since I didn't really have three hours to prepare dinner. I think the long cook time for this is to allow all the flavors come through. All ingredients go into a skillet and I tried to let them simmer as long as I could.

The dough was a simple pastry dough. I mixed it up and let it chill while I cooked the filling. Once ready, I rolled it out to make my little pie crusts. I didn't have a large enough cookie cutter to make the bottom crust so I actually used the lid to my flour container. It worked perfect! I sprayed my muffin pan with Pam, added the bottom crusts, filled the crust with the meat filling, and added a top crust. A little brush of egg wash and the pies were ready to bake.

These smelled so amazing as they baked. Both Ryan and I were really excited for dinner. I think these turned out amazingly. Surprisingly, I found them to be a bit easier to make then Cornish Pasties. I will have to check the freezer for more chuck steak because I can't wait to make these again!