Chocolate-Covered Pretzel “Wands”

Lumos.

Chocolate-covered pretzel “wands” almost feel like a cop-out post, because they’re easy to make and simple to veganize… you just have to make sure your pretzel rods and chocolate chips are vegan. However, I’ve added a special twist to regular ol’ chocolate-covered pretzels: clear sugar sprinkles on the end to make them look like they’re casting a spell. I also sprayed the ends with silver food spray paint (found at a craft store in the cake decorating section) to make them shimmer.

Ingredients:
20 pretzel rods
1/2 C chocolate chips
2 tsp vegetable shortening
Clear sugar sprinkles, edible glitter, or turbinado or demerara sugar

Directions
If you don’t have a double boiler, fashion a makeshift one by putting water inside a medium-large pot and putting another, slightly smaller pot inside. Melt chocolate and shortening in the smaller pot over medium-low heat, stirring often.

Dip one end of each pretzel rod in the chocolate, twirling to make sure all sides are covered. Gently dip the tip in the sugar and place on wax paper to set. Repeat for each pretzel rod.

Optional: Once set, spray the ends with silver food color mist.

 

Nox.

Dumbledore’s Gay Cake

Though not explicitly stated in the books, J.K. Rowling has revealed in interviews that she has always thought of Dumbledore as gay. Of course, when you look closely at his relationship with Grindelwald it all makes sense… For instance, Bathilda Bagshot was quoted as saying of the two “they got on like a cauldron on fire.”

Well, one thing that I’m known for is making gay cakes, so of course I had to make a Dumbledore gay cake! This cake is lemon flavored, something that would please Dumbledore himself… remember the password to his office in Chamber of Secrets? Lemon drop! I used the lemon gem cupcake recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance for the cake, and topped and decorated it with a basic vegan buttercream.

Three cheers for Grindeldore!

Kris is at it again! Dementor’s Kiss and Mrs. Weasley’s Fudge

Our pal Kris from Nom! Nom! Nom! has been cooking up a storm in these last days before the final (*sob) movie premiere!

First up, she’s got some aptly named (they’re full of garlic!) Dementor’s Kiss bread twists, made in the shape of the Dark Mark. As an evil witch myself (remember my Delightfully Dark Mark cookies?), I very much appreciate these.

 

 

 

 

 

Next up, she’s got Mrs. Weasley’s Easy-as-Magic Fudge! Mrs. Weasley cooks up the best food ever, so if it’s got her name on it you know it’s going to be great (and easy, because she is one busy mama)!

 

A Very Potter New Year at Vegan Dad

Nathan Kozuskanich, AKA Vegan Dad, had a totally awesome vegan Harry Potter-themed new year complete with games, HP movies, and of course… food! The menu included butterbeer, Deathly Hallows pretzels, and treacle tart. Click links for recipes!! Everything looks great.

1/15/10 edit: Vegan Dad added the last recipe for his Very Potter New Year’s party to his blog just yesterday! He made Hogwart’s Tofu with Roasted Vegetables, a dish based off of the meat-and-potatoes Ron’s always stuffing his face with in the Great Hall.

Hagrid’s Rock Cakes by nom! nom! nom! blog

Kris Holechek over at nom! nom! nom! blog made some of Hagrid’s rock cakes! They look about how I’d imagined Hagrid’s to look, but I’m sure they taste a lot awesomer.

Check them out here: http://nomnomnomblog.com/2010/11/02/hagrids_not_horrible_rock_cakes/

Professor Slughorn’s Crystallized Pineapple

Whether trying to bribe him for information or to get on his good side so you can become part of the Slug Club, you can make Professor Slughorn’s favorite vegan treat–crystallized pineapple–yourself!

The first time I tried making this it didn’t turn out too well, but at least the results made really good pineapple-berry smoothies instead of going to waste. I then worked out what I had been doing incorrectly and gave it another try so now I can bring you a proper recipe! A warning though, this is fairly time-consuming and works much better if you have a dehydrator (unlike me).

Also, when you’re finished with the syrup don’t just throw it out. You nowhave pineapple syrup, which can be used for countless awesome things… sweeten iced tea, use in a frosting or glaze for coconut cupcakes (or coconut pancakes!), mix with cream soda and make a pineapple soda/coconut ice cream float, pineapple curried rice… the ideas are endless!

Professor Slughorn’s Crystallized Pineapple
amounts vary depending on how much pineapple you’re using

1 pineapple, or canned pineapple rings
Sugar
Water

If using fresh pineapple: Peel, cut into 1/4 inch slices, and cut out the core so you have nice little pineapple rings. (if using canned pineapple: open can and drain.)

In a large pot, make a simple syrup: 1 part sugar to 2 parts water. I used 4 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar for my one pineapple, but you just want to make sure the syrup will cover all the fruit. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Bring your syrup to a boil (if using a candy thermometer, it should reach 235F). Add fruit and bring back to a simmer. Cook for about an hour, covered, until the pineapple is translucent.

Remove pineapple from pot and put on a cooling rack placed on top of a cookie sheet to drain.

Next step is to dry the fruit out. If you have a dehydrator, great! You can use that! However, if you do not have one just put the fruit (on the cooling rack & cookie sheet contraption) in your oven at 200F until dry. This may take a while. Or, you could apparate to a desert and set it out in the sun to dry out.

Once your candied pineapple is dry, sprinkle with sugar and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

The Tofu Guru: Wizard in the Kitchen

Brittany Roberts of The Tofu Guru, a vegan cooking show on Youtube, was joined this week by Harry Potter (maybe) and they made cauldron cakes, pumpkin pasties, cockroach clusters, and butterbeer floats. Everything looks great!

Chocolate Frogs

My apologies all around for the lengthy delay in my getting this ready to post, but at last the chocolate frogs have arrived on Dumbledore’s Vegan Army!

I made boxes, chocolate frog cards, and everything. I even renamed the founders of the four houses to jive with the four houses of Dumbledore’s Vegan Army!

First step: Make the boxes. I used blue construction paper and this handy template obtained from the Leaky Cauldron website.

I then wrote “chocolate frogs” and some swirly designs on top with gold paint marker.

Step 2: Make your chocolate frog cards! No chocolate frog is complete without them. Make sure to collect them all! I googled around and found a website with some pre-made cards, and I just switched them around to fit with DVA’s houses (as mentioned above) and printed them out. Note: Dumbledore & Merlin are not changed.

Left to right: Merlin, Salazar Soytherin, Albus Dumbledore; Sheila Seitanclaw, Viktor Vegandor, Trista Tofupuff
Step 3. Finally, you get to play with chocolate!

Ingredients:
-vegan chocolate (I used a mixture of dark chocolate bars and semisweet chocolate chips): The amount depends on how many frogs you plan on making.
-caranuba wax: This is totally optional, I just use it because it provides a glossy finish (and because my dad always uses it when he’s making chocolate confections). You only need a few shreds.

You will also need a chocolate frog mold. I got mine at a cake&candy specialty store, but if you don’t have one of those you could always find them online.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, not to worry! I never use one, nor do I know anyone who does. Just get two different sized pots, filling the larger one partway with water and putting the smaller one inside. Voila!
Put the chocolate (and wax, if using) into the smaller pot and heat on medium heat. If the water at any point starts to boil, turn it down… you just want it to be hot enough to make the chocolate melt. Once it’s melted, start spooning it into the molds. Let set in the refrigerator (or, if you’re in a hurry, the freezer).

Assemble and enjoy!