Rock Cakes by Hagrid

rock cakes by hagridHarry Potter is celebrating a birthday shortly, which is the only excuse we need to bust out our hats and robes and do something Potter. You might recall our Wand Works event, which included some awesome Flourish & Blotts giveaways. Well, when Katie and I were researching said giveaways, we stumbled across The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz (Adams Media, 2010). Today, we’re going to test a couple recipes from the book. And post reaction shots. In wizard robes.

the unofficial harry potter cookbook by dinah bucholzThe cookbook contains 10 chapters and 150 recipes. While a traditional cookbook organizes its recipes under chapters like main dishes, salads, and sides, the Unofficial Potter has chapters like “Recipes from a Giant and an Elf” (Rock Cakes, Bath Buns, Treacle Fudge, Kreacher’s French Onion Soup, etc.) and “Good Food with Bad Relatives” (Lemon Pops, Knickerbocker Glory, Roast Pork Loin, Mulligatawny Soup, etc.).

The Unofficial Potter is also an interesting education in British cuisine, as recipes for crumpets, kippers, and black pudding are included, among other things. Each recipe in the cookbook is matched to a Harry Potter reference and there are also very interesting bits of culinary history. For example, did you know the first ice cream recipe came to England in the 1600s and King Charles the I swore his cook to secrecy because he wanted to keep the delicious dessert exclusive to royalty? Such a scallywag.

OK! On to the recipe tests! Katie tested 3, and I tested 1. Here we go…


ROCK CAKES, tested by Katie

The recipe for Hagrid’s infamous rock cakes was one of the first I spotted in The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. I couldn’t wait to give it a go and see if they are as delicious as Hagrid claims because we all know he eats them throughout the Harry Potter series. My sous-chef son had been eager to get back into the kitchen with me after our failed attempt at making Monsieur Bon-Bon’s Top Secret “Fooj.” We’ve baked many times together, so we were confident we wouldn’t mess up this recipe!

My sous-chef carefully measured and combined all of the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt) into a mixing bowl while I prepared the cookie sheet and turned on the oven. After we washed our hands several times, we dove into mixing the butter into the dry ingredients.

rock cakes 1It didn’t take long before the use of our fingertips turned into the use of our full fingers (and some of our hands) in order to make sure we fully incorporated the butter into the dry ingredients.

rock cakes 2After folding the egg and milk into butter mixture, we slowly mixed in the raisins. This was the only time we both grew concerned about the rock cakes. The batter seemed really thick and tough to mix. After a short while, my son didn’t have the strength to fold in the raisins so he passed the spoon over to me. Even I had a hard time making sure the raisins were fully mixed in!

Once we both determined the raisins were well combined, we dropped the dough onto the cookie sheet. We skipped using a tablespoon to measure the dough size and just eye-balled the amounts. There was a small amount of batter leftover that my son used for his own personal “teeny tiny” rock cake.

rock cakes 3We slid the cookie sheet into the oven for 25 minutes, turning the sheet once in the middle of the baking cycle. Once the rock cakes were lightly brown on the bottom, we pulled them out and set them on racks to cool. The next morning, Dr. Dana and Marissa’s office test confirmed…the recipe is a winner!

rock cake taste testRock cakes have the appearance and consistency of a scone, so they would be perfect as a morning treat with a cup of coffee or eaten in the afternoon with a spot of tea. My son and I brainstormed other filling options to use in place of raisins and we came up with dried fruits, such as cranberries, cherries or blueberries, chocolate chips, or perhaps just including a splash of vanilla extract to the dough. You could also skip adding anything and eat plain rock cakes with a pat of butter and glob of your favorite jam or jelly.

In honor of Hagrid, Dr. Dana and I set one rock cake aside and let it harden for over a week to see what would happen. It was hard, though not as hard as a rock because Ian was able to take a bite and not break a tooth. I deem the rock cakes recipe worthy of trying in your kitchen!


ACID DROPS tested by KATIE

Confident from our success with the rock cakes, my sous-chef and I moved onto another intriguing recipe: acid drops. Poor Ron Weasley had a hole burned in his tongue when his mischievous brother, Fred, gave him one to try. What would happen to us?

I had most of the necessary ingredients already, but I did have to hunt down cream of tartar, which I discovered in the spice aisle, and citric acid, which was kept with the accessories needed for home canning.

citric acid and cream of tartarAs I lined two baking sheets with parchment paper, my son measured and combined the water, sugar, and cream of tartar in a small pot. He asked for help with the corn syrup as it looked to him to be hard to measure correctly. I happily obliged to avoid a sticky syrupy mess. We followed the directions carefully, stirred the mixture constantly and used a candy thermometer once our concoction was bubbling. We watched the candy thermometer slowly rise in temperature, stirring every once in a while.

acid drops 1All was going well until the mixture reached a temperature of about 250 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s when I noticed our whitish clear blend suddenly started turning brown.

acid drops 2There was also a distinguishable burning smell being emitted from the pot. I knew this was not good, but we decided to follow through until the mixture was at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, per the recipe. Once it hit that temperature, I turned off the burner and we added the citric acid. As soon as the mixture had cooled and stopped bubbling, we took turns dropping teaspoon sized circles of the candy onto the baking sheets.

acid drops 3Total fail. Acid drops are supposed to be yellow or yellowish-white, not dark brown almost black. The smell of the candies also reaffirmed what I already knew: the sugar had scorched and the candies were a bust. On a dare, Dr. Dana tried one of the burned candies. I think this image says it all.

dr. dana taste tests burned acid dropAttempt #2. I consulted Google to find suggestions or ideas from others who have suffered similar fates with their candy. Apparently sugar is very easy to burn, so you have to be cautious when your mixture starts getting close to reaching 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Armed with this new information, I set forth to try again.

I think I may have pulled the mixture off the burner too soon because it didn’t harden into candy. It was congealed and looked like white, stringy amoebas when I dropped it onto the baking sheets.

acid drop 6Not wanting to give up, I tried the recipe for a third time. Did I finally find success? Maybe.

acid drops 5The third candy attempt definitely had a yellow appearance, smelled like lemons, and hardened into round-ish discs. The acid drops were sour to the taste, but not overly sour like I had expected. What we didn’t anticipate was once we put the acid drops into our mouths, the candy adhered itself entirely to our teeth! It was quite alarming. Here are Dr. Dana and Ian captured at the very moment the acid drops adhered to their enamel like a vise:

acid drops taste testMy takeaway from trying to make acid drops is that I’m a baker, not a candy maker. I offer a round of applause to those who can make candy because, alas, it is proven that I cannot. I’ll officially hang up my candy maker hat and leave the job to Honeydukes.


TRIPLE POWER ICY LEMON POPS tested by KATIE

My sous-chef son was thrilled when we found the lemon pops recipe in The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook because he has a wicked sweet tooth (like his mother) and he absolutely loves anything with lemons. He’s been known to steal lemon slices from my water glass and eat them raw without making a funny sour face.

The only ingredient that I didn’t already have in my kitchen for the lemon pops was lemon extract, which I found in the spice aisle at our local grocery store. I took care grating the zest of our lemon directly into the saucepan, making sure to not add any of the white rind because that could cause the lemon pops to have a bitter taste.

lemon pops 1My sous-chef squeezed the juice out of the zested lemon using our handy lemon/lime press, and then he added the sugar and water to the pan. After bringing the mixture to a simmer, we turned off the heat and added the lemon extract. We let the mixture cool down a bit before pouring it into our popsicle molds, then we placed the molds into the freezer.

lemon pops 2Many hours later, we gave the lemon pops a taste. Delicious! The combination of the lemon zest, juice and extract along with the added sugar gave the lemon pops a nice sweet and sour flavor that almost tasted like limoncello liquor. But trust me when I say that these popsicles were absolutely alcohol free.

lemon pop taste test

Two hardy thumbs up for the Triple Power Icy Lemon Pops! We agree with Harry Potter, these popsicles are quite good!


CHOCOLATE PUDDING tested by DR. DANA

I tested something chocolate. Are you shocked? Specifically, I tested the chocolate pudding recipe in the chapter entitled “Delights Down the Alley.” We have food allergies in my house – including eggs – so pudding is usually off-limits. I was thrilled that, unlike most pudding recipes, this one was eggless! The binding agent is cornstarch.

cornstarch thumbs upI won’t send you process photos because Katie’s stove is way cleaner than mine. But I will say that this recipe is straightforward, easy, and can be made in a single pot. The ingredients are sugar, unsweetened cocoa, cornstarch, milk, cream, butter, bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Though simple, there is a bit of cooking magic involved in the final stove top stage – the recipe transfigures from a chocolate liquid to a thick, velvety pudding. Mmmmm.

The recipe says to strain the pudding into a bowl (I’m guessing to catch some of the inevitable lumps). But I don’t have a strainer, so I skipped that step. The pudding was a tad lumpy, but not enough to bother me or my extraordinarily picky children. Here’s a shot of the pudding before it headed into the fridge to set. Note the magic wand in front of the bowl.

pudding 1How does the Unofficial Potter pudding taste? Awesome. The milk, cream, and butter in the recipe make it rich, but not too heavy. The consistency is great too. Very smooth and creamy. Ian had a taste and found the chocolate pudding to be quite…bedazzling.

pudding taste test


We only scratched the surface of the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, but we really liked it! It’s a fantastic blend of British dishes, culinary history, and astute references to the dishes and desserts served in the Harry Potter books. It’s clear the author is either a fan of the books, a very good researcher, or both! If you are a Harry Potter fan who likes to cook, or if you are ready for some hands-on experience with meals in the wizarding world, add this book to your collection!

Welcome Back, Potter

welcome back potterIt’s Harry Potter week at Pop Goes the Page! Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 will be released this weekend, and there will be launch parties and countdown events galore. I thought it would be helpful to compile all of Pop’s Harry Potter posts and projects, just in case you find something that might come in handy at your wizardly celebration.

Let’s start big. This is a Spell Simulation game Princeton University junior José M Rico created for our Wand Works event. It was amazing. You can see videos of the 6 spells, and find a free download of the game here.

wand works spell simulation game by jose m rico, background by jeremy goncalvesAnd now for more amazing-ness. This Magical Miniatures post features an interview with Sally Wallace, a miniaturist and artist who constructs astounding Harry Potter dollhouses and miniature scenes. Feast your eyes on Hogwarts!

greenhouse1 smallerHowever, if your magical real estate aspirations need to be on a slightly smaller scale, try this Gothic votive castle. See the greenhouse to the left of the castle? Peek inside and you’ll see that the mandrakes are ready for re-potting!

greenhouse3 smallerHerbology continues with this little dried herb amulet

amulet smallerAnd these dashing, yet simple, snapdragons. You only need a paper cup, construction paper, and pipe cleaners (more ambitious gardeners can try these magical “growing” box gardens).

get-snappy smaller

We also have portable potion studio for all your brewing needs…

witchy kitchy stackedAnother Harry Potter post I dearly love is this suitcase boggart. I designed it for a Defense Against the Dark Arts table. The secret to making the suitcase thump and bump convincingly? A battery-operated pet toy called “The Weazel Ball!”

the-perfect-boggart smallerWe’ve also made plenty of dragon and monster projects in the past, from this food chain to a black light tin foil dragon. Representing the forces of good, however, is this phoenix puppet. You can make it out of a tissue box, and stroll around with it cradled in your arms.

fantastical-phoenix smallerMoving on to school supplies, try these simple, but immensely popular, quill pens.

quill-pens smallerIf it’s a wand you need, take a look at the custom wands we made at our Harry Potter Wand Works event (and if you’d like to meet Lane O’Neil, a real-life wandmaker, take a look at this post).

wizard with wand

Also necessary for any Hogwarts student is an inexpensive PVC pipe wands (with your choice of core, of course). There are also flying books, and things that fly OUT of books.

these butterflies can book

And don’t forget your wrist owl to deliver the mail (but not a Howler)! These handsome little fellas are made out of toilet paper tubes and pipe cleaners.

wrist owl examples

Once your school supplies are assembled, hit the classroom with the Chemistry of Magic!

chemistry-of-magic-web- smallerOr, learn some smaller spells. A pair of Slytherin students joined us at our School for Scoundrels program and taught kids Aparecium, Furnunculus, and Inanimatus Conjures. But Confundo was definitely the most popular. Also, there’s this special paper that allows you to set your spells on FIRE and watch them fly!

And, if Muggle Studies is full this year, you can always take a look at our online exhibit, which includes photos and information labels on everything Muggle.

muggle studies 101

Deluxe Chicken Grooming Kit [c.2011]

Wanting to bring a little Potter into your own home? Well, you can crank it to ELEVEN like this amazing family, or host a smaller party like the one concocted by Hope, our kid tester, which includes inexpensive decor ideas, templates, recipes, and useful links.

owl balloons

You could also go ALL OUT and recreate Knockturn Alley in your basement, like Corinne Adams did here. This is AMAZING:

WIN_20190917_15_05_35_Pro_2And what would Harry Potter be without some treats? Check out the gourmet pumpkin pasties crafted by Melody Edwards, a Princeton University graduate who is currently in culinary school. They were yummy.

birthday potter croppedWe also tested a couple recipes from the The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz (Adams Media, 2010). Including Hagrid’s famous rock Cakes!

rock cake testingThose wanting a more academic perspective on Harry Potter (not to mention a look at some goodies from our rare books vaults) should check out the Harry Potter and the Mystery of the Author’s Name post on Cotsen’s curatorial blog. It shows the different ways J.K. Rowling’s name has been spelled (and misspelled!) over the years.

If you’re wondering about the image that started this post (like how I magically manage to appear 9 years younger?), it’s a promo photo from a Harry Potter event we hosted in 2007. You can read more about the image, as well as some of my hints for promoting programs, here.

I also mentioned Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Well ladies and gentleman, Katie, Marissa, and I actually went and saw the play on Broadway. You can see our complete (and spoiler free!) post here.

full theater 2