The Harry Potter books are something I grew up reading and then fell in love with the movies as they came out in theaters.  To this day, we have a Harry Potter marathon at our house some weekend during the winter months to enjoy the films.  If you have about 20 hours of free time, I suggest you do the same 😊 Kidding!  We don’t watch the movies in one sitting but it is fun to watch them consecutively and within a few weeks of each other to get the full effect.  The one thing I struggle with is snacks and beverages.  I want something themed to go along with our viewing but don’t always plan ahead.  This year, I am planning way ahead.  We’re going to enjoy various versions of Butterbeer (IFYKY) and a few themed snacks.  Here’s what we’ll be enjoying!

• Copycat Hot Butterbeer
• Copycat Cold Butterbeer
• Copycat Frozen Butterbeer
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Frogs
• Chocolate Marshmallow Frogs
• Butterbeer Puffcorn

 

If you aren’t familiar with Butterbeer, you are missing out!  Kidding, but it is a wonderful beverage made popular by the Harry Potter books, movies, and theme park at Universal Studios.  Don’t let the name fool you – it’s entirely non-alcoholic.  But…you could add a splash of something if you want 😊 It has a wonderful flavor that’s almost a mix of cream soda and butterscotch, so it’s pretty sweet, but also very festive.  I have 3 different varieties to share with you today: hot, cold, and frozen.

COPYCAT HOT BUTTERBEER is probably my favorite.  It’s perfect this time of year and a great alternative to hot chocolate.  Very comforting and delicious!

The recipe can be found here.

Start by dividing the butter emulsion between 2 glasses – add 2 Tsp to the bottom of each glass.  Set the glasses aside.

Add the milk, honey, powdered sugar, and cornstarch to a saucepan and whisk to combine.  Heat over medium heat until simmering, whisking occasionally.  Remove from the heat before the mixture starts to boil.

Divide the mixture between the 2 glasses.  Be careful when pouring as the liquid is HOT!  Stir to combine with the butter emulsion in the bottom of each glass.

Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of butterscotch syrup (or use caramel if you don’t have butterscotch on hand).  Serve immediately and enjoy!

The recipe can be found here and is for TWO drinks.

COPYCAT COLD BUTTERBEER is perfect when you are looking for something a little less sweet yet refreshing.  It’s like drinking a root beer float.  It in no way tastes like a root beer float but has the same creamy soda that combines with the whipped topping as you drink.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by adding a couple ounces of cream soda + 2 Tbsp of butterscotch sauce to a mug and stir to combine.  This is so the butterscotch sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the mug and is incorporated in the drink.  Top with the remaining cream soda and stir to combine.

Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of butterscotch syrup (or use caramel if you don’t have butterscotch on hand).  Serve immediately and enjoy!

The recipe can be found here and is for ONE drink.

COPYCAT FROZEN BUTTERBEER is a yummy treat.  It’s like a shake and has a nice creamy texture.  Not necessarily great on a cold winter night but still pretty awesome when you’re looking for a themed treat.

The recipe can be found here.

Add the ice cream, soda, butter emulsion, and butterscotch sauce to a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into a mug.  Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of butterscotch syrup (or use caramel if you don’t have butterscotch on hand).  Serve immediately and enjoy!

The recipe can be found here and is for ONE drink.

Bonus points to anyone reading the blog that has been to the theme parks at Universal Studios and owns some of the Harry Potter mugs.  They are sturdy and well made so they travel home from the theme parks well and are great to use as props while enjoying the books or movies.

Next up, I have 3 different snacky items to share with you.  If you are familiar with the chocolate frogs from the series, they tend to be solid chocolate, but I opted for something a little different.  I did have to purchase a plastic mold from Amazon to create these festive frogs, but it was cheap and something I plan to use again so the investment was worth it.

Here is a link to the frog mold.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FROGS are filled with a lovely homemade peanut butter mixture that is sweet, creamy, and perfectly nutty.  I could eat a tray of these myself!

The recipe can be found here.

Make sure to wash and dry the mold before use.

Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals until completely melted and smooth.  Add about ½ Tsp to each mold and use a small paintbrush or your finger to paint the chocolate in a thin layer all over each mold.  Personally, I think using my finger was easiest.  It’s a little messy but goes quick.  Refrigerate the mold for about 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.

If you can see through the chocolate or see any spots you missed, add additional chocolate, and refrigerate again.  You shouldn’t be able to see through the chocolate or have any light coming through.

Add the coconut oil, peanut butter, honey, and salt to a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals until completely melted and smooth.  Fill each mold with the mixture until ALMOST full.  Refrigerate for about 5-10 minutes to allow the mixture to firm up.

Re-heat and melt the remaining chocolate.  Add to the top of each mold and use a small paintbrush or your finger to evenly spread over the top to seal in the filling.  Refrigerate for about 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.

Carefully remove the chocolate frogs from the mold to serve and enjoy!  Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.  You can store them on the counter, but I think the chocolate and peanut butter filling can get a little soft, so they are best enjoyed slightly chilled.

The recipe can be found here.

CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW FROGS are like those yummy Santa or Easter Bunny candies you eat around the holidays with a marshmallow center.  Very sweet and sugary but definitely worth the calories 😊

The recipe can be found here.

Make sure to wash and dry the mold before use.

Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals until completely melted and smooth.  Add about ½ Tsp to each mold and use a small paintbrush or your finger to paint the chocolate in a thin layer all over each mold.  Personally, I think using my finger was easiest.  It’s a little messy but goes quick.  Refrigerate the mold for about 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.

If you can see through the chocolate or see any spots you missed, add additional chocolate, and refrigerate again.  You shouldn’t be able to see through the chocolate or have any light coming through.

Use your finger (yes, your finger, it’s easiest) to scoop the marshmallow fluff into each mold and press down to fill each mold completely.  This part will be sticky!

Re-heat and melt the remaining chocolate.  Add to the top of each mold and use a small paintbrush or your finger to evenly spread over the top to seal in the filling.  Refrigerate for about 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.

Carefully remove the chocolate frogs from the mold to serve and enjoy!  Store any leftovers in an airtight container on the counter.

The recipe can be found here.

BUTTERBEER PUFFCORN is like that yummy caramel corn people make around the holidays using Old Dutch Puffcorn.  You know what I’m talking about, right?  It’s larger bites of popcorn that’s coated in a lovely sauce and baked to caramelize.  This is essentially that but tastes like butterscotch.  It’s very crunchy, sweet, and makes the perfect snack.  It’s topped with a white chocolate drizzle because who doesn’t want to add more sugar?  You can leave this off if you prefer.

The recipe can be found here.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with nonstick aluminum foil.  Don’t forget the foil!  It will save you immensely with cleaning up.

Divide the entire bag of puffcorn between the baking sheets.

Add the corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, and butter emulsion/extract to a large saucepan.  Melt over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.  Bring to a boil and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.  This should only take a few minutes and will be a sandy brown color.

 

Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda and salt.  The mixture will bubble up when you add the baking soda, so this is why you want to use a LARGE saucepan.  It will help prevent the mixture from spilling over the sides.  Add the butterscotch chips and stir until melted and smooth.

Pour over the puffcorn, dividing the mixture between the baking sheets.  Stir to coat the puffcorn and spread in an even layer (on both baking sheets).

Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and transfer to wax paper to cool.  Once cool, you can break apart into individual pieces or leave in chunks.

You do not want to let the mixture cool on the baking sheets or IT WILL stick to the aluminum foil and be dang near impossible to remove.  It should easily peel from the wax paper.  Don’t make the same mistake I did the first time I made this recipe 😊

You can enjoy the puffcorn as is at this point or add the white chocolate drizzle.  I like to put the puffcorn on a large serving platter then add the white chocolate to a microwave safe bowl, heat in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until completely melted.  I then drizzle over the top of the entire serving platter of puffcorn.  You can let the chocolate harden for a few minutes but it’s also OK to dig in right away.  The puffcorn is sweet enough on its own but the white chocolate adds a nice hint of chocolate in each bite too.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container on the counter.

The recipe can be found here.

As you can see, we have quite the viewing party planned!  It’s going to be a festive occasion at our house and I’m definitely looking forward to it 🙂 I hope you enjoy all these recipes and take part in a Harry Potter party of your own.  Even our dog gets into the spirit.  After all, he is a wizard.

Happy Cooking!