Harry Potter Mini-Feast!

Last night, at the midnight premiere, my friend Noel and I held each other and wept as we witnessed the end of Harry Potter. To gear up for this momentous occasion, we decided to crack open my Harry Potter cookbook and try a couple recipes out.  For dinner, we prepared Kreacher's French Onion Soup (vegetarian style) and Harry Potter's favorite childhood treat, treacle tarts. In the books, we learn that Harry loves anything treacle, and  in The Order of the Phoenix, he enjoys a treacle tart in the great hall while Ron and Hermione argue.  In the seventh book, Kreacher says he will prepare his delicious french onion soup for when Harry, Ron, and Hermione return from the ministry.  Unfortunately, they never got to have that soup, but Noel and I did!  As for the treacle tarts....oy.

Kreacher's French Onion Soup

1 large onion
4 tablespoons butter
1 baguette
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
4-6 cups vegetable or mushroom broth (if you don't want it vegetarian, use chicken or beef)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Peel the onions, cut them in half lengthwise, and slice as thinly as you can.  Then chop those slices in half to make smaller onion pieces.  In a heavy soup pot, heat the butter then remove the pot from the heat.

2) Slice the baguette into six 1-inch thick slices for croutons. Dip a pastry brush into the melted butter in the pot and brush one side of each slice.  Place the slides butter-side up on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cheese.  Toast the bread in the oven for about 10 minutes or until browned.

3) While the bread toasts, return the pot to the heat and add the onions.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the sugar and continue to stir over medium-high heat until the onions are browned, about 15 minutes.

4) Blend in the flour. Gradually add the stock while stirring and bring the soup to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

5) Ladle the soup into bowls and float one (or two) or the croutons in the center, then sprinkle more Parmesan all over.

It was so easy to make, and turned out wonderfully! I will be enjoying it for lunch for days! Now for the treacle tarts, sigh.  The recipe calls for you to make your own dough and to make one big tart that serves 8.  Well, we decided to be lazy and use pre-made graham cracker crusts, so this is the abridged version of this recipe.

Lazy Treacle Tarts

1 cup golden syrup or light molasses or corn syrup (we used molasses, I would not recommend it)
2 1/4 cups fresh bread crumbs
zest and juice of one lemon
pre-made graham cracker tart crusts

1) Warm the syrup or molasses in the microwave for one minute.  Combine with the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix well.

2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrape the filling into the prepared crusts and smooth the top with a spatula.

3) Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake another 25 minutes until slightly browned.  Serve with warm custard or whipped cream.

Then hand them out to unsuspecting people waiting in line for Harry Potter because these were not good. I guess we shouldn't have been surprised.  Ah well, the soup was good. Thanks Noel!