Harry Potter Butter Beer & Broomsticks . . .

Okay, in honor of all of those millions of screaming fans out there making this final Harry Potter movie almost $600 million worldwide, I thought this AMAZING drink recipe & broomstick garnish would be perfect for those super fans out there and would make the perfect pre-movie beverage for those of you heading out to the theatre this weekend.

And this one goes out to my favorite superfans out there (Tiffany, Tony-Lyn, & my sweet little sister, Meggie).  I hope this little treat helps numb the pain as you say goodbye to a spectacular series . . .


Use these fantastic garnishes to add a bit of magical flair to your favorite Harry Potter party drink.  Or use the broom handles to skewer together any tasty morsels that threaten to scurry away on the dessert table.


Broomstick Picks

Materials Needed:
~ Raffia
~ Wooden skewers
~ Colored embroidery floss
~ Brown thread

Tools:
~ Sewing machine
~ Hot glue gun & glue
~ Scissors



1.  Gather small bunch of raffia – about 20 strands. Stitch bundled raffia together. (Seam is about 3/4" long.) Trim raffia to 5" wide, with seam centered.

2.  Place medium-size dot of hot glue to left of thread seam. Place the blunt end of skewer into glue, extending skewer about 1" past thread seam.

3.  Fold right half of raffia over skewer. Secure with glue or simply keep a hold on raffia till Step 4 is completed.

4.  While holding raffia ends securely, wrap colored embroidery floss around broom bristles, about ½" from folded end of raffia. Wrap thread 3-4 times and secure with knot. Trim raffia to even out end of broom.



These brooms are surprisingly easy to make -- bookmark for next Halloween : )

Butter Beer Recipe

Madam Rosmerta would agree that no wizard party is complete without a pint of freshly-brewed Butterbeer. With our house elf now missing, it took us quite a few iterations before we discovered the perfect potion for this usually overly-sweet concoction. A hint of ginger and the sweetness of butterscotch combine to create a delightful and refreshing drink, capable of making even Severus Snape smile.


Butterbeer Recipe:

12 oz. (one bottle) ginger beer
36 oz. (three bottles) cream soda
3 T butterscotch ice cream topping



Thoroughly chill unopened ginger beer and cream soda in refrigerator until icy-cold.  Refrigerate empty, glass pitcher as well.  Once beverages are chilled, in a small mixing bowl or tall glass, stir 1-2 oz. of cream soda into butterscotch topping till thoroughly combined.  Pour all remaining soda into chilled pitcher. Quickly add butterscotch mixture to pitcher.  Stir till just combined;  do not over-stir.  Pour over ice and serve immediately.  Serves 6.

For a frothy sparkle, dip the rim of each glass in corn syrup, pulling drips of syrup downward with a toothpick.  Then dip each glass rim in a mixture of colored sugar.  Before dipping, spread the corn syrup & sugar mixture each onto a separate, flat-bottomed plate.




For an old-world, textured effect, mix fine, yellow sugar with coarser, gold sugar.  Colored sugars are available at many grocery stores and craft chains.  The sugars shown here are both from Michael's.

Thank you to the amazingly creative Heather Bailey for this wonderful craft & drink recipe, and enjoy your movie, girls!!