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Trying Harry Potter Recipes: Treacle Tart

It’s Monday so I’m trying another Harry Potter Recipe from Dinah Bucholz‘s Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbookthis time it’s Harry’s favorite dessert, Treacle Tart!

I bet you remember a love-potion from Harry Potter called Amortentia, which causes an infatuation or obsession over the person who prepared the potion. Another effect of Amortentia is that the potion itself smells different for everyone, depending on what they find the most attractive.

So, for example, I would probably say that Amortentia smells like coffee, the inside of a new book and the churros from Disneyland.

In Harry’s case, this love potion reminded him of a broomstick, Ginny’s perfume and treacle tart.

They chose the one nearest a gold-coloured cauldron that was emitting one of the most seductive scents Harry had ever inhaled: Somehow it reminded him simultaneously of treacle tart, the woody smell of a broomstick handle, and something flowery he thought he might have smelled at the Burrow. He found that he was breathing very slowly and deeply and that the potion’s fumes seemed to be filling him up like drink.– Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I guess it’s safe to say that this tart is Harry’s favorite treat, so I was really excited to make it (and try it for the first time!).

I think this tart has been the most complicated recipe I have tried from Dinah Bucholz’s book. But it still was fairly easy for a non-experienced baker like me.

And it was so fun to make, especially because it looks so pretty at the end! I felt like Snow White while making this, and also had a strong urge to sing along with some cute birds and small forest creatures while putting it together.

Ingredients:*

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks cold butter
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

  • 1 cup golden syrup or light molasses or corn syrup (I used light molasses)
  • 2 1/4 cups fresh bread crumbs
  • Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 egg for brushing over the crust

*From The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Buchholz ©2010 Adams Media. 

Instructions:

As I do most of the time, I started by combining the dry ingredients. Then mixed the butter and finally the wet ingredients.

I did it all by hand because I don’t have a mixer or food processor. It was a bit messy (because of the butter) but not that difficult. I also felt more like Snow White because I’m pretty sure she didn’t have a food processor either. After tossing it for a while, I made a disc with the dough and refrigerated for 2 hours.**

** I’m not disclosing the complete steps for this recipe because that wouldn’t be fair to the author! 

To make the breadcrumbs I used a small coffee grinder and added slices of bread as needed. This was totally experimental but it actually turned out great!

After 2 hours I got the dough from the refrigerator and into the pan.

And then mixed all the ingredients for the filling. I know it looks ugly, but many things look ugly before cooking them, so I didn’t judge.

I was a bit hesitant about the lemon juice part because it looked like A LOT of lemon, plus the zest. But I wanted to follow the recipe, so I went with it and added the filling over the crust.

Then came my favorite part! I had never baked a tart before and was a bit intimidated by this braided kind of topping, but I think it turned out cute! I cut long strips and then put then together over a large sheet of aluminum foil. When I finished it, I just flipped it over the pan and cut the excess.

Look how cute that is. I would totally be attracted to it too.

I brushed the top with a beaten egg and baked it for 10 minutes at 400F. And then at 375F for around 30 minutes.

Oh, I know I say this all the time, but it smelled delicious! And I had a bit of the crust while taking some pictures and loved it!

Then I had my first whole slice and I wasn’t so in love with it afterwards. I din’t know what to expect since I had never had treacle tart before, but I found the combination of molasses and lemon juice a bit weird. It was super sweet but also had a citric flavor that I’m not used to.

But! I had another slice the next day and I liked it a lot more. The sweet/citric combination tasted so much better cold, I actually ate half of the tart by myself 😛

Since I loved the crust, I’m pretty sure I’ll make this recipe again. I’ll just probably skip the lemon juice, or use half of it.

What do you guys think? Let me know if you decide to bake some treacle tart. And also, what would you smell if you had some Amortentia?? You can tag me on Instagram 😀

Other Wizarding World recipes:

This article has 7 comments

  1. Kristin (SuperSpaceChick)

    This looks delicious but I agree that molasses and lemon juice are a strange combo! I’ve had that same recipe book for years and I have yet to try baking any of the recipes yet!

    • Celeste

      I would recommend trying the pumpkin pasties first! That’s my favorite recipe from the book and all my friends have loved them :D!

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