Have you ever wanted to eat a deliciously described food from your favorite book? I know I have always wanted to try the foods mentioned in my favorite fantasy books. Edible Book Day is celebrated on or around April 1 and is meant to bring book lovers and food lovers together to celebrate foods that either look like books or are inspired by meals in books themselves. Here are some recipes to get the celebrations started.
Nosh from Narnia: Turkish delight
This delicious candy created in Turkey was mentioned in “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe“ by C.S. Lewis. Edmund Pevensie followed his sister through a wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia and the evil White Witch tricks Edmund into doing her dirty work by offering him Turkish delights. The special candy was enchanted to make him want to eat it forever, so the White Witch would always be able to get him to do what she wanted. Recipe adapted from: Turkish Delight: Chronicles of Narnia by Food.com.
Ingredients:
- Water (½ cup)
- Gelatin (25 g)
- Sugar (400 g)
- Orange and/or lemon juice (1/4 tsp)
- Vanilla essence (1/2 tsp)
- Rose water (2 tsp)
- Pink food coloring (few drops)
- Powdered sugar (50 g)
- Cornflour (25 g)
Recipe:
- Leave gelatin in your one-half cup of cold water for 10 minutes.
- Place sugar and the rest of the cold water into a saucepan and bring the sugar and water to boiling point.
- Add the gelatin to the saucepan and add the orange and/or lemon juice.
- Boil the mixture until it reaches 240 degrees Fahrenheit and add the vanilla essence, rose water and red food coloring.
- Turn off the heat and beat the mixture until creamy.
- Place the candy into a square pan. Wait until firm and cut the candy into squares.
- Roll the cubes into powdered sugar and enjoy.
Hungry at Hogwarts: Butterbeer
Butterbeer is a well-known drink from the Harry Potter universe. It was first mentioned in “Harry Potter: the Prisoner of Azkaban” when Harry sneaks into a local pub to get a drink. In the books, Butterbeer’s taste is described as “a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch.” Universal Studios also sells cold and hot Butterbeer in the Harry Potter world portion of their park. Recipe adapted from: Harry Potter Butterbeer Copycat Recipe by Favorite Family Recipes.
Ingredients:
- Chilled cream soda (2 liters)
- Caramel extract (1/4 tsp)
- Butter extract (1/4 tsp)
- Heavy whipping cream (1 cup)
- Butterscotch topping (1/2 cup)
- Powdered sugar (1/4 cup)
Recipe:
- Stir the heavy cream in a large bowl until it forms stiff peaks.
- Add the butterscotch topping and powdered sugar to the bowl.
- Mix the cream soda with the caramel and butter extracts.
- Pour the mixture into glasses or cups of your choice.
- After you pour the drink, add the butterscotch topping on top of the drink and enjoy.
Cooking at Camp Half-Blood: Ambrosia squares
According to Greek mythology, ambrosia was food eaten by gods and gave immortality to anyone who consumed it. In the book series “Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief,” it is used to heal injured demigods. Ambrosia in the books taste like whatever the consumer loves, but in real life, it is a combination of a cream cheese square and a blondie brownie. Recipe adapted from: Ambrosia Squares by Bookish Baking.
Ingredients:
- Melted butter (1 cup)
- Softened cream cheese (8 oz)
- 2 eggs
- Lemon juice (1 ½ tbps)
- Sugar (3 ½ cups)
- Brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- All-purpose flour (2 ¼ cups)
- Baking soda (3/4 tsp)
- Fine salt (1/2 tsp)
- Vanilla extract (1 tsp)
- Butterscotch, peanut butter or chocolate chips (1 ½ cups)
Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease a baking dish and lightly coat the sides in flour to prevent sticking.
- Melt butter and add it to a bowl with the cream cheese, two eggs, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt.
- Add the dry mixture and the wet mixture together and mix until you reach a smooth consistency. Then, fold in the chips of choice.
- Bake the batter for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Cut into squares when cool and enjoy.
