The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook - Dinah Bucholz [7]
Traditionally, fruitcake is made with alcohol, which keeps the cake moist and fresh for an extended period of time. Adults who wish to make traditional fruitcake should replace the apple juice with brandy. After the cake cools, use a skewer to poke holes in the bottom of the cake. Pour another ½ cup brandy over the bottom of the cake, wrap the cake in a double layer of aluminum foil, and store upside down. If you want to make this cake months in advance, then once a month, unwrap the cake and pour ½ cup brandy over the bottom. The flavor improves with age.
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup finely ground almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups packed dark brown sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lemon
4 large eggs, at room temperature
¼ cup orange marmalade
½ cup dark raisins
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup dried currants or sweetened dried cranberries
¼ cup apple juice
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep and line the bottom with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, spices, and salt.
In another large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and zest of orange and lemon with an electric mixer, scraping down the sides as needed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at time, beating well after each until incorporated. Beat in the marmalade. Stir in the flour mixture and then the dark raisins, golden raisins, and currants or cranberries. Stir in the apple juice. Using a spatula, give one final stir to make sure the batter is evenly mixed. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 2 hours.
Remove the cake from the oven and leave it in the pan to cool. Unmold the cake onto a sheet of aluminum foil and peel off the parchment paper, then reinvert the cake onto a platter or cardboard round. The cake should be eaten the day it is made or wrapped well in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 months. Serve with a nice cup of tea.
Serves 16
Tender Roast Loin of Pork with Variations
Aunt Petunia serves roast pork loin at the business dinner with the Masons, doomed by Dobby the house-elf, whose repeated efforts to help Harry end up almost killing him each time (see Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 1).
Unlike chickens and pheasants, this is one animal the Romans didn't bring with them to England. Pigs have been around in Europe for millions of years, and since we humans discovered them we've been using them for food.
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground thyme
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 pounds pork loin
Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the pork. Rub the mixture all over the pork and place the pork loin on a rack in a roasting pan.
Roast the pork for about 40 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 145°F. Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Serves 6
Apple Blossom Glazed Pork Loin
1 cup water
1 cup honey
½ cup apple butter or applesauce
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup pickled watermelon rind, diced
2 pounds pork loin
Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a saucepan, combine the water, honey, and apple butter or applesauce, and stir to blend. Add the crushed peppers, dried cranberries, and diced watermelon rind. Bring to a boil, cover, remove from the heat, and let stand for 10 minutes.
Pour half of the fruit sauce over the pork loin and place it in the preheated oven. Bake the pork for 30 minutes. Pour ¼ of the remaining sauce over the pork and continue cooking 10 minutes longer or until the internal temperature registers 145°F on an instant-read