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The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook - Dinah Bucholz [92]

By Root 639 0

1 cup water

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup whole toasted pistachio nuts

1 cup toasted blanched slivered almonds

Spray a 9″ × 13″ pan with cooking spray and line it with the rice or wafer paper. You may need to cut the paper to fit or use two sheets. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, honey, and water in a medium saucepan. Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the 5-quart bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and begin beating on medium speed. Place the saucepan on the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, wash down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in hot water if necessary, and clip on a candy thermometer.

Here's the first tricky part. Try to time the egg whites reaching soft mounds and the sugar syrup reaching 240°F at the same time. When this happens, increase the mixer speed to medium-high. Dip a 1-cup heatproof measuring cup into the sugar syrup, and then, with the mixer still running, pour the syrup slowly into the egg whites against the side of the bowl (if you pour the sugar syrup into the center of the mixer bowl, the mixture will fly against the sides and harden instead of incorporating into the egg whites). Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and glossy while continuing to cook the remaining sugar syrup, stirring to prevent scorching.

Here's the second tricky part. Try to time the egg whites reaching the stiff, glossy stage with the sugar syrup reaching 300°F. As soon as that temperature is reached, turn the mixer to medium-high and slowly pour in the sugar syrup against the side of the bowl. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Add the nuts and fold in by hand. Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan. It sets up quickly, so the hotter it is, the easier it will be to spread it in the pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and press down rice or wafer paper over the top.

Let the mixture cool and set overnight. Use a serrated knife to cut 8 sections along the width and 8 sections along the length to make 64 rectangles. The nougat is hard to cut and remove from the pan and won't look as neat and professional as the one at Honeydukes, but it tastes absolutely stupendous. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

Makes 64 pieces

Even though it's difficult to find wafer paper, it's really the only thing that works. Nougat is very soft and sticky; unlike marshmallows, it absorbs corn-starch or confectioners' sugar, so if you used those it would still stick to the pan, and you would have to use copious amounts of grease to allow you to remove the nougat. Doing that, of course, would ruin the candy.

Coconut ice is not ice at all, though it is made with coconut, so it's not a complete misnomer. This candy really is coconut fudge. In America it's called coconut candy or coconut praline. The traditional way to make this is to pour half the mixture into the pan, then tint the rest pink and pour that on top. It looks real pretty when you slice it.

Coconut Ice


2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons golden syrup or light corn syrup

¼ stick (2 tablespoons) butter

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup ground desiccated coconut (shredded sweetened coconut may be substituted)

Few drops red food coloring

Grease an 8-inch square pan. Line it with parchment paper, allowing the paper to come up two of the sides. This will make it easy to remove the fudge and slice it.

Combine the sugar, milk, golden syrup or corn syrup, butter, heavy cream, and salt in a large saucepan. (As you cook, the mixture will expand like crazy, so be sure the pot is large enough. A 4-quart pot is a good size, but you'll still need to watch it.) Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the ingredients are combined. Wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in

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