Don't look like a Muggle at the big Harry Potter movie premiere
this week, snacking on Milk Duds and Raisinets. Line your cloak with a
proper wizard's feast of sugar munchies. Start with every student's
favorite, Cockroach Clusters.
Our house elf, Floozy, has been working away all weekend to formulate
the perfect Cockroach Cluster recipe, using only the finest Pecanese
cockroaches. With Floozy's polished recipe, the process is easy --
almost like making popcorn balls.
For a final touch, let a batch of greedy insects loose on your tray of hand-rolled popcorn balls and they'll crawl right into place and get stuck -- like magic. The hardest part is de-winging the little buggers while they're still wiggling, but you'll get the hang of it.
When Floozy threatened to rest her sticky fingers, we made her stay up an extra two hours to design candy tags for your homemade treats. That'll teach her. Click here to download a print-ready pdf of uniquely-appetizing Cockroach Cluster tags.
Spread the news around Hogsmeade and the floo network, I'll be posting magical recipes all this week.
Update: About Floozy's sticky, sticky state. No worries. We had her wash up for the next recipe & gave her a clean, new apron to wear.
Oh shoot! Oops -- no wonder I haven't seen her all morning.
Cockroach Clusters
Glazed Pecans
1 lb pecan halves
1/2 C light corn syrup
1 T butter
kosher or sea salt to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 200º. Coat baking sheet
with butter-flavored cooking spray. Spread pecan halves in single layer on
baking sheet. Toast in 200º oven for approx. 5 min. Remove pecans from oven and pour in mixing bowl. Set aside. Increase oven
temperature to 300º. Re-coat baking sheet with cooking spray.
Melt butter in microwave. Add corn syrup & butter to pecan halves. Stir until pecans are evenly coated. With slotted spoon, remove pecan halves from bowl and place in single layer on baking sheet. Bake for approx. 15 minutes or until pecan glaze is brown and bubbly. Remove pecans and lightly sprinkle with salt. Allow to cool. Pecans should be prepared in advance of popcorn balls.
Popcorn Balls
18-20 C of popped popcorn
2 T butter
2 C sugar
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/2 C light corn syrup
1 1/3 cups water
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
Directions:
Pop
popcorn in air popper -- or use plain microwave popcorn. Set aside. In
medium sauce pan, combine butter, sugar, salt, corn syrup, water and
vinegar. (The vinegar helps the sugar to reach a smooth consistency.)
Cook on high until sugar mixture reaches hard-ball stage (approximately
255-265º). Remove saucepan from heat, then stir in vanilla and almond
extract.
Quickly coat large mixing bowl and mixing spoon with butter-flavored cooking spray. Pour 18-20 cups of popped popcorn into the greased bowl.
Slowly pour sugar mixture onto popcorn, tossing as you go. Wait till mixture is cool enough to handle, but still very warm, then lightly form coated popcorn into 3" balls and place on wax paper. Before popcorn balls cool, decorate with glazed pecans. It helps to have a second person to help add pecans while the popcorn mixture is still warm.
Holy cricket, these are tasty!
• Butterbeer recipe here.
How creative with just a touch of "shiver" with the name!
Cheers,
Bunny!
Posted by: Shannon | July 14, 2009 at 06:29 PM
Those sort of almost turn my stomach. I'll have to get the girls making these right away!
Posted by: Jona | July 14, 2009 at 06:36 PM
Just the idea, Jona. Glad to hear it.
Posted by: Heather Bailey | July 14, 2009 at 06:42 PM
Oh you are fabulous with your creativity!!! They name sounds yucky, but oh boy do they look delish!
Denise
Posted by: Denise | July 14, 2009 at 06:48 PM
haha! this post is great! I'll be puting my house elf to work making some of these for sure. sorry you lost your house elf with the apron gift!
:) Missy
Posted by: Missy | July 14, 2009 at 07:12 PM
You are so creative! Looks like Floozy got the recipe just right!
Posted by: susan@tickledpaisley | July 14, 2009 at 07:16 PM
Heather, You are completely nuts!!! I love it!
Posted by: andrea Larsen | July 14, 2009 at 07:45 PM
What a fun idea! I always imagined chocolate turtle type candies when I read Harry Potter.
Posted by: Christina | July 14, 2009 at 07:47 PM
this is just too funny!!
Posted by: jaybird | July 14, 2009 at 07:48 PM
you're silly and creative.
Posted by: Amy | July 14, 2009 at 07:57 PM
What a great idea!! My boys, and my 8 year old daughter, would LOVE these!
Posted by: Kimberli | July 14, 2009 at 09:00 PM
Could Heather Bailey get better?! She loves HP and creates crafts to make HP movie premier week extra special. Amazing! Thank you!
Posted by: Jen T | July 14, 2009 at 09:38 PM
HB + HP...love it!
thanks for the recipe...gluten free, too!
thanks from the bottom of my heart!
xo
Posted by: Rhonna Farrer | July 14, 2009 at 09:47 PM
Absolutely adorable! I'll never look at pecans the same way again ;)
Posted by: Saige | July 15, 2009 at 12:11 AM
It's a great idea with a Harry Potter week!!
I will have to show this to my daughter. She has been such a great fan of Harry Potter - and still is at age 17. :) I just love how his wonderful world keep mesmerising children and grownups all over the world.
Posted by: Ulla V. | July 15, 2009 at 12:43 AM
That is brilliant! Your creative juices are WEIRD Heather - love it!!!
Posted by: Ann | July 15, 2009 at 12:48 AM
I just got back from the movie and had to chime in - no spoilers.
The best of the series and one of the best films ever. Every character was well acted. Emma Watson seems to have reined-in her overacting. She stole the show. Dumbledore was accessible and imposing at the same time. Malfoy, Snape and especially Slughorn were duly conflicted. The pacing drew me in and kept me focused while both quiet and noisy scenes took place.
Bravo! I loved it.
Isaac
Posted by: Isaac Bailey | July 15, 2009 at 03:10 AM
Of course my printer would be broken when something this cute comes along! I'll still be making the treats though. We are quite the Harry Potter fans around here. Two of my sons look just like him and one of them had to convince a bunch of 7 year olds that he was TRULY not Daniel Radcliff, it was so funny I couldn't even help him.
Thanks for sharing your creativity with us, I love this website!
Posted by: Kathryn | July 15, 2009 at 03:32 AM
A-mazing! My favorite Harry Potter movie so far -- BY FAR.
Starts with a bang. Filled with great humor & effects. You'll leave with an improved sympathy for Draco's burden.
Super late now. Off to dream of creepy infiri, I'm sure of it.
Posted by: Heather Bailey | July 15, 2009 at 03:41 AM
Great snacks! I'll bring some chocolate as well, in case of Dementors!!
Posted by: Muriel | July 15, 2009 at 04:38 AM
OOOHHH I love it! You also love Harry Potter...that´s super!
No wonder you haven´t seen Floozy....new apron...now you have to get another elf for the other recipes! :))
Posted by: Sofia Schiappa | July 15, 2009 at 06:11 AM
I love this post. Thanks!
Posted by: Julie | July 15, 2009 at 06:12 AM
Hi Heather! Just found you through Twitter, and I'm so glad I did. Your site is so fun and refreshing! And the pic of your daughter (I assume?) with the hot pink nails and the precious toothless grin is beyond adorable.
Posted by: Susan from Food Blogga | July 15, 2009 at 06:29 AM
Your creativity is always inspiring. This is such a darling idea! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Wendy | July 15, 2009 at 06:34 AM
oh fun! What a great creative mom you are! We went to the Drive-In (in scottsdale) last night and found that they are going to do a midnight showing, wish my kids were old enough for Harry Potter!
Posted by: heather hales | July 15, 2009 at 06:55 AM
Awesome! I can't wait to see the movie!
Posted by: Huyen | July 15, 2009 at 09:28 AM
and here i am this morning reading Julie & Julia, contemplating fromage whatever when it gets cold this autumn- how cool- cockroach dessert with a Julia Child recipe-
lori k
Posted by: Lori | July 15, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Oh aren't you just adorably clever!!! I'm still working on reading through the books. Almost finished with #5 but hubby has forbid me to start the Halfblood Prince lest I give something away to him before we see the movie. Dressing up for it would be so FUN!
Posted by: Tracy | July 15, 2009 at 11:33 AM
That sounds really yummy! What a neat idea!
Posted by: Tiff@ThreePeas | July 15, 2009 at 07:16 PM
Such a great idea! I can't wait to see the movie.
Posted by: Liz | July 15, 2009 at 10:28 PM
Wonderful!
Posted by: Mia Zucca | July 16, 2009 at 07:51 PM
Love these and your butter beer.
We took a big group to the midnight showing and threw our own little HP party complete with cockroach clusters and more. You can see pictures at littleantdesign.blogspot.com
Posted by: denise | July 16, 2009 at 08:42 PM
Wow, denise! You're a girl after my own heart. What a spread.
Posted by: Heather Bailey | July 17, 2009 at 04:02 AM
Fabulously creative projects!
Posted by: Lyn | July 18, 2009 at 07:52 AM