Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Frozen Butterbeer: A Tribute to Harry Potter

In our house we are huge Harry Potter fans and are not afraid to admit it. I think the series is very positive for many reasons and enjoy both the books and movies. We were lucky enough to be able to visit Florida this year with my family and on the very first morning we went straight to Universal to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. They did a great job with the park and we were all really impressed. Walking down the streets of Hogsmeade looking through all the shops and listening to the familiar tunes straight from the Potter movies really brought it all to life. The Forbidden Journey ride was a good one. I would recommend to everyone even if you do not ride the ride to take the trip through the line so you can experience the inside of Hogwarts. They did an awesome job with the props and effects.





I have to say, one of my favorite things at the park was the Butterbeer. Butterbeer was the beverage of choice throughout the books the students would enjoy while in Hogsmeade and I could not wait to try it. The frozen Butterbeer was hands down my favorite and as the Hogwarts Express conductor pointed out to me: it is not proper to drink Butterbeer out of a straw. Be sure to get the butterscotch cream on top with every sip. 




As a tribute to the series I searched for and tweaked recipes to get what I thought was easy and the closest thing to the Butterbeer I had while at The Wizarding World and will share my recipe here with you. Please enjoy! This will make 2 delicious servings. 




For drink:
1 can/bottle Cream Soda (I used Dr. Brown's)- frozen (pour contents of can into freezer safe container for an hour or so until almost frozen) OR straight from the can
1 cup Ice (crushed if possible) 
6 Tablespoons Smuckers Butterscotch Syrup (or more to taste)

For cream topping:
1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoons Smuckers Butterscotch Syrup

In a blender, blend the soda, ice and 6 Tablespoons of syrup until it is the consistency of a soft slushy. 

With an electric mixer, beat the cream and up to 2 Tablespoons of syrup for a few minutes until light and almost whipped. 

Pour drink into serving glasses and top with the butterscotch cream. Serve immediately.