Whether it’s the iconic pumpkin pies of Hogwarts’ Great Hall in the Harry Potter series, the
cascading spaghetti and meatballs from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, or the tempting
Turkish Delights of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, food in children’s stories has a magical
quality that makes readers’ mouths water. Now, home cooks can recreate some of these
fanciful dishes in their kitchens.
Put on your chef's hats and preheat those ovens. Here are five recipes inspired by food
moments in classic children's tales to satisfy your nostalgic cravings. Just maybe hold off on the
experimental chewing gum.
The first time Edmund meets the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch
and The Wardrobe, she tempts him with a box of rare Turkish Delight. He instantly pops one in
his mouth and asks for more, despite the witch’s wintry personality. To recreate these rose-hued
treats, you’ll need:
● 2 cups granulated sugar
● 1 cup cold water
● 1.5(1/4 ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin
● 1 cup of orange juice
● 1 cup of lemon juice
● Red food coloring, to your liking
● 1⁄2 cup chopped nut meats
● powdered sugar (confectioners)
The directions to make these are:
1. Soak gelatin in one-half cupful of cold water for ten minutes.
2. Combine sugar and the rest of the cold water in a saucepan, heat until boiling, then add
the soaked gelatin along with the orange and lemon juices.
3. Boil to 240°F on a candy thermometer, or soft ball stage(spoon a drop of this mixture
into a glass of cold water and it should form a soft putty ball).
4. Add nutmeats and red food coloring until the desired color is achieved.
5. Remove from heat and beat until creamy.
6. Turn into a bread pan that is lightly greased and placed in cold water to a depth of one
inch.
7. Let them stand until firm, turn them out onto a board, and cut them into cubes. Roll in
powdered sugar.
Careful, though - these may be as hard to resist as the White Witch’s offer.
Remember when Violet blows up into a giant blueberry after tasting Willy Wonka's experimental
chewing gum? While we can’t promise you’ll float like Violet, we can provide a recipe for
Wonka’s blueberry ice cream that (likely) won't turn you violet. You’ll need:
● 2 egg yolks
● 1⁄2 cup sugar
● 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
● 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
● 1 1⁄2 cups whole milk
● 1 1⁄2 cups fresh blueberries (or 1 1/4 cups of it frozen)
The directions to make this ice cream are as follows:
1. Mix egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla either manually or with a mixer for 1-2 minutes until
smooth and the color becomes lighter.
2. Warm the cream and milk in a medium saucepan on medium heat until it's very hot but
not boiling, typically around 7 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to low.
4. Add 4 Tablespoons of hot milk and cream, one at a time, to the egg yolk mixture,
whisking each time.
5. Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the hot milk and cream saucepan, whisking
constantly.
6. Simmer on low heat while stirring until the mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon,
which should take about 4-5 minutes.
7. Let cool and refrigerate until cold.
8. Thaw blueberries if using frozen.
9. When the ice cream mixture is cold, chop blueberries in a food processor or blender and
stir into the cream mixture.
10. Turn on your machine, pour in the mix, and run it for 20-25 minutes.
11. Freeze the ice cream in a freezable container for 2-24 hours.
12. The ice cream will be very soft at first but very hard after freezing; let thaw at room
temperature for 10 minutes before scooping and serving with fresh blueberries on top.
13. Cooking time refers to the time in the ice cream maker but not freezing time.
No Oompa Loompa songs are required!
Wish spaghetti and meatballs would fall from the sky onto your plate? This recipe is the next
best thing. With just these 9 ingredients, this dish can feed a crowd in just 1 hour:
● 2(30 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
● 2 lbs lean ground beef
● 2 eggs
● 3⁄4 cup dry breadcrumbs
● 1⁄4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
● 1 garlic clove, minced
● 1⁄2 - 1 teaspoon salt
● 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese
● 1 lb spaghetti, cooked al dente
Directions:
1. Over medium heat place the sauce in a large saucepan and let it simmer.
2. Mix beef, eggs, crumbs, parsley, garlic, salt, and Parmesan in a large bowl.
3. Shape into 18 meatballs.
4. Place meatballs in simmering sauce.
5. When sauce returns to a simmer, cover and cook for 30-35 minutes (or more!) till cooked
through.
6. Serve sauce and meatballs over warm spaghetti.
No need to wait for a freak weather event – just head to your kitchen.
Channel the trespassing Goldilocks and try this classic porridge, not too hot or too cold, from the
house of the Three Bears. The ingredients required are:
● 1 cup rolled oats
● 1⁄2 cup milk
● brown sugar
● yogurt, cream, or milk, to serve
Directions:
1. Mix the oats with 1 1/2 cups water, stir in the milk, and bring to a boil.
2. Stir constantly and cook the oats for about 7 minutes until thick and creamy.
3. Serve immediately with brown sugar, yogurt, cream, or milk.
4. Variations: Stir 1/4 cup of sultanas in the last 3 minutes of cooking.
5. Serve with stewed apple or dried fruit compote.
And no need to smash any chairs!
According to Pooh Bear, this honey bun cake is not only a healthy way to start the day, but also
an extremely tasty treat. Bake it up like Rabbit and share with all your Hundred Acre Wood
friends.
Ingredients required for the Honey Bun Cake:
● 1(18 ounce) package yellow cake mix
● 2⁄3 cup vegetable oil
● 4 eggs
● 1(8 ounce) container sour cream
● 1 cup packed brown sugar
● 1⁄3 cup chopped pecans
● 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
● 1 cup powdered sugar
● 1 tablespoon milk
● 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions to make:
1. Into a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, oil, eggs, and sour cream.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat it on medium speed until well mixed.
3. Spread half of the batter that you got into a greased 13x9-inch baking pan.
4. In a smaller bowl, add the brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon and stir well to mix.
5. Over the batter, sprinkle the mixture evenly.
6. Spread the batter that remains over the pecan mixture.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until it turns golden brown.
8. Stir the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a bowl, until it is thin enough to spread.
9. Prick the surface of the warm cake several times using a toothpick.
10. Spread the sugar glaze evenly over the cake.
11. Let it cool for 1 hour.
Just save some honey for Pooh!