Cupcakes

Hogwarts' Heaven

Add a little Harry Potter-inspired spice to your Halloween celebration with these pumpkin treats.

There are a lot of things that author J.K. Rowling got right in her series about the young wizard Harry Potter. More than 350 million copies of the books have been sold worldwide. What young boy wouldn't want to be a student at Hogwarts, where you get to play a form of aerial soccer called quidditch and the dining-room table is always heaped with an endless supply of everything you like the most, all washed down with copious drafts of icy pumpkin juice.

The true genius of imagination is to concoct something that is completely fabricated and at the same time perfectly appropriate. From the moment I read about that first feast at Hogwarts, I could almost taste the deep and sweet flavors of that squashy beverage. And yet, outside the realm of some obscure Korean canned beverages, I don't think that pumpkin juice had ever been experienced. But why not? Peer into the more obscure corners of your local grocery mart, and you'll find sauerkraut juice, clam juice, pomegranate and blueberry juices. When I was growing up, I don't remember such things as cranberry juice, and now it's as popular as apple.

If you're planning a Halloween party for grown-ups or kids this month, I suggest a big platter of spiderweb cupcakes and pitchers of frosty pumpkin juice. There's no magic required - just a little imagination.

Pumpkin Juice
Ingredients: 2 cups pumpkin puree* 3 cups apple juice 1 small piece fresh ginger 1 cinnamon stick 3 cloves 2 tablespoons honey *If using fresh pumpkin, peel and cut into 1-inch cubes. Boil until tender and put into a food processor until pureed. If using canned, make sure it is pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin-pie mix.	Instructions: Bring the apple juice to a simmer. Add the spices and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the honey and cool. Refrigerate for a day or two. In a food processor, mix 1 cup of the strained apple-juice mixture with the 2 cups of pureed pumpkin. Process for 30 seconds. Pour into a fine mesh strainer to remove pulp. Press down to get out as much liquid as possible. Use the remaining pulp to make pumpkin-spice cupcakes. Mix the juice with the rest of the apple mixture and chill well.
Spiderweb Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons shortening 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1/3 cup evaporated milk 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt	Instructions: Cream the shortening and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and then the pumpkin puree and evaporated milk. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the bowl and mix just until blended. Spoon into muffin tin lined with paper cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. When cool, ice with store-bought icing and decorate. Makes 12. More Recipes Printer Friendly Page