Madam Rosmerta's Butterbeer

I doubt there is a person alive today that doesn't know who Madam Rosmerta is.  Or, for that matter, Minerva McGonagall, or Severus Snape, or even Nymphadora Tonks but the person with the coolest name of the lot has to be Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore!  Love that name!

I was a relative last comer to the Harry Potter phenomenon.  The first time our paths crossed was my first year in America when the Philosopher's Stone was used to try and get first time campers settled for bed time.  By the time I got home I was interested enough to go and buy a copy for myself so I could read the whole story rather than a page here and there.  By Christmas time I had managed to catch up with the rest of the world and then I became one of the people in the queue at midnight just to get my hands on the next release!  It is fair to say that I am a Harry Potter addict!

Oddly, all the food mentioned in the books were never more than a part of the story.  I never yearned to eat a pumpkin pastie or to seek out Berti Bott's Every Flavour Beans (even if I had I'm pretty sure Dumbledore's experience of an ear wax flavoured one would have quashed the urge!) but I was always impressed by the beginning of term feasts held at Hogwarts.  Platters and platters of food overflowing that magically replenished themselves ... well, what can I say?  I wanted in on that action ... until I found it that this was all made possible by the poor House Elves behind the scenes!  I was with Hermione all the way when she created S.P.E.W (Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare).

Anyway, I was lusting after all the food porn on foodgawker the other day when I stumbled upon The Go Lightly Gourmet's post for Butterbeer (click here if you are interested in some more details on this foaming beverage).  Well, to cut what is already a long story short, I decided to have a try.  I modified Madam Rosmerta's recipe slightly!

Madam Rosmerta's Butterbeer
30g butter
500ml good quality apple cider (I used an artisan cider)
8 Werther’s original candies or caramels
1 sachet of mulling spices (a brand that is already wrapped in 'Dragon's skin' saves you work later on!)
650-680ml cream soda

Melt the butter in a medium sized cauldron over a medium fire. Add the cider, mulling spices and the caramels and stir your pot frequently (the caramels will stick to the bottom of the cauldron otherwise)! Cook till the candies are melted. Remove the dragon skin pouch of mulling spices (otherwise you will need to strain it).

If you want your Butterbeer cold, let the mixture cool, then add the cream soda before serving. If you want it hot, add the cream soda to the cauldron and heat till just perfect.

Serves 4

Butterbeer is very, very sweet.  So sweet in fact that I had to leave mine for the House Elf (aka Hubby) to finish off.  One sip was more than enough for me but Hubby happily drank 3 foaming tankards full!