Hogwarts
Chocolate Gingerbread recipe
Makes 1 Hogwarts
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500g butter
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2 cups brown sugar
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2 cups golden syrup
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4 egg yolks
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10-11 cups plain all purpose flour
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4 tablespoons ground ginger
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4 tablespoons cocoa, sifted
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4 tablespoons mixed spice
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4 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
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6 yellow or orange boiled lollies (I used barley sugar lollies)
Royal Icing and decorations
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2 egg whites (60grams/2 oz)
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2-3 teaspoons lemon juice (and a little water if needed)
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300g/10.6ozs sifted pure icing sugar
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black or brown food colouring
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Irridescent dark copper powder and brush
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A small amount of white fondant, a small circle cutter and black pen for the clock face
You will also need the following:
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Stencils for cutting out -you can make these yourself as I did just from looking at models of Hogwarts online. There are limitations to what you can do in gingerbread so keep it simple.
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The inside of rolls from paper towels
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soft cardboard to make the smaller round towers
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Foil
Step 1 - In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a beater attachment (you may need to do this in two lots as it's very large), beat butter and sugar together until pale, add golden syrup and egg yolks. Turn speed down to the lowest and add in flour, ginger, cocoa and bicarb and mix together. Knead on a clean benchtop until it comes together and form a circle and wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 2 - Cut out the shapes in overhead plastic. For the round towers, wrap the paper towel core in foil. To make smaller ones, spray the soft cardboard with a little water and then roll up into the desired size. Staple this secure and allow to dry and then wrap in foil. And yes at this point, I think I was still sane but starting to lose it...
Step 3 - Line three trays with baking parchment and preheat oven to 170C/340F. This dough is very easy to reroll and tastes absolutely great but there are some rules. Take two pieces of baking parchment and a rolling pin and roll out the dough between the parchment. Then place the piece of overhead stencil on top and using a paring knife, cut around it and do not remove the plastic from the top. Using a spatula gently lift the dough-the plastic stencil helps hold it together and place on the parchment lined tray.
Step 4 - To make the round towers, roll out the dough and using the parchment, roll the dough onto the foil wrapped core. This is hard at first so this may take a few goes and start with the smallest as the largest one is really hard.
Step 5 - If you want that stained glass look, cut out windows using a knife or a cutter and crush the boiled lollies in a mortar and pestle and spoon them carefully into the cavities. Bake the gingerbread for 10 minutes or so until baked through and no longer soft. Cool for 5 minutes and then place on a rack.
Step 6 - Make royal icing by beat egg whites with lemon juice until foamy on low speed increasing to medium speed. Add sifted sugar and colouring while beating until desired consistency is reached. You want it a little stiff in order to pipe the outline however, if it is too stiff, add a little warm water. Fill a small piping bag with the icing-I usually make them out of baking parchment, and pipe patterns on the pieces once cooled. Then using a dry brush, add lustre powder to give it a little depth. Once the royal icing is dry, cover with cling wrap until needed. Reserve the rest of the royal icing for constructing Hogwarts.
Step 7 - Make the clock face by rolling out the white fondant very thinly and cutting out a circle. Adhere this to the front of the clock tower piece with a little water. Once dry and hard, draw hands and a face on it.
Chocolate Mud Cake
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300g/10.6 ozs butter
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250g/8.83 ozs dark chocolate
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2 cups brown sugar
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2 cups water
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2 cups plain all purpose flour
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1/2 cup cornflour
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4 tablespoons cocoa
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2 eggs
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1 teaspoon baking powder
Chocolate ganache
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300g/10.6 ozs dark chocolate
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1/2 cup pure cream
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 150C/300F. In a saucepan, melt the butter, chocolate, sugar and water until melted and smooth. Cool for 15 minutes. Line a 21cm square tin with parchment.
Step 2 - Using a whisk, add the flour, cornflour, cocoa, eggs and baking powder and whisk to combine. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool until needed for use. I wrapped this in foil once cooled and stashed it in the freezer. It survived the Carrie even just fine and tasted so rich and moist.
Step 3 - Make ganache by melting the chocolate and cream together and allowing to firm up a little. If it stiffens too much, microwave it a little on medium heat.
Assembling Hogwarts
You will need:
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The decorated pieces of Hogwarts
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the leftover royal icing
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a large, sturdy box
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foil
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thick double sided sticky tape-yards of it really
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black cardboard large enough to fit over the top of the box and maybe the sides
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2/3 cup dessicated coconut and green food colouring
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cacao nibs
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Some of the faux rock chocolates if you want
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250g/8.83 ozs dark chocolate
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A hardy resolve to finish the damn thing
Step 1 - A day or two before when you want to serve it, make the buildings because they may need some time or overnight to dry and set. Basically match up all of your pieces and then trim the sides using a very sharp knife if they are a bit wobbly or misshapen. Then use the royal icing in a small piping bag as glue. Only put the roof on once it is fully set (which can take a few hours depending on your weather) and use straight sided cups to help support the royal icing while it is setting.
Step 2 - Once the buildings are completed, cover the box with foil and tape it securely. Then cover with the black cardboard and tape this down too-I used double sided thick tape for this. Place the buildings roughly where you want them to sit and once you are happy with their positioning. Using the royal icing on the bottom of them adhere them to the cardboard and allow to dry.
Step 3 - In a ziplock bag add the coconut and some drops of green food colouring and shake about until the colour is evenly distributed-add more green if needed. Melt chocolate and using a spatula, spread it across the area of black cardboard which is uncovered. Sprinkle the green coconut over it to resemble grass.
Step 4 - Then mash up half of the chocolate mud cake with the ganache and make crumbs for rocks and cliffs. With the remaining half, break off "boulders" of cake. Sprinkle some of the coconut as moss and add the chocolate rocks.