Accio all you Potterheads! Our annual backyard party took a magical turn this year with a full-blown Hogwarts theme. From the moment guests stepped onto our property, they were transported to the Wizarding World. Let's dive into the enchanting details of how we hosted our Harry Potter-themed party!
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Hosting a Harry Potter-Themed Party
Invitation: Your Hogwarts Acceptance Letter
To set the tone for the magical evening, we created digital Hogwarts Express ticket invitations. We included details for the party in a custom Hogwarts Express ticket. If you would like one for your own magical party, visit our Etsy listing here: https://creatoriq.cc/3APF5L2
Get 20% off when you use the code FOODALLERGY20 at checkout!
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Transforming Our Home into Hogwarts
Creating the Hogwarts atmosphere was no easy feat, but the results were absolutely spellbinding. Our backyard and house were transformed into a magical landscape with twinkling lights, backdrops, props, and music.
We transformed our common area to mimic different aspects of the story. We hung battery-operated floating candles to mimic the Great Hall, had winged keys around to guard the Sorcerer's Stone (also known as the Philosopher's Stone), and floating acceptance letters flowing out of our fireplace.
Our backyard was inspired by the streets of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, with a touch of the Quidditch World Cup. To enter the yard, you must make your way through the brick wall backdrop of Platform 9¾. Once inside, you would pass by the dazzling store windows of Honeydukes and straight into our Three Broomsticks set up to enjoy Butterbeer and Polyjuice Potion. As you continue through the yard, we planted small artifacts to attribute to the stories, such as white owls, house flag banners, Mandrakes, and more!
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Magical Menu: A Feast Fit for a Wizard
Of course, no Hogwarts party is complete without a feast! We channeled our inner house elves to create a menu worthy of the Great Hall. Here are some highlights:
Yer a Wizard
We made Hagrid's infamous birthday cake with a fun spin! Instead of chocolate cake, we did a funfetti cake. It was still decorated with the classic pink frosting and green "Happee Birthdee writing from the first movie. The name change was naturally needed to celebrate Joe's dad's birthday, but keeping the theme of a name ending in Y, we wrote "Joey".
Aunt Petunia’s Pudding Cake
These are mini versions of this iconic dessert from the second movie. They ended up being a huge hit at the party!
Ingredients
For the meringue layers:
8 egg whites
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pinch of salt
1¾ cups of sugar
For the filling and decorative cream:
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup and 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Lilac food coloring
Green food coloring
Candied cherries or Maraschino cherries, as garnish
Violet decorative flowers made of fondant or marzipan, optional
Directions
For the meringue layers:
Preheat the oven to 210°F.
Cut three pieces of parchment paper to fit your baking sheets. On each piece of parchment paper, draw three circles with a 4-inch diameter and three circles with a 3-inch diameter. Place the parchment paper on the baking sheets, making sure the circles are facing down.
In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer on medium speed until foamy.
Add the lemon juice and salt to the egg whites and continue beating.
Slowly add the sugar, a little at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. To test for stiffness, lift the beaters; the peaks should hold their shape.
Using a piping bag with a large nozzle, fill with the meringue. Pipe the meringue evenly over the circles on the parchment paper.
Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the meringue is dry and easily pulls away from the parchment paper. Allow the meringue to cool completely on the baking sheets before storing or using.
For the cream:
In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a clean bowl with a hand mixer, add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla ingredients, and whip until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes at medium-high speed.
Divide the cream evenly into 3 different bowls. In one bowl, color it lilac with a few drops of the food coloring. In another bowl, color it green with a few drops of the food coloring. In the third bowl, leave white.
Pu the colored creams in a pipping bag with a medium-sized star nozzle.
To assemble and decorate:
Place one of the larger meringue circles on a serving plate. Top with a layer of white cream, spreading it evenly. Using the piping bags with lilac and green cream, pipe alternating rosettes around the edge of the meringue circle. Place a smaller meringue circle with a white cream layer on top of the decorated larger circle. Decorate the smaller circle similar to the larger one.
Repeat these steps with the remaining meringue circles, alternating the colors of the rosettes.
Decorate the tops of each meringue circle with violet flowers and candied cherries.
Cover the torte with plastic wrap or foil, carefully not to mess up the decorations, and refrigerate until ready to serve. This will help prevent the meringue from becoming soft.
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Anything off the trolley, dears?
A Harry Potter party isn't complete without a magical assortment of sweets and treats, just like in the movies. Our candy trolley was loaded with chocolate frogs, every flavored jelly beans, butterbeer candies, and more!
Themed Drinks
It is also not a party without themed drinks! And what better drinks to have at a Hogwarts party than to have Butterbeer and Polyjuice potion? Our homemade recipes were a crowd-pleaser.
Being that it was an outdoor party, we just posted the drink recipes by our "Three Broomsticks" set up for everyone to make their drinks the way they wanted to, alcoholic or non-alcoholic
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Navigating Food Allergies with Magic
Hosting a party with food allergies can be tricky, but with a little planning, it’s totally doable. As someone with food allergies myself, I know the importance of feeling included. We made sure to have plenty of allergy-friendly options, clearly labeled them, and communicated with guests about their dietary needs beforehand. To match the rest of the entrees being served, I made gluten-free pretzel bites and our vegan mac and cheese. Nothing is complete without dessert, which was pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
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A Night to Remember
Our Hogwarts-themed backyard party was a truly magical experience. Seeing our guests immersed in the Wizarding World brought us so much joy. We can't wait to start planning next year's party!
What theme should we consider for our next party? Share your suggestions in the comments below!
Hugs & Cookies
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