Summer Fun 2013: Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

We're fully into HP now and, as it's his birthday (and author J.K. Rowling's), I'm making mock Butterbeer to celebrate.  There are three recipes here, and I'm making the third (I'll update later to tell you how it was):

Our Butterbeer!

UPDATE:    The Butterbeer was a rousing success!  Easier than the recipe sounds--I ignored the candy thermometer and looked for a soft ball stage--and so tasty!  A nice deep butterscotch flavor, with the rum extract giving it a fun/candy flavor.  The butterscotch fluff on top was delicious!  Definitely a hit.  I can't recall how close it is to the Butterbeer at HP World, but we liked it.  Cheers!


Butterbeer

1 cup light or dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

6 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon salt


1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

3/4 cup heavy cream, divided

1/2 teaspoon rum extract

Four 12-ounce bottles cream soda

In a small saucepan over medium, combine the brown sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reads 240 F on a candy thermometer.

Stir in the butter, salt, vinegar and 1/4 heavy cream. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the rum extract.

In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Use an electric mixer to beat until just thickened, but not completely whipped, about 2 to 3 minutes.

To serve, divide the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses (about 1/4 cup for each glass). Add 1/4 cup of cream soda to each glass, then stir to combine. Fill each glass nearly to the top with additional cream soda, then spoon the whipped topping over each.