Disney Deliciousness-with Recipe!
My husband and I just got back from a much-needed vacation at Disneyland- and it was a blast! Granted, we all love the rides at Disneyland (what's not to love about Splash Mountain!?), but one of the other highlights of this trip was the food! My husband and I love to eat- I guess this is one weakness we share;). My husband would barely be finishing his lunch before he would ask what the plan was for dinner- the guy likes his food, okay? ;)
There are so many great things to try at Disneyand, and I thought I would share with you some of our food experiences so that next time you take a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth you can know some of the great foods awaiting you;).
Typical carnival food- turkey leg, popcorn, churros- these are so basic, but I had to include them because they are basics for a reason! So delicious! I have yet to try the turkey leg, but everytime someone walked past with one, a heavenly aroma followed them- they are definitely on my list to try next time;). (So much food and so little time!)
Cream-cheese filled Pretzels. We discovered these with the help of my sister. She has a copycat recipe and we loved it, so we knew we had to try them. Verdict- definitely very good, but I have to be honest and say that I think I like my sister's recipe better (attached at the bottom)! Good thing, because then I can replicate it any time I want!
Build Your Own Burger- another basic, but I thought I would include this because it's so much better than a basic burger. If you visit the Taste Pilot's Grill in California Adventure, you can order a burger and put your own toppings on it- lettuce, tomato, roasted red peppers, onions, jalapenos, etc. If you go around the holidays, you can order their "merriest" burger, which includes swiss cheese, mushrooms, and caramelized onions. It's definitely worth trying if you want to shake things up a bit- or if you are a lover of mushrooms and caramelized onions like myself;).
Pacific Wharf Café- this is also in California Adventure, but I had to put it because if you love sourdough bread, this is the place to be. They sell sourdough bread in loaves by themselves, but you can also order meals - soup in sourdough bread bowls, breakfast sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, chicken salad croissants- it's a nice break from all the heavy greasy food that is available, and the bread is quite delicious!
Soup in Bread Bowls- this gets its own category because they're amazing. You can get them at the Pacific Wharf Café in California Adventure, or the Royal Veranda next to Pirates of the Caribbean in Disneyland. I have only ever tried the Clam Chowder, but they also have Broccoli n' Cheese or Gumbo, depending on where you go. The soup is thick and absolutely perfect- flavorful without being too salty (which I feel can be a hard balance to reach with soup!) It really is so good!
Rancho del Zocale- This is another nice break from the typical food, especially if you like Mexican. They have big burritos with a couple different sauce options, taco salads, etc. And it's quite good- but be careful if you don't like spicy, because this stuff certainly is:). You get a lot for your money too- a huge burrito with beans and rice on the side- my husband couldn't even finish his, and that's saying something;).
Dole Whip- this is food for thought if nothing else. I will be completely honest- I had heard a lot about these and how amazing they were- and while I thought it was pretty good, it's not to die for. But it is very interesting! It's a pineapple flavor, and it's like ice cream, but a slurpee at the same time. My husband I both agreed that it's definitely an interesting food experience, so worth trying at least once.
ESPN Zone- If visit Disneyland, you have to stop Downtown Disney because you can order anything of the menu at ESPN zone and it will be amazing. These Cheese Fries with bacon and mozzarella dipped in ranch should be enough to get you there; we could not stop eating them! I have been here a couple times, and have loved everything I have tried:).
What are some of your favorites when you're at Disneyland? Share in the comments below!
Disneyland Pretzels
My sister's copycat recipe for the cream-cheese filled pretzels- better than the park's!
Ingredients:
| 2 cups | hot water |
| 1 tablespoon | sugar |
| 1 envelope | active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp yeast) |
| 5 cups | all-purpose flour |
| 1 tablespoon | salt |
| non-stick cooking spray | |
| 2 tablespoons | baking soda |
| 1 | egg, beaten |
| Cream Cheese Filling | |
| 8 ounces | cream cheese, softened to room termperature |
| 1 cup | powdered sugar |
| 1 1/4 teaspoons | mexican vanilla extract (optional) |
| pinch | of salt (optional) |
Directions:
Topping Options: coarse Kosher salt, crushed graham cracker crumbs (if you do this, crush the grahams with butter so they don’t get too toasted in the oven) cinnamon-sugar (I would use brown sugar), vanilla icing and toasted almond slices. (I made a struesel with 2 Tbsp butter, 1?4 cup sugar, 1?2 cup flour, 2 tsp cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg. That was my favorite way)
Filling Options: Cream Cheese Filling (recipe below)
Dipping Options: mustard or cheese sauce
Place hot water and sugar in a small bowl. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Mix in the yeast and let sit 5 minutes. Combine the salt and flour in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the yeast liquid. Mix on low for 30 seconds with an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Continue to beat on medium speed until sides pull away from the bowl. If dough is still sticky, add more flour (1 tablespoon at a time).
Transfer to a floured surface and knead until smooth. Place into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put it in a warm area and let rise until doubled. (ends up being about an hour, maybe a little longer) Punch dough down and divide into 16 even pieces. Roll one piece of dough at a time into 18-inch strips. (If you wish to make cream cheese-filled pretzels, stop here and follow the instructions below before proceeding.) Twist into a pretzel shape.
Fill a large pot with 2-inches of water. Stir in baking soda and heat on medium-high. Place pretzels into water and poach 1 minute. (Just so you know, the point of this step is so that the pretzel will be chewy). Remove from water and place onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush pretzels with beaten egg and sprinkle on toppings. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven. Serve hot with mustard or cheese dip. Enjoy!
Filling Directions:
Mix with electric mixer until creamy. Spoon filling into a gallon-size freezer bag and snip off the corner to make an icing bag. To fill pretzels, follow dough directions above until you have an 18-inch strip of dough. Now roll the strip flat with a rolling pin until it is 1-inch wide. Squeeze a thin strip of icing down the center of the dough strip. Now fold the ends over each other to seal in icing. Twist into pretzel shapes. Continue with the poaching step as shown above in the directions.
Camille Hoffmann
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
Email the author! camille@dvo.com
