Hoop-Dee-Doo Cornbread - Disney Recipes at Home!

Hoop-Dee-Doo Cornbread

Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, Fort Wilderness Resort

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On my recent trip to the Hoop-Dee-Doo-Musical Revue, Tabby was given the recipe to make the famous Hoop-Dee-Doo Cornbread at home.  This cornbread may not bring all of the knee-slappin', hootin' and hollerin' hootenanny fun to your home, but it will definitely get you a good start!  At the very least, it's extremely tasty with some butter alongside any homestyle food you might want to have for dinner!

Yield:

About 8-10 servings

Ingredients

1. 3/4 cup cornmeal
2. 1 1/4 cup sugar
3. 1 tablespoon baking powder
4. 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
5. 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
6. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
7. 1 cup whole milk
8. 2 eggs
9. Non-stick cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Combine dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients.

4. Blend wet ingredients together.

5.  Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

6. Mix until combined to a batter.

6. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick baking spray. (You'll note that I used a loaf pan rather than a 9x13.  This caused a bit of batter overflow, but still worked fairly well - I recommend using the 9x13, however).

7.  Spread cornbread batter evenly across the pan. (If you decide to use a loaf pan, as I did, be sure to give yourself about 1/2-3/4 inch between the top of your batter and the lip of the pan, or else your cornbread will begin to take on a life of its own and overflow.)

8.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

9. Allow to cool slightly.

10. Turn cornbread out from pan.

8. Spread with your favorite butter (or other topping, or just by itself!)

9.  Enjoy!

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German Soft Pretzels - Disney Recipes at Home!

German Soft Pretzels

Germany Pavilion, Epcot

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Oktoberfest is upon us, and with it, cravings for delicious German food!  Of course, there are many different items available to snack on at the German Pavilion in Epcot, whether you venture into the all-you-care-to-enjoy experience that is the Biergarten, or if you just hit one of the shops outside and grab yourself a beer and pretzel.

Speaking of pretzels, I find the Germany Pavilion soft pretzels to be the absolute best in the park.  That's right, something that trumps a similar item that is Mickey shaped (I know, it sounds crazy, but it's true).  So, with my love for these pretzels, I knew I just had to get the recipe to try to make them at home.  On a side note, if you happen to like mustard sauce, I made this non-Disney mustard sauce from Alton Brown to compliment my pretzels!

I have seen other allegedly Disney pretzel recipes, and, in fact, followed one that didn't have the baking soda boiling step.  This step is essential to making the pretzels have the proper consistency and color.  If you skip the boil, your pretzels will come out tasting fine, but looking like this:

Grab a beer, make some pretzels, and turn up that polka music!  Prost!

Yield:

About 10 pretzels

Ingredients

1. 1 package active dry yeast
2. 1 1/2 cups warm water
3. 1 teaspoon sugar
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 4 cups all purpose flour
6. 2 eggs
7. 2 tablespoons water
8. Coarse salt
9. 2/3 cup baking soda
10. 10 cups water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place yeast in bowl with warm water. Stir until yeast dissolves.

3. Stir in salt, sugar, and two cups of flour.

4. Beat mixture until smooth.

This can be done with hands, but it is much easier with a blender.

5. Stir in remaining flour until mixture has a dough-like consistency.

6. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.

7. Knead dough until elastic (this should take around 5 minutes)

8. Cut dough into 3 ounce pieces.

9. Roll each piece into a ball.

10. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

11. Roll dough out into thin ropes about 20 inches long.

12. Turn rope so it makes a U shape.

13. Place one end of the rope just to the side of the center, pressing firmly.

14. Repeat with the other side, pressing firmly on all intersecting points.

15. Let pretzel proof on a baking sheet until doubled in thickness.

16. Bring baking soda and 10 cups of water to a boil.

17. Place pretzels, one at a time, into boiling water for about 30 seconds, removing with a flat slotted spatula or slotted spoon.

18. Place pretzels on a cookie sheet.

19. Whisk eggs with 2 tablespoons water.

20. Brush egg wash over pretzels once they have proofed.

21. Sprinkle with coarse salt to desired amount.

22. Place baking sheet in oven and back for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

23. Spread with or dip in mustard (or any sauce you happen to like on your pretzels).

24. Enjoy!

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Biergarten Kartoffelkloesse (German Potato Dumplings) - Disney Recipes at Home!

Kartoffelkloesse (German Potato Dumplings)

Biergarten Restaurant, Germany Pavilion, Epcot

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The Biergarten Restaurant at Epcot gives one the traditional German Biergarten experience - long, communal tables where you sit and make friends with strangers, giant mugs of wonderful German beer, and unlimited quantities of German specialties.

One such specialty, though you may have overlooked them, is the Kartoffelkloesse, or German potato dumplings.  These little dough balls are easy to overlook as you make your way around the buffet table, as they don't look like much, but if you pick them up and add some gravy or sauce, as I did using this non-Disney Jagerschnitzel recipe, they add a whole new dimension to your Oktoberfest (or any other time of year) dinner!

Yield:

5-6 servings

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 pounds potatoes
2. 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3. 1 egg
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
5. 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6. 1 tablespoon butter
7. 1/4 cup white bread crumbs

Directions

1. Peel potatoes, and slice into 1-1.5 inch chunks.

2. Boil potatoes in water until tender.

3. Cover potatoes and chill for four to six hours.

4. Remove potatoes from refrigerator. 

5. Mash potatoes thoroughly.

6. Add other ingredients.

7. Mix together thoroughly, until the consistency of thick paste.

8. Roll into roughly golf ball sized balls.

9. Drop dumplings into simmering salted water.

10. Cook for about 15 minutes (dumplings will start floating after cooking for a while).

11. Remove from water with slotted spoon.

12. Let drain for 10-15 minutes.

13. Serve with gravy, sour cream, or some other sauce.

14. Enjoy!

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Biergarten Nudel Gratin - Disney Recipes at Home!

Nudel Gratin

Biergarten, Germany Pavilion, Epcot

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Sometimes, I think, German food gets an unfair reputation for being mostly sausages and pretzels, and little else.  Anyone who thinks this has clearly not visited the Biergarten Restaurant at the Germany Pavilion in Epcot.  The variety of items at the buffet there is enough to change your mind about German cuisine, and the friendly service and fun polka band will make you forget your worries for the rest of the day.

One of the items you'll find at Biergarten is nudel gratin - basically, baked macaroni and cheese.  It's certainly not reinventing the wheel, but it's definitely one of my favorite mac and cheese recipes - a little less creamy than most recipes, and with a nice sharp zip to it.  Read on to have a dish for your own polka party at home!

Yield:

8 servings

Ingredients

1. 2 cups heavy cream
2. 2 eggs
3. 1/4 teaspoon salt
4. Ground white pepper (to taste)
5. Pinch of nutmeg
6. 4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
7. 4 ounces shredded white cheddar cheese
8. 1 pound cooked elbow macaroni

Directions

1. Prepare macaroni to al dente, according to instructions on package.

2. Grease 16 in. x 9 in. baking dish, preheat oven to 375F

3. Grate cheese.

4. Combine cream, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl, whisking to combine. 

5. Toss cheeses together in a small bowl.  Set aside 1 cup of cheese.

6. Stir the rest of the cheese into the cream mixture.

7. Combine cooked macaroni with cream mixture, stirring to coat thoroughly.

8. Pour macaroni into baking dish.

9. Cover dish with foil and put in oven for 30 minutes.

10. Remove foil.

11. Sprinkle reserved cheese over the top of the macaroni.

12. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.

13. If you want to brown the top (as I did), put under broiler for a few additional minutes.

14. Let rest for 10-15 minutes.

15. Enjoy!

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