INTRODUCTION Delicious Disney Desserts EAT DESSERT FIRST. I’m not sure that’s really about dessert; maybe it’s more about doing the things you love first or doing things out of order, like my preference for heading to the Canada pavilion instead of the fan-recommended Mexico pavilion at EPCOT to start my stroll around World Showcase. Whatever the reason, we say eat dessert first, especially on vacation.
I’ve swooned over hundreds of Disney desserts. But my sweetest memory is the crisp, chewy oatmeal cookie from the kitchen of Master Pastry Chef Erich Herbitschek at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa that I first tasted way back in 1995 when he joined the culinary team at The Grand. Chef Erich turned out legendary wedding cakes and the most gorgeous sweets, but it was his humble oatmeal cookie with molasses and a splash of rum that I dreamed about and for which I begged the recipe. (You can find it these days on page 163 of
The Official Disney Parks Cookbook: 101 Magical Recipes from the Delicious Disney Vault.) Chef Erich is long retired, but that recipe is one I still make for school bake sales, or potlucks, or just to stash at home for a snack with a glass of ice-cold milk.
Speaking of fond flashbacks, we collected a hundred and one sweet things from the Disneyland Resort; the Walt Disney World Resort; Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa; and the Disney Cruise Line ships—and put them all in this book. We go back decades to share the flaky Stilton Cheesecake from Victoria & Alberts, the rich Piña Colada Bread Pudding from a Disney Cruise Line ship, and one of my longtime favorites from the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, the Peanut Butter–White Chocolate Mousse (from The Chew). And we’ve got new favorites, like the unusually delicious vegan Plant-Based Lavender Donut from the California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and the sweet, tart Lemon Tea Cake from Disney’s one hundredth anniversary celebration.
Every recipe is tested in a home kitchen. We test each recipe up to three times, and if they just aren’t working in our kitchen, we toss them out, even though they might work perfectly in a professional Disney kitchen. Some of these recipes use fun shortcuts, like store-bought cake mix or cookie dough. Some take a lot of patience, and as baking is a science, measurements are more important than when you’re making a savory dish. We recommend reading a recipe before beginning, and lining up your ingredients just to make it easier. Take your time and have fun re-creating a Disney memory.
Then gather your family or friends around the kitchen table for a delicious meal, and end on a high note with one of the desserts from this book. Or make these sweets an anytime treat!
CHAPTER ONE Cookies & Bars THE AROMA OF THESE freshly baked cookies will take your mind on a journey to happy times at the Disney parks and resorts. Bite into a Meyer Lemon Macaron to be transported back to memories of a Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival paying tribute to the citrus groves of the Golden State. Or savor every bite of an Italian classic with a twist from Trattoria al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn & Villas.
MEYER LEMON MACARONS WITH BLUEBERRY PRESERVES &HOMEMADE BUTTERCREAMFROM THE DISNEYLAND RESORT
• DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL, SEASONALLY
• FESTIVAL DEBUT: 2017
• LEMON GROVE/CITRUS GROVE FESTIVAL MARKETPLACE
A favorite from the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, this lemony macaron has a surprise in the middle—blueberry preserves. Delicious with a late-harvest Riesling. THIS RECIPE MAKES ABOUT 24 MACARONS.
Ingredients: FRENCH MACARON SHELLS • 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1⅓ cups sugar, divided
• 1¼ cups powdered sugar
• 1¼ cups almond flour
• Zest of 4 large Meyer lemons, divided
• 12 drops yellow food coloring, plus more if desired
• Favorite blueberry preserves (for assembly)
MEYER LEMON PURÉE • 2 Meyer lemons
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ cup water
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
HOMEMADE BUTTERCREAM • 1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons water
• 3 large pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature
• 1½ cups plus 3 tablespoons
• unsalted butter, cubed
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
MEYER LEMON PURÉE–MARSHMALLOW FILLING • ½ cup Homemade
• Buttercream
• Zest of ¼ Meyer lemon
• 2½ tablespoons Meyer Lemon Purée
• ½ cup favorite marshmallow creme
Steps: FOR FRENCH MACARON SHELLS 1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Place two large baking sheets in oven during preheat. Place silicone mats on top of two additional large baking sheets and set aside.
2. Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in mixing bowl of standing mixer. Using wire whisk attachment, whip on medium speed until foaming, about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add ⅔ cup sugar and whip on medium speed until thick. Then add another ⅓ cup sugar and mix until soft peaks form.
4. Add remaining ⅓ cup sugar, mix, then whip until very stiff peaks form. Scrape down bowl and whisk. Replace whisk with paddle attachment.
5. In a separate bowl, combine powdered sugar and almond flour, sifting 3 times. Mixture should be very fine.
6. Add a third of the flour mixture to egg whites, mixing until just combined. Repeat twice, mixing after every addition. Batter should be stiff but not overmixed.
7. Mix in half of lemon zest and food coloring to batter; add more food coloring, if desired, as color fades during baking.
8. Fit plastic piping bag with small round tip. Fill bag with macaron batter. Pipe macarons onto reserved baking sheets/silicone mats, keeping size uniform at about 1½ inches in diameter per cookie. (A printable piping template is available online and may be helpful for consistent sizing. Just remember to remove template before baking.) Leave space between macarons as batter may spread slightly. Using balance of Meyer lemon zest, quickly sprinkle small amount of zest onto half of piped shells. These will be the macaron tops.
9. Let macarons stand for about 30 minutes to develop film before baking. Then remove baking sheets from oven and carefully transfer one silicone mat with cookies onto each sheet. Bake, one sheet at a time, for about 15 minutes. Macarons are done when they release from mat.
10. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Set aside.
FOR MEYER LEMON PURÉE 1. Peel skin off Meyer lemons with vegetable peeler, scraping away any white pith from the peels with paring knife. Then juice lemons and strain. Set juice aside.
2. Place Meyer lemon peels, honey, and water in saucepot. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer until peels are tender, about 30 minutes, adding more water if needed.
3. Transfer mixture to blender. Add reserved lemon juice and salt, and purée until smooth. Set aside.
FOR HOMEMADE BUTTERCREAM 1. Add sugar and water to large pot over low to medium heat, stirring gently. Be careful not to get sugar on sides of pot so that sugar crystals do not form during cooking.
2. When sugar mixture reaches about 120°F and while it continues to heat, add egg whites to bowl of standing mixer with wire whisk attachment. Whisk until egg whites are firm.
3. Once sugar mixture has reached 240°F (make sure sugar is completely dissolved), remove from heat and let sit for about 1 minute. Turn mixer to low speed and slowly pour hot sugar mixture into bowl containing egg whites, keeping stream toward outer edge of bowl and away from whisk to avoid creating chunks.
4. After all sugar has been added to mixer, turn to high speed and mix for 15 to 20 minutes or until bowl is cool to touch. Mix will have shiny appearance.
5. While mixer is running, remove cubed butter from refrigerator, allowing it to warm up a bit. Once mixing bowl is cool to touch, slow mixer down to medium speed and add softened butter in batches.
6. Whip until buttercream is smooth and stiff, then stir in vanilla extract. Remove from mixing bowl and place into another container, or, if moving directly to the Meyer Lemon Purée–Marshmallow Filling steps, then leave buttercream in mixing bowl, remove whisk attachment from the mixer, and replace with a paddle attachment before proceeding.
MEYER LEMON PURÉE–MARSHMALLOW FILLING 1. Add Homemade Buttercream to mixing bowl of standing mixer with paddle attachment. Soften with mixer until smooth.
2. Add lemon zest to Meyer Lemon Purée. Slowly add purée-zest mixture to buttercream in mixing bowl, and then gently fold in marshmallow creme.
TO ASSEMBLE & SERVE 1. Place cooled French Macaron Shells on parchment paper, matching up in pairs—one lemon-zested top alongside each bottom half.
2. Fit plastic piping bag with small round piping tip and fill bag with Meyer Lemon Purée–Marshmallow Filling.
3. Pipe filling in ring along the edge of each bottom French Macaron Shell, leaving spot in middle for the blueberry preserves.
4. With small spoon, fill center of each macaron bottom with blueberry preserves. Then gently pat macaron top onto bottom.
SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES WITH SNICKERS® BAR PIECESFROM THE WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT
• EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE HOLIDAYS, SEASONALLY
• FESTIVAL DEBUT: 2023
• YUKON HOLIDAY KITCHEN
The cinnamon-sugar cookie known as a snickerdoodle has been around in some form or fashion since the late 1800s. This version from the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays adds a little Disney magic with a topping made from SNICKERS® bars. (Note if you’re working in a warm or humid environment, place the candy bars in a refrigerator before chopping to keep the chocolate from melting.) THE RECIPE MAKES 24 COOKIES.
Ingredients: • 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shortening
• 1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups roughly chopped SNICKERS® bar pieces
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
Steps: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Then sift flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Cream shortening and 1½ cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add reserved flour mixture, one cup at a time, scraping bowl as needed.
3. Beat on medium speed until just combined. Then roll dough into 24 balls using a 1½-inch cookie scoop and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl, and set aside. Place chopped SNICKERS® bar pieces in a medium bowl, and set aside in a cool area.
5. Remove 12 of the chilled dough balls from refrigerator, roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mix, and place on prepared baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Carefully remove from oven and sprinkle 1 tablespoon chopped SNICKERS® bars on top of each cookie.
6. Return cookies to oven and bake for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, until edges begin to brown. Cool on pan for 2 minutes before moving to wire racks, and then drizzle with desired amount of melted dark chocolate. When ready, repeat with remaining 12 chilled dough balls.
(SNICKERS® Bar is a registered trademark and © 2025 Mars, Incorporated and its Affiliates. All Rights Reserved.)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Please remember that the Disney parks are constantly changing and growing, and the printed recipes you hold in your hands are our best effort at accuracy at the time of printing. If given an opportunity to update this book at a future date, we will refine and expand our materials to even better enhance your experience. These recipes have been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurants’ kitchens. The flavor profiles may vary from the restaurants’ versions. Always use caution when handling sharp objects and hot contents, and please supervise children who are helping or are nearby. All recipes are the property of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., and may not be reproduced without express permission. Thank you, and enjoy!
Copyright © 2025 by Disney. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
