Magic Carpet Poptarts Recipe

Disney Movie Nights are a family tradition in our home.

Typically, we pick the movie at the beginning of the week and brainstorm the menu as a family. We think of foods mentioned or shown in the movie, discuss if the movie has cultural influences that could also be used to influence our menu and also talk about natural tie-ins (like a monkeybread for Abu the monkey, etc).

I’ve always used these movie nights as a way to introduce new foods and flavors, but I tend to stick to one “new” recipe and round out the rest of the menu with fun twists on foods that I already know my family is going to love. It helps make the new food a little less intimidating and also makes it a little less daunting for me in the kitchen than if I was to risk preparing a full menu that the whole family might snub.

For our family’s Aladdin movie night, we decided to make:

• a Watermelon Salad with apples, pistachios and feta – watermelon, pistachios and apples are all mentioned in the movie so we created an Aladdin-themed twist on a watermelon-feta salad with a honey-based dressing
• Chicken Shawarma Bowls – I’ve made chicken shawarma a few times, but always without the traditional “accompaniments” like pickles, picked turnips, tomatoes, etc. My daughter in particular is very picky when it comes to pickled vegetables so this was a fun way to present them in a low-stress atmosphere. She could try them, or not (for REALLY picky eaters, you can use a segmented plate)
• a duo of Aladdin-themed drinks: Genie’s cotton candy punch and Jafar’s pomegranate ginger ale
• and finally, two desserts: homemade Baklava and Magic Carpet Poptarts

Usually, we have a craft or fun activity for our movie nights (since the movie only takes up about an hour and a half of the night) but instead of a craft, I thought it would be fun to let the kids make their own Magic Carpets Poptarts!

We made a very simple two-ingredient homemade poptart together and after they were cooled down, we made frosting and pulled out the sprinkles and the kids decorated their own individual tarts to look like Magic Carpets!

Ella decided to pull up a Google image of the magic carpet to ensure her tart was decorated “properly” – but everyone had fun and I think they all turned out pretty cute!

How to Make Magic Carpet Poptarts

1. Make your poptarts using pre-made pie crust dough and a favorite jam
2. Crimp the edges of the tarts using a fork – this prevents the jam from leaking out and also gives it the impression of a carpet “fringe”
3. Bake the poptarts as you prepare purple and blue icing with powdered sugar, cream and vanilla extract to decorate your poptarts
4. Allow the poptarts to cool before decorating
5. Decorate the poptarts with the prepared frosting, using toothpicks for the intricate details
6. Add gold sprinkle embellishments, as desired

Pin this Easy Aladdin Dessert Recipe for Your Next Family Movie Night:

Grab your free printable recipe card to make our Magic Carpet Poptarts at home with your family:

Yield: 6-7 Servings

Magic Carpet Poptarts

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A fun Disney-inspired dessert perfect for an Aladdin Movie Night, these Magic Carpet Poptarts are a cute dessert for kids to make and decorate.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• Prepared Pie Dough
• 1/3 cup Strawberry Jam
• Powdered Icing Sugar
• 3-5 Tablespoons Table Cream, as needed
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Purple and Blue Food Dye, as desired
• Gold Sprinkles, as desired

Instructions

1. On a clean cutting board or floured surface, roll out the pie crust doughs.

1. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into approximately 2.5" by 4" rectangles.
2. Try to match up approximate pairs of the cut-up pie dough rectangles.
3. Place one of each of the pairs' rectangles on a greased cookie sheet. These are the "bottoms" of the poptarts.
4. Spread 1 Tablespoon of jam down the middle of each of the poptart bottoms, avoiding about 1/2" around the edges.
5. Place the matching/top poptart squares over the bottom poptart squares and gently create a seal around the jam filling by pressing the pie dough together.
6. Use a fork to crimp the edges of the poptarts, which also creates a "fringe" for the magic carpets.
7. Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes.

To Decorate the Poptarts

1. Allow the poptarts to cool completely before frosting.
2. For the frosting, whisk together the powdered/confectioner's sugar, cream and vanilla extract.
3. Scoop 1/3 of the frosting into a separate bowl.
4. Dye the main bowl of frosting purple and dye the smaller bowl of frosting blue.
5. Spread the purple frosting onto the cooled poptarts using an off set spatula or butter knife.
6. Use a toothpick to add details with the blue frosting.
7. Garnish with gold sprinkles, as desired.
8. Allow frosting to set/dry completely for 10 minutes before storing or serving.

This is a great dessert to make with the kids – whether you’re making it as part of a Disney movie night or as a fun Aladdin party activity. And I don’t think any kid would object to one of these cute tarts making their way into their lunchboxes!

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. While we love this cold treat, I want to share with you a new twist on this oh so famous dessert. Dole Whip Cupcakes! Yes, I said cupcakes.

Dole Whip Cupcakes

While searching the internet looking for a fun Disney inspired treat to make for my parents 45th wedding anniversary, I came across (in my opinion) THE best cupcake recipe ever! So, how do you make these yummy Dole Whip Cupcakes? First, gather your ingredients. Of course, I made ours gluten free but you can make these using a regular cake mix as well.

Cupcakes

• 1 box yellow cake mix (I substituted with a gluten free mix)
• 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
• 3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325°. Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners. This recipe will make approximately 24 cupcakes. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, mix cake mix with crushed pineapple, oil, and eggs. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared cupcake pans and bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean.

While the cupcakes are cooking and cooling, it is time to make the frosting. It is best to go ahead and lay the two sticks of butter out to let them soften while you prepare the cupcake batter.

Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• Small pineapple wedges, for garnish. I just used canned pineapple tidbits that I had on hand already

In a large bowl, combine butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, pineapple juice, and vanilla. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth. Add remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

You can then transfer frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Let the cupcakes cool before frosting. Swirl the frosting on using the pastry bag or you can just frost them with a spoon like I did and garnish each cupcake with a pineapple wedge or tidbit.

Make them as decorative as you would like. But if you are like me, it is all about how they taste more then how they are presented especially if you are just baking them to eat at home. We just frosted, added a pineapple tidbit and enjoyed.

My family loved these! They are so good and are very addictive. You will not be able to eat just one. I cannot wait to make them again soon. Do you have a favorite Disney inspired recipe? Come share it with us over on Facebook at Disney Express Lane.

Are you looking to make a trip to the magic soon? Let one of our friends over at Walt Express Travel help you!

The post Whip Up Some Disney Inspired Dole Whip Cupcakes At Home appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Disney Inspired No Bake Christmas Cookies

We Cheated (a little)

We have totally stolen this blog and are using it here! Just kidding, well sort of. What can we say? We are tired and pooped this holiday season, but wanted to bring our Disney fans a little something extra!! As most of you know, our sister site is amandamiddleton.me. We totally have permission to “borrow” her cookie blog! This is a great AND easy way to bring the family together for some holiday baking, that involves our favorite MOUSE and it IS pretty easy!

Allergy Friendly Disney Inspired No Bake Christmas Cookies

Without further ado, here’s Mandi!

I really did not expect for these to be so much fun, but being the Disney fanatics we are they were SO much fun and tasty too! It also helped that they were super easy and no baking was involved. I found this amazing recipe on Pinterest and now it has a special home on my Christmas Board. These cookies were so much fun to make and I even adapted them, so they are allergy friendly for my family.

We travel to Disney World quite often and I am always inspired by the beautiful cookies and cupcakes that they have to offer. But, we are not always able to eat them due to our food allergies. Disney World has a few options for Gluten-Free and Nut-Free Treats, but they are few and far between! So I was determined to make these tasty treats with allergy-friendly ingredients of course. They were too cute to pass up!

Although ours did not turn out as beautifully as a pastry chefs’, I think they turned out spectacular with some added character.

(Side Note: We are a gluten and nut-free family. These cookies are adapted to our liking. You may need to adapt for your family’s allergies.)

Ingredients for Gluten and Nut Free Cookies

• larger (Oreo) cookies
• smaller cookies
• Red Candy Melts
• Bow Decorations 
• decorating icing 
• Allergy Friendly Christmas Sprinkles
• Buttons for Mickey
• Christmas Sprinkles

Directions (I promise, this is so easy)!

1. Get all of your ingredients together
2. Grab the kids
3. Place the smaller cookie slightly inside of larger cookies for Mickey and Minnie’s ears. Be careful not to break the cookies
4. Dip the bottom half of the cookie into the red candy melts
5. Place the coated cookie on wax paper
6. Decorate while drying
7. Wait to dry to add embellishments such as lines or bows
8. Have fun
9. Enjoy

This project is great for kids of all ages with parental supervision. Kids over the age of six may not need to be supervised as much.

Happy Decorating and Merry Christmas!
Until next time….

~xoxo

Mandi

We hope you have enjoyed this fun little recipe. We would love to see your pictures if you try it! Head over to our Facebook group and post them there: DISNEY EXPRESS LANE. For more Disney inspired recipes, check out: THE GREY STUFF or MICKEY’S SANTA HATS!

The post Allergy Friendly Disney Inspired No Bake Christmas Cookies appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Copycat Recipes: Mickey Waffles

Seriously, I don’t know a single person who has tried Mickey Waffles and not loved them! While we try to enjoy as many new Disney snacks and meals as possible whenever we visit, we always make a point to have at least one classic DisneyWorld breakfast complete with those light, crunchy and not-too-sweet Mickey Waffles.

For those who haven’t been lucky enough to try them at the parks, they have the texture of a Belgian waffle – crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside – however, they aren’t sweet like Belgian waffles so you can add all of your favorite indulgent toppings without it being too sweet.

Because as far as I’m concerned, you can never have too much of a good thing – I’ve bought an amazing waffle maker and learned how to make Mickey waffles at home… and we make them quite a bit!

While we’ve perfected a from-scratch recipe… I have a secret to tell you.

Those Disney waffles? The ones everyone says taste worlds better than any waffles they’ve ever had before? They are made with a mix. And it’s the same mix that many of us have used at continental breakfasts across the US – Golden Malted Waffle Mix.

They come in both the standard and a gluten-free mix, so even gluten-free families can enjoy these waffles at home. I’ll still share the from-scratch recipe below… but I’ll tell you, the Golden Malted mix is just as good – and a heck of a lot less work!

Regardless if you make them from a mix or from-scratch, you will want to invest in a good-quality Mickey Waffle maker. I tried a cheap $30 model and even with the same recipe, it yielded soft waffles that were more like pancakes. You need a waffle iron that gets to and holds the right temperature – about 350F – which the cheaper models simply don’t do.

Quick Tip: Make more than you need! I always make a few extra, wrap and then freeze in ziptop bags. Then, we’re all set for a lazy morning complete with Mickey Waffles the next time we get a craving – just pop them in the toaster and enjoy!

Copycat Mickey Waffles Ingredients

• 2 cups flour (can use all-purpose or gluten-free)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted and cooled)
• 1 cup whole milk yogurt
• 6 fluid ounces of milk (room temperature)

How to Make Mickey Waffles:

1. Preheat and prepare your Mickey Waffle Iron.
2. Prepare the waffle batter.
3. Pour or scoop about 1/3 cup of the waffle batter into each Mickey Waffle shape on the iron.
4. Follow the waffle maker’s instructions to fully cook the waffles.
5. Remove waffle from waffle iron with a pair of tongs.
6. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Yield: 8-10 waffles

Copycat Disney Mickey Mouse Waffles

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A foolproof recipe for the perfect Mickey Waffles - the perfect Copycat Mickey Waffles with crispy edges and a soft, fluffy inside. Can be made gluten-free!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Total Time 16 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour (can use all-purpose or gluten-free)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted and cooled)
• 1 cup whole milk yogurt
• 6 fluid ounces of milk (room temperature)

Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare your Mickey Waffle Iron according to the directions.
2. In a large bowl, place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk together.
3. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with a hand mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment) until stiff (but not dry) peaks form.
4. 
5. Place the egg yolks and oil in a separate large bowl and blend with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) until creamy.
6. Add the yogurt and milk, and blend until well combined.
7. Add the dry ingredients, and blend again. The mixture will be smooth and thickly pour-able.
8. Fold the beaten egg whites gently into the large bowl of batter until only a few white streaks remain.
9. 
10. Pour or scoop about 1/3 cup of batter into each indentation of the prepared Mickey waffle iron.
11. Spread into an even layer.
12. Close lid and follow waffle maker's directions for cooking; or let cook for about 3 minutes or until steam stops escaping from waffle iron.
13. 
14. Remove waffle from waffle iron with a pair of tongs.
15. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Looking for more delicious copycat recipes? Try the Grey Stuff!

What are your favorite Disney recipes? Do you have an amazing copycat recipe to share? Join the Disney Express Lane Facebook Group to discuss this and many other Disney related topics.

The post Disney World Copycat Recipes: Mickey Waffles appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Mickey Breakfast Pizza Recipe

I don’t always cook breakfast, but when I do, it’s usually Disney inspired! HA! I am ALWAYS looking to add more “magic” to the table and thanks to Disney Family Recipes, it happens! Disney Family Recipes posted this great “how to” recipe! You all know me, anything with food and Disney is usually AMAZING, so I tried it. I made a few minor adjustments and VOILA! Mickey Mouse Breakfast Pizza. I will warn you: IT GOES FAST! Stash your slice away and enjoy later.

SO Many Options

There are so many ways to adjust and make this your own, or you can follow the directions down to the “letter M” (M of course stands for Mickey). Your kids will love experimenting and doing it their way. Eggs, bacon, sausage, Canadian bacon…SO MANY OPTIONS! We also use this same base for dinner pizzas, just changing the toppings. Of course, cheese is a BIG component. We like to incorporate some adventurous options such as ham and pineapple or spinach with Alfredo sauce. Whatever your taste, you can’t go wrong with this one!

Original Recipe

You can find the original recipe right here: Mickey Mouse Breakfast Pizza. Disney Family used a Mickey shaped cookie cutter, but you can achieve the same goal just by “shaping” the dough with a knife.

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Mickey Pizza Party

Host a Mickey themed pizza party using this recipe. If doing an in person party, set up cute little dishes with all the toppings so everyone can create their own. While we are practicing SOCIAL DISTANCING, set up a zoom call and cook together. This would be a great to get the kids together with friends, grandparents or other family members. A total WIN-WIN for everyone.

TIPS:

• Always preheat your oven before baking any type of pastry crust or dough.
• If you want a Mickey breakfast pizza, grab yours FIRST! There won’t be any left!!
• Make these personalized to each family member. Add their favorite toppings before you bake.
• Even better, get the kids in on the action. Allow each child to create their own Mickey Masterpiece.
• We accidentally used refrigerated Pie Crust instead of Pizza Dough the first time and now we cannot live without it! Best mistake ever! It was delish!
• We used Colby and sharp cheddar cheese, but you can use any type that you fancy!

We have some pretty awesome DIY recipes and projects that we think you will just love. Take a peek at this DIY MICKEY MOUSE WREATH!

Be sure to check out our Facebook group for more recipes and Disney Parks tips at DISNEY EXPRESS LANE. Hope to see you there! Make sure you introduce yourself!

More Disney Recipes Your Family Will Love

Disney World Copycat Recipes: The GREY STUFF!

Disney World Copycat Recipes: Mickey Waffles

The post Dishes By Disney: Mickey Mouse Breakfast Pizza Recipe appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Drinking With A Disney Flare

Although we would rather be drinking around the World Showcase, that is just not possible at the moment. So we thought we’d share some of our favorites with you to try at home. We enlisted some help from some of our very special Disney friends for this one. We asked them to share their favorite Disney copycat drink recipes or their favorite drink recipe to which they added a Disney flare. And, BOY, did they deliver!

These are all fairly easy to make and MOST can be done WITH or WITHOUT alcohol. Which alcohol to use? Rum is a personal favorite and goes with all fruity drinks. That is just the pirate in me talking. ARRRRHHHH me maties!

Peter Pan Punch

This one is my personal favorite and is SO easy! I will tell you that you may want to double or triple this recipe. It “flies” just like Peter Pan. Let the sherbet sit out a bit to thaw, place in your favorite punch bowl and add the ginger ale! Voila!

• One container of lime sherbet
• One-two liter bottle of ginger ale
• lime wedges to garnish

Copycat POG Juice

This delicious copycat recipe came from Carrie M. We are so happy she shared her POG recipe with us. This one is also known as “Jungle Juice” at Animal Kingdom’s Tusker House restaurant.

• Passion fruit juice-2 cups
• Orange juice-2 cups
• Guava juice (usually found in a can)-2 cups

Mix together and CHILL. Add a little champagne for a mimosa style beverage.

Copycat Le Cellier’s Ottawa Apple Cocktail

Paten and Hunter W. LOVE to sip on one of their favorite drinks from Canada. Paten says to dip the rim of the glass in sugar and garnish with a thin green apple slice for the full effect, of course. YUMMY!

• Maple Whiskey (sometimes they use honey whiskey if the maple whiskey is not available).
• Ocean Spray Cran-apple juice

Batuu’s Blue Milk

This is NOT the official copycat recipe. This is the way I make the BLUE MILK from Batuu-I was making this LONG before the “copycat recipe” came out! LOL! Stir the milk, sugar and vanilla together until the sugar is dissolved, then add the food coloring. Refrigerate until ready to use! Star Wars fans from WAY back know this recipe! Double or triple recipe for a larger crowd. This makes about one large glass of blue milk.

• 1-1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Blue food color

Copycat Celtic Twilight (Disney Cruise Line)

Thanks to Lakin B. for sharing her favorite Disney Cruise cocktail! A Celtic Twilight looks absolute delish! Build “over the rocks” and garnish with an orange slice.

• 1 1/2 ounces John Jameson Irish Whiskey
• 3/4 ounce Pernod Anise
• 1 ounce Noilly Prat Vermouth
• Dash of Angostura Bitters

The Classic Dole Whip

Don’t forget about Mandi’s classic Dole Whip. Click the link for an easy copycat recipe. Here is another recipe for a slightly different version of the famous “whip”. Place all the ingredients in the blender and blend away! Don’t forget to add, oh never mind, you don’t need to add anything to a DOLE WHIP! Just enjoy.

• 2 scoop of vanilla ice cream
• 8 ounces of pineapple juice
• 4 cups of frozen pineapple

You can half or double this recipe. If you double it, you better get a bigger blender. Also, if you prefer your Dole Whip not so whipped (more liquefied), use canned pineapple instead of frozen.

Again, where is the rum?

Have you tried any of these recipes? Or do you have a recipe you would like to share? If so, join our Facebook Group, DISNEY EXPRESS LANE! We would love to see!

The post Recipes For Drinking Around The House With A Disney Flare appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Disney Magic At Home

We know that everyone has been missing Disney while the parks have been closed, so we have compiled a list of ideas for you to be able to bring the magic to you. Our Disney Magic At Home list ranges from home movie nights to some Disney knick-knacks and much more. Keep reading to get some great ideas for you and your family.

Disney+

We love us some Disney+ at my house! You can watch all of your Disney favorites through this streaming service. Disney has all kinds of added shows on there as well, such as The Imagineering Story which takes you on a behind the scenes look with some Disney Imagineers. Of course it also has the classics, such as The Lion King and some of the newer movies like Frozen II. I’d be embarrassed for y’all to know just how many times we’ve watched Frozen II already LOL. During our movie time, we use our Disney Popcorn Buckets that we purchased while we were at the parks. I feel like this just adds a little extra magic to the experience. Honestly one of the best ways of Enjoying Disney Magic At Home!

Disney Coffee Mugs and Tumblers

Something that I use every single day is some kind of Disney Coffee Mug. I am a HUGE coffee lover, so I combine my two favorite things together.. Disney and Coffee! I typically end up purchasing a new coffee mug each trip, so I have plenty to choose from. I also use the refillable mugs that you get if you stay on property at a Disney resort. They have different prints on them according to what time of the year you’re there.

Another good option for some Disney Coffee is to order some coffee from Expedition Roasters. They incorporate Disney into the names of their coffee according to what the flavor is! This company has stolen my coffee loving heart! I also have a love for water! So I use my Disney Tumblers throughout the day to keep my water in it. The Disney Tervis Tumblers are the best!

Disney Knick-Knacks

Having little keepsakes from my Disney trips as little memory reminders is a huge thing for me. I use my Disney Knick Knacks all throughout the year, and I switch them out according to what season it is! I have way too many to talk about all of mine so I’m just going to give you a couple of examples of how I use some of mine. I LOVE the Disney Sippers that you can find at the parks and I use them in my house as decorations. I also have a small ceramic bowl that has little Mickey heads on it, and it sits on my nightstand and it holds my everyday jewelry. Having subtle touches of Disney in my house just makes me happy.

Disney Scentsy

My family loves some of the smells that are iconic to Disney, such as: the resorts, The Confectionery, some of the rides, and even some of the snacks. Disney and Scentsy have teamed up to recreate some of these smells and they are heavenly! Scentsy also has put a smell to some of the characters, and they have some wax-warmers that look like some of the characters and/or landmarks at Disney! If you didn’t know about this collaboration then you definitely need to look into this! I love when my house smells like some of my favorite Disney smells!

Disney Puzzles

Who doesn’t love puzzles!? Puzzles are a great way to keep yourself busy and include the family as well! And what better puzzle than a Disney puzzle! You can find them practically anywhere, and they have all kinds. Our newest one that we have is a Star Wars puzzle that we found at Walmart. My favorite ones are the Disney Thomas Kinkade prints!

Disney Plushies

Shop Disney is my favorite place to grab some of the cutest Disney Plushies. I love how they have specific ones for the upcoming holidays that you can order. I also find myself getting them while I’m at the parks too. They make great decorations and they are so easy to change them out in your house!

Disney Books

Another favorite thing to do is sit down with a good book and zone out! And I love when I can find a book that I love that’s about Disney or incorporates the author’s own spin on something Disney related. One of the series that I like to read is the Disney Villains by Serena Valentino. This series is the story through that particular Villain’s point of view. These books are so good. Another series that I just purchased is A Twisted Tale. This is a “What if..” book. What if Aladdin had never found the lamp, Sleeping Beauty had never woken up or the Sea Witch had never defeated the Little Mermaid? I can’t wait to read these!

Disney Recipes

Disney Food is a big thing at our house! I’m a huge foodie so when we find something we like to eat at Disney then sometimes we recreate the dish at home. The Mickey Waffle maker that we use for breakfast and brunch brings so much joy to us. Another Disney Dish that we like to make at home is Sanaa’s Butter Chicken. Check out my recipe by clicking that link. If you can’t have it at Disney right now then you might as well enjoy it at home.

Enjoying Disney Magic At Home

Even if you don’t live near Disney World there are some awesome ways that you can incorporate it into your everyday life. The ideas that I mentioned above are some easy ways to add some Disney touches to your home without it being too much! Let’s see yours! Head over to our Facebook Group, DISNEY EXPRESS LANE, and show us how you bring a little Disney Magic At Home.

The post A Guide To Enjoying Disney Magic While Staying At Home appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Mickey Butter Cake Bars

This recipe is a family favorite and they are super easy to make. You probably have all the ingredients right there in your pantry. Let’s get started.

1 teaspoon vanilla-I always add a little more vanilla

Grab the kids!

Bring the kids to the kitchen and let them help. YES, it’s that easy to make these Mickey Butter Cake Bars. A wise person once told me that a good parent will let the kids lick the beaters. An amazing parent will turn the beaters off first! HA!

• Mix the yellow cake mix, butter and eggs. This concoction will get a little hard to mix, it’s very thick. Once it’s mixed well, press into the pan.
• Next, mix up the cream cheese (I soften mine first in the microwave for a few seconds). Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla.
• Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the cake mixture and spread out.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the bars are a beautiful golden brown. The toothpick trick doesn’t work too well on this recipe, just because they are quite gooey.

Your kitchen will begin to smell buttery and vanilla-y (is that even a word?). I like to cook these just to make my kitchen smell like The Confectionery in the Magic Kingdom.

• Once the bars are done, let them cool completely. Grab your favorite cookie cutter and cut the bars. Of course, my favorite is the Mickey Mouse cutter!
• As soon as all of the bars are out of the pan and on your favorite serving platter, close your eyes and touch your nose and ALL dishes will magically be clean! OK, this part may or may not work, but the recipe will definitly bring some magic to your home.

Voila! Delicious Mickey Butter Cake Bars.

The post Ooey Gooey Mickey Butter Cake Bars Recipe With A Disney Spin appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Copycat Recipes: Butter Chicken

In one of my previous blogs I told you all about one of the restaurants at Disney World that I consider a Hidden Gem: Sanaa! In the blog I told you all about the ambiance, as well as the food. Sanaa is a table-service restaurant located at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in the Kidani Village. The cuisine there is an African/Indian inspired, and it is sooo tasty! I also talked about how this restaurant is sitting on the Sunset Savanna, so that you can enjoy the amazing views while you dine. One of the tips I shared was to consider a lunch or an earlier dinner reservation so that you’ll have enough light to be able to see some of the animals while you eat! Oh, and you’ll want to request a Savanna view when you check in. But enough about that. Here’s the real reason of this blog. I enjoyed my meal so much that I came home and found a recipe to recreate their famous Butter Chicken.

Butter Chicken from Animal Kingdom’s Sanaa

This Butter Chicken recipe has become one of my favorites to make at home! It’s very simple and easy to follow. I would say the most difficult aspect would be buying all of the ingredients, but once that’s done it’s a piece of cake! In my opinion, if you don’t have a lot of experience with African inspired food then this is a good recipe to start with. It’s a great introduction to the African/Indian spices. And like I mentioned earlier, it’s very simple to prepare and cook.

Ingredients

• Chicken (boneless cut into cubes) – 2 pounds

• Butter – 2 tbsp

• Medium sized onion – thinly sliced

• Fresh Breakfast Cream

• Boiling Water – 1 cup

• Chili – 2, split lengthwise

• Marinade Peppercorn – 1 tsp

• Black Cumin – 1 tsp

• Yogurt – 1/4 cup

• Chili Powder – 1 tsp

• Coriander Powder – 1 tsp

• Garam Masala – 1 tsp

• Clove – 3 whole

• Tomato Paste – 2 tbsp

• Salt – to taste

Instructions

1. Grind peppercorn and black cumin till powder.

2. Add remaining dry ingredients of the marinade, including cloves, and grind again.

3. In a bowl, add the yogurt,tomato paste and ground powders and mix well.

4. Add boneless chicken and salt, making sure the marinade coats the chicken completely. Keep in the refrigerator overnight.

5. An hour before making the curry base, take the bowl outside from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature.

6. Heat a saucepan and add butter when it is hot.

7. Once the butter melts completely, add the sliced onions.

8. Ensure the flame is not too high which would then burn the onions.

9. Fry the onions till they are reduced to a dark brown color.

10. Add the chicken and the remaining marination sauce.

11. Cook the chicken till the sauce reduces and the oil clears (5-10 minutes).

12. Add boiling water, stirring it well.

13. Cover the saucepan and allow the chicken to cook completely until it is tender (15-20 minutes).

14. When chicken is cooked through, stir in the fresh cream and stir gently till it dissolves.

15. Add slit chili or extra cream on top to garnish.

Once you complete these steps and finish your dish, you can serve it over basmati rice, and sometimes I serve it over white sticky rice. I also serve a small side salad with mine to incorporate some greens into the meal. If you’re not at Disney World enjoying one of your favorite meals, then do the next best thing and recreate the dish at home!

We would love to see your finished dish! Join our Facebook Group, DISNEY EXPRESS LANE, and let us know how it turned out!

The post Disney World Copycat Recipes: Butter Chicken From Sanaa appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Disney Dole Whip Recipe

It’s no secret that Disney’s Dole Whip is my all time favorite Disney snack. According to our readers, it’s A LOT of y’all’s favorite too! In fact, it was no surprise that it was number ONE on our list recently. Check it out, right here: 20 Snacks You Can’t Miss in Disney World.

For years, Disney fans like myself have tried to replicate the deliciousness that is Disney Dole Whip.

This sweet and tart, creamy pineapple ice cream is an essential snack on any Disney vacation – and it’s the first thing I start to crave after I haven’t been at the parks in a few months. It’s the perfect treat to cool down in the Florida heat… but who am I kidding? This Dole Whip tastes great at any time of year.

Disney finally shared the official recipe – so we’ve scraped our original attempt (which wasn’t quite perfect) and have now replaced it with this perfect copycat.

“Whip” up a batch of this delicious goodness and share with the family. Or, DON’T share! It’s totally up to you!

Disney World Dole Whips

Disney Dole Whips are less than $5 at the parks and are also available to purchase using a snack credit if you’re using the Disney Dining Plan.

There are several locations around Disney World to find a Dole Whip. One of our favorite spots is in the Magic Kingdom at Aloha Isle. Another favorite spot is at Disney’s Polynesian Resort at their very own Pineapple Lanai where you can also opt for the a pineapple-vanilla twist (my daughter’s favorite) or get a shot of rum added to your whip.

I also really love the Dole Whip Float, which is a Dole Whip added to a glass of pineapple juice. It sounds like a very basic addition but I LOVE this upgrade.

Disney Dole Whip Ingredients

• 2 cups Frozen Pineapple
• ½ cup Pineapple Juice
• Scoop Vanilla Ice Cream

How to Make Disney Dole Whips

1. Blend ingredients until pineapple chunks are completely broken down.
2. Scoop dole whip mixture into prepared piping bag.
3. Swirl the mixture into your serving cups.
4. Garnish and enjoy immediately.

Yield: 1 serving

Disney's Famous Dole Whip Recipe

Print

The perfect copycat recipe for Disney's Famous Dole Whip recipe - a sweet and tart pineapple soft serve that tastes like it came straight from Adventureland instead of your kitchen!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups Frozen Pineapple
• ½ cup Pineapple Juice
• Scoop Vanilla Ice Cream

Instructions

1. Optional: fit a piping bag with a large star tip. This will allow you to swirl the dole whip into your glasses for the perfect "soft serve" presentation, just like at the parks. However, this step is not essential and your dole whip will still taste great!
2. Prepare your serving glasses and have them ready as dole whips melt fast!
3. Measure out the ingredients into a smoothie-style blender.
4. Puree just until the pineapple chunks are broken down completely.
5. Scoop the mixture into the prepared piping bag, then swirl the dole whip into your serving glasses.
6. Garnish and enjoy immediately.

Be sure to keep watching Walt Express for MORE great Disney World copycat recipes! You can check out our Homemade Mickey Waffles here or our Gray Stuff recipe here.

If you have a favorite you would like to create at home, or have created at home let us know on the Disney Express Lane Facebook Group to discuss this and many other Disney related topics.

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The post Disney World Copycat Recipes: The Dole Whip appeared first on WaltExpress.com.