A fun collection of Disney Theme Park recipes perfect for your Thanksgiving holiday table!

Pumpkin Cake

From the kitchens of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel Oct. 2003

2/3 Cups Butter
1½ Cups Light Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Cup Canned Pumpkin
3 Cups All Purpose Flour
1½ Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
½ Tsp. Salt
1½ Tsp. Cinnamon
¾ Tsp. Ginger
½ Tsp. All spice
½ Tsp. Mace
1/8 Tsp. Cloves
1 Cup Milk
1/3 Cup Sour Cream

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Using a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter in a mixing bowl until soft.
3. Add the brown sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time scraping the bowl after each addition.
5. Add vanilla and pumpkin. Add flour and spices in three additions alternating with the milk.
6. Stir in the sour cream. Bake in kougloff pan for 1½ hrs.

Carrot Cake

Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Downtown Disney

A very good one (with pumpkin) is the Carrot Cake at Wolfgang Puck’s Cafe.
It’s been a hit at every buffet I take it too and everyone askes for the recipe.

Cake:

4 ½ cups sugar
3 ½ cups oil
1 cup eggs (approximately 4)
2 cups sifted flour
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1 Tsp. Kosher Salt
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
2 cups Pineapple Puree
2 cups Pureed Carrots
1 ½ cups Pureed Pumpkin

Icing:

8 oz. Butter
1 lb. Cream Cheese
2 lb Powdered Sugar
2 tsp. Lemon Juice
2 Tsp. Vanilla

For cake:

• Whip sugar, oil and eggs till light.
• Add all dry ingredients.
• Add pineapple, carrots and pumpkin last.
• Makes 2 10″ rounds.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

For icing:

• Cream butter till soft
• add cream cheese and again beat till soft
• add remaining and mix till blended

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Homemade Sweet Pickles

Artist Point

1/2 cup non-iodized salt
Ice water to cover, about 2 quarts
3 pounds sliced Kirby cucumbers
1 pound sliced white onion
3 cups apple cider vinegar
4 cups granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. turmeric
2 cups water

• First, make a brine by combining salt and ice water.
• Then, chill the cucumbers & onions in the brine for 1 hour.
• In a large pot, heat the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, turmeric and water just until boiling.
• Add the cucumbers & onions. Cook about 5 minutes, or until cucumbers/pickles begin to lose their color.
• Remove from heat and let cool in the liquid.
• Refrigerate in a covered on-metallic container.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake

The Swan and Dolphin Resort October recipe

Ingredients for Cheesecake:

1 Lb. Cream Cheese
10 Oz. Canned Pumpkin
6 Oz. Sugar
4 Each Eggs
4 Oz. Heavy Cream
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp. Ground Clove
1/2 Tsp. Nutmeg

Ingredients for Crust:

2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
Melted Butter

Method of Preparation for Cheesecake:

• With an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and sugar until it is free of lumps.
• Add the pumpkin and spices. Mix until all the items are completely combined.
• Add the eggs slowly, mixing and scraping as you go.
• Last, mix in the heavy cream.
• Set aside.

Method of Preparation for Crust:

• Mix together Graham Cracker crumbs and only enough butter to hold the crumbs together.
• Pack this crust in a half-inch layer on the bottom of a 10″ greased cake pan.
• Pour the cheesecake batter in the mold and bake at 325° until a “testing” knife comes out clean from the center.
• Approximate baking time is one hour, depending on the oven.

Presentation:

Serves 6-8

Whispering Canyon’s Apple-Carmel Pie

Serves 12

Ingredients:

CRUST

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
13 1/2 oz. package refrigerated sugar cookie dough at close to room temperature

FILLING

2 1/4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices (I sliced them thinner)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (cut back if desired)
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tablespoon chopped candied ginger
3/4 cup caramel topping

CRUMB TOPPING

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar (cut to 1/3 cup if desired)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed (same as above)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

ICING

3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (but icing not really needed)

Baking Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coat the bottom and inside of a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• At medium-low speed, beat the flour and the dough until combined.
• Press the sugar cookie dough into sides and bottom of pan, creating a 1/4-inch thick crust.
• In a mixing bowl, toss the apples with sugar, flour, ginger and cinnamon. Spoon into prepared crust.
• Spoon on caramel topping.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake one hour.
• While pie is baking, in a mixing bowl at low speed, combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon.
• Increase speed to medium; gradually add butter and vanilla, beating until wet crumbs form.
• After pie has baked for one hour, remove from oven and uncover.
• Sprinkle crumb mixture over top of warm pie.
• Cover exposed edges of crust with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
• Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool on rack and remove sides from the pan.
• Stir together the confectioners’ sugar with enough water (but not too much!) to make icing. Transfer to a plastic food storage bag, snip one corner, and drizzle over crumbs. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
• The apple peeling, coring & slicing takes the most time of anything else. I peeled first, and as I did each apple, I coated each with a dash of lemon juice to prevent browning. I also used a mandoline slicer to slice the apples about 1/8 of an inch thick, which made a difference in how dense & flavorful the apples were in the pie.