DCA

Almond Mocha Shake

September 7, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Where can I find the original treat?

This treat was originally found at Shmoozies! in DCA as part of the Food and Wine Festival.

It’s been record-breaking hot in Southern California this weekend, and as today is the unofficial close to summer, I thought we’d end on a sweet, ice cold note. If there’s one thing you can rely on to cool you off and satisfy a sweet tooth at Disneyland, it’s their shakes. So today we’re making the Almond Mocha Shake, which happened to be the very last thing I ate when I was visiting California Adventure back in March for the Food and Wine Festival.

So no, for this recipe I will not ask you to make your own ice cream. That’s because I recently discovered that Disneyland uses Dreyer’s brand ice cream in the park. So, if you want an almond mocha shake… you can grab mocha almond fudge ice cream from the supermarket. For those of you who live on the east coast, that would be Edy’s brand (not Breyer’s!).

Now, one component here that you can either make yourself, or buy pre-made, is the English toffee. You’ve got a few options here. One, you can make it, and I have my favorite adaptation below. Second, if you’re able to get to Marceline’s in Downtown Disney, they are selling the English toffee BY THE BAG FULL!!!! It’s the exact kind you’d find on the shake and it’s a hefty bag and yes, I finished the whole package in less than two days… Your third option is to buy either an Almond Roca bar, a Skor bar, or Heath bar from the store. It won’t be the same as what you get on the shake, but it will be reminiscent of the original.

The third component of this shake is the whipped cream and here’s the thing about whipped cream on shakes in Disneyland: it’s thick. My guess is stabilizers in there, but it could also be something like Cool Whip (but not the actual brand). At home I make homemade whipped cream because I have a dispenser, but you could pick up a canister at the store. If you want your cream to be closer to what’s at the parks, I like the brand Truwhip. To create the swirl effect, spoon it semi frozen into a piping bag, attach a open star tip (or just cut the end off the bag), and pipe on top of the shake.

I love that this recipe can be quickly made by a few grocery store ingredients, but also can be adjusted to how much involvement you’d like in the kitchen. And since we’re making this on Labor Day, I say just buy the ingredients and give yourself a day off.

Kids can help assemble the ingredients and add them to the blender (I used my Magic Bullet for this and it was a perfect one serving container). They can also help decorate the glass and top with whipped cream. Older kids can help to make the English toffee due to the extremely high temperatures you need. I would not recommend it for the younger kids.

Extra credit: the shakes at Disneyland, like this shake, will sometimes come with a delicious decoration on the outside of the cup. Totally not necessary to enjoy at home unless you want the true park treat experience. So, if you’d like that, we’ve included the instructions below in the recipe card. It’s pretty easy, but it’s one more step.

Now let’s relax and blend up some magic!

Almond Mocha Shake

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Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 1 Almond Mocha Shake 1x

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Description

The 2020 Food and Wine Festival at DCA gave us this chocolatey-almond shake with buttery, crunchy toffee topping that you can make at home! A Disneyland-inspired recipe.

Ingredients

Scale

Almond Mocha Shake:

3, 2 ounce scoops of Dreyer’s Mocha Almond Fudge ice cream
1/4 cup milk, more or less to taste

English Toffee (adapted from King Arthur):

16 tablespoons (227g) unsalted butter, cold 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1–1/2 cups (298g) sugar 
3 tablespoons (43g) water 
1 tablespoon (21g) light corn syrup 
2 cups (227g) chopped peanuts, toasted (see notes below) 
2–2/3 cups (454g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped; or chocolate chips

Toppings and Decorations:

1/2 cup light cocoa candy melts, optional if decorating cup (see tips about what chocolate to use below)
1/3 cup chopped peanuts, toasted, optional if decorating cup
whipped cream (or 1 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon each vanilla extract and simple syrup or liquid sweetener of your choice with directions below for making from scratch)

Specialty Tools:

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Instructions

For the English Toffee:

In a large, deep (3 quart) saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the salt, sugar, water, and corn syrup, and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil gently over medium heat, without stirring, until the mixture reaches hard-crack stage (300°F on an instant-read or candy thermometer; you’ll be taking it off the heat a few degrees sooner). The syrup will bubble without seeming to change much for awhile, but be patient; all of a sudden it will darken, and at that point you need to take its temperature and see if it’s ready. (If you don’t have a thermometer, test a dollop in ice water; it should immediately harden to a brittleness sufficient that you’ll be able to snap it in two, without any bending or softness). This whole process should take about 10 to 12 minutes. Pay attention; too long on the heat, and the syrup will burn.
While the sugar is boiling, spread half of the nuts in an even, closely packed layer on a parchment-lined 9″ x 13″ pan. Top the nuts with half the chocolate.
When the syrup has reached 295°F, remove from the heat. Pour the syrup quickly and evenly over the nuts and chocolate. Top with the remaining chocolate and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, until it softens; spread the chocolate with an offset spatula in an even layer and immediately sprinkle the remaining nuts on top.
While the candy is still slightly warm, pull it out of the pan and use a thin spatula to loosen it from the parchment. When completely cool, break into chunks.

For the shake:

Blend the ice cream and milk together until smooth. Set aside.

For the glass decoration (optional):

Pour the chopped, toasted peanuts into a wide, shallow dish. Set aside.
Melt the cocoa candy melts in a microwave safe bowl, like glass. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Use can alternatively use a double boiler for melting or melt directly in a heat-safe piping bag.
Dip and coat the outer rim of a glass with the melted candy melts (or if melted in a pastry bag, clip the tip off and pipe the chocolate around the outer edge). Then dip into the chopped peanuts, turning to coat the entire outside rim. Place in the fridge for five minutes to harden.

Assembly:

Pour the blended shake mixture into your prepared glass.
Spoon or spray whipped cream on top of the shake mixture.
Place a piece of English toffee in the whipped cream and enjoy!

Notes

To toast nuts, place in a frying pan over medium high heat. Stir peanuts around until they start to smell, well, toasty. This can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on the heat of your stove. Keep watch though, as the oils from the nuts will cause they to scorch.
Cocoa melts are best to use for coating the glass because they will melt but not become too thin and liquid. Regular baking chocolate will be thinner and run more.
English toffee can be kept, wrapped, at room temperature for several weeks. Or frozen for longer storage.

Mickey Shaped Caramel-Peanut-Milk Chocolate Macarons

April 26, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski 3 Comments

Mickey Caramel-Peanut-Milk Chocolate Macaron // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

This specialty treat was found at the Off the Cob Booth as part of the Food and Wine Festival at Disney’s California Adventure Park.

Woo! Try saying this name five times fast! Well, you might have had to, as this specialty Mickey Shaped Caramel-Peanut-Milk Chocolate Macaron was a fan fav at the Food and Wine Festival this year and many guests found they had to ask for it multiple times because the booth was constantly sold out. So, if you missed it during the festival, you’re in luck today, as we’ve got a recipe that is as delicious as the real thing!

Clearly we’re fans of macarons on here, and today we’ll be using our standard Mickey Mouse template to make these yummy macarons. Intimated by these french cookies? Don’t be! We’ve got lots of tips and tricks in the notes section below to help you make your best macaron yet!

These oversized macarons were milk chocolate at the parks, but right now, as we’re going through this crazy time, certain pantry items might not be available. When I made these at home I had to substitute semisweet chocolate instead of milk chocolate (I just couldn’t get my hands on any!), and that resulted in a darker exterior coating for the macarons. But you know what? It was still delicious! And a tad less sweeter than the original so that was OK by me. I’ll list both ingredients below and you can use what you have on hand. Also, I did not confirm, but those peanut caramel pieces studded throughout the macaron, once I removed them from the macaron to get a better look, sure seemed pretty similar to pieces of a Snickers bar, so…. that’s what we’ve got inside. If you just happen to have some caramel covered peanuts in your house, use those!

Assembling the macarons from piping to putting the candy pieces in is kid friendly, as well as dipping and decorating the outside of these. Making the actual macarons might be a better task for older kids, or the adults.

If you’re looking for the link to the Mickey macaron templates, you can download that below. And check out the notes section for lots of tips and tricks. Now lets grab whatever chocolate we can get our hands on and BAKE!

3 inch mickey macaron template

1 file(s) 86.41 KB

Download

Mickey Shaped Caramel-Peanut-Milk Chocolate Macaron

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 3 Caramel-Peanut-Milk Chocolate Macarons 1x

Print Recipe

Description

These Mickey Mouse shaped macarons are filled with sweet, milk chocolate buttercream, chunks of caramel-peanut candy, and topped with a coating of more chocolate and chopped peanuts. A Disneyland-inspired treat.

Ingredients

Scale

For the macarons:

85g (1 cup minus one tablespoon) almond flour
120g (1 cup) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon (8g) unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
70g egg whites, from about 2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
40g (3 tablespoons) granulated sugar

For the milk chocolate buttercream (adapted from Epicurious):

1/3 cup whole milk, or milk substitute (this worked with almond milk)
2 whole egg yolks
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1–1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
4 ounces milk chocolate, melted and cooled
1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled

For the filling and decoration:

2 Snickers bars cut into 1/4” slices
1 ounce milk chocolate (or semisweet chocolate), chopped finely
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

Specialty Tools:

Mickey Mouse cutter

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Instructions

For the macarons:

First sift the almond flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt back and forth four times between two bowls using a mesh strainer. Alternatively you can also pulse in a food processor 7-8 times. Set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Either print and place the Mickey Mouse template (download link above!) under the parchment OR using the Mickey Mouse cookie cutter, trace six outlines using the cutter as a guide leaving at least an 1″ between shapes. Flip parchment over so that you can still see outlines, but the graphite will not transfer to macarons. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add in the egg white and whisk on medium-low until slightly foamy, about 30 seconds. Add in the cream of tartar and whisk on medium until soft peaks appear. Then slowly pour in the sugar. Whisk on high until stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift the entire dry mixture into the egg whites. Fold them until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and no egg whites remain. Egg whites will deflate and mixture should be the consistency of cake batter when they are ready. See notes below.
Add batter into a piping bag. Cut the tip off about 1/2″, and pipe shapes onto the parchment lined baking sheet keeping the tip in the center and squeezing out until about 1/4″ before the outside of the template. Then, pick up trays about 2″ from counter and let them fall down. Repeat. This helps to remove air bubbles from the batter. Let the batter sit about 45 minutes until a surface is no longer tacky when your finger touches it.
Preheat your oven to 350°f about 15 minutes before the rest time is finished. Place cookies in oven to bake, and then lower the temperature to 300°f. Cook for 18-20 minutes.
Let the macarons cool at least 20-30 minutes before decorating.

For the milk chocolate buttercream:

Heat milk in a small saucepan over moderate heat until hot. Whisk together yolks, flour, 1/4 cup confectioners sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then add hot milk in a stream, whisking. Transfer custard to saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat while continually whisking (about 30 seconds to one minute). Reduce heat and simmer, whisking, until mixture becomes very thick, about 30 seconds more, then transfer to a medium sized bowl. Cover surface of custard with plastic wrap and cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Add vanilla and remaining confectioners sugar to custard and beat at medium speed until combined well, then increase speed to medium-high and beat in butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until smooth. Buttercream will look broken when mixing in butter but keep mixing and it will come together eventually!
Scrape down bowl. Add chocolates and beat until combined well.

For the assembly:

First, melt the 1/4 cup milk chocolate (or semisweet chocolate) in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth.
Set aside 3 macaron halves for the bottoms. With the remaining three, dip the tops in the bowl of melted chocolate, letting any excess drip away, or edges smooth with a scribe or toothpick. Place dipped side up on parchment, and then sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Repeat with the remaining macarons. Use the remaining chocolate in the bowl to drizzle over the decorated tops.
Next, fill a piping bag with the buttercream. Cut the tip off about 1/4″ up from the tip and pipe the insides for the macarons.
Then, place the Snickers slices inside the ears, and in the center of the macaron. Pipe more buttercream if so desired. Place tops on and enjoy!

Notes

Sifting the almond flour and powdered sugar together is necessary for the absorption of oils and to prevent clumping of batter.
When mixing the macaron batter, you want to push the batter against the side of the bowl to help mix and deflate the egg whites. The cocoa powder will dry out the mixture and you will want to keep mixing more than a normal batch of macarons.
Do not pipe all the way to the edge of the circle as the batter will spread a bit while resting.
If you want a smooth top to the macaron, besides dropping the sheet pan to get out air bubbles, how you pipe is also important. Position your piping bag over the center of the circle and continually squeeze out batter until you fill 3/4 of the circle. If you pipe in a spiral, you will have noticeable lines on the top. You can use a damp, not wet, finger to push down any batter that sticks up.
Any additional air bubbles that are not removed from the drop onto the counter can be poked with a scribe or toothpick before resting.
Any left over macaron batter can be piped into smaller cookies and baked off for 15 minutes.
If you are having any technical issues still with your macarons, I highly suggest looking up some tutorial videos on YouTube (that is until we have some of our own up!).
If your macaron cracks, or an ear comes off during dipping, just stick it all back together and let the chocolate set on the sheet pan. It will stay in one piece once everything hardens.
Leftover buttercream can be stored in the fridge up to one week, brought to room temperature, and whipped before using. It can also be stored in the freezer up to 3 months.
Macarons can be stored in the refrigerator up to one week. Let them sit 10-15 minutes to come to room temp before enjoying.

5 Minute Treats: Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Affogato (Churro Affogato)

April 21, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Churro Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Affogato // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

This holiday time treat was available at Schmoozies! inside California Adventure.

We’re back again today with another quick treat in our 5 Minute Treats series! This holiday time Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Affogato was nicknamed the Churro Affogato because of its delicious ice cream base. And today you can either make, or buy, the ice cream depending on how quickly you’d like the treat!

While we’ve been stuck inside, the kids and I have been doing some fun kitchen experiments. Making ice cream has definitely been a favorite! If you can score some cinnamon ice cream at the store, then this recipe really is a super quick treat. However, if you’ve got the time, and an ice cream maker, then I’ve also included a recipe for a super creamy, custard based cinnamon-brown sugar ice cream. I don’t want to make the store bought people jealous, but this stuff is SO GOOD and SO CREAMY. I also love that you can adjust the amount of cinnamon and/or sugar to suite your tastes as well.

Affogatos are usually espresso based, but if all you’ve got is coffee right now, try brewing a stronger batch for this. The combination of the bittersweet coffee and the spicy cinnamon make for an extraordinary pairing. It’s reminiscent of the Mexican coffee, or cafe de olla that we get at a local restaurant here in Los Angeles. It’s also, quite tasty with a hunk of Churro Toffee dipped in as well.

I hope you enjoy this super simple, and yet very elegant, treat today! (Or tomorrow if you make the ice cream!) It’s about to get REAL HOT here in LA, so I’m thinking about making a few batches of ice cream this week. Have a magical week everyone!

5 Minute Treats: Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Affogato (Churro Affogato)

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Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 1 Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Churro Affogato + 1 quart ice cream 1x

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Description

Creamy, spicy cinnamon and brown sugar ice cream is topped with a healthy pour of bittersweet espresso in this 5 Minute Treat. A Disneyland-inspired recipe.

Ingredients

Scale

For the ice cream:
adapted from David Lebovitz

1 cup (250ml) whole milk
3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar
pinch of salt
8 cinnamon sticks broken up (see notes below)
2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the affogato

1 shot of freshly brewed espresso
churro toffee chunks, optional (find the recipe here on our site!)

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Instructions

For the ice cream:

Heat the milk, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks, and 1 cup of the heavy cream together in a medium saucepan. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep 1 hour.
Place the pan back on the stove and rewarm the mixture, removing the cinnamon sticks with a slotted spoon. Be careful not to let the mixture start to boil or get too hot, you are just warming the milk up to barely simmering at this point.
Nest a medium-sized bowl in a larger bowl that’s partially filled with ice water, to create an ice bath. Set a mesh strainer over the medium bowl and pour the remaining cream into the medium bowl.
Whisk together the egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually add some of the warm cinnamon-infused milk to the yolks, whisking constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens and coats the spatula.
Remove from heat and immediately pour the custard through the strainer into the cream. Remove the strainer and stir the custard until cool, then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator at least 8 hours or overnight.
Before churning, add the ground cinnamon. Gently stir to combine.
Then, freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Store in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use.

For the affogato:

Place the desired amount of ice cream in a small bowl or heat proof cup (I like two small scoops for this dessert).
Pour the espresso over the ice cream.
Optionally top with crumbled churro toffee pieces. Enjoy!

Notes

To break up cinnamon sticks, you can either grind them in a mortar and pestle (which is what I did, and really, you’re just breaking them up, not grinding into a powder), or wrap them in a kitchen towel and break them up with a hammer or meat tenderizer. I would not suggest a ziplock as is said in the original recipe, as they tend to poke through and tear the bag, getting pieces everywhere.
We are Nespresso users at home, so I found that a regular shot was plenty. The lungo shot was a bit too much and melted the ice cream more than I desired creating a warm soup.
If you want to make a batch for a party, portion out ice cream into small cups and freeze ahead of time. When ready to serve, brew lungo shots in a large measuring glass with a spout. Then you can pour small amounts of espresso all at once into each cup.

5 Minute Treats: Hand-dipped Ice Cream Bars

February 12, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski 3 Comments

Where can I find the original treat?

This treat is available at Clarabelle’s in Disney California Adventure Park.

Welcome to the next post in our new series, 5 Minute Treats! And today’s recipe is just TWO ingredients! Sound too good to be true? Well, now you have the magic power to make Hand-dipped Ice Cream Bars!

Otherwise known as magic shell, you just need chocolate (either milk or dark or somewhere in-between, or even white chocolate if you’d like) and coconut oil. That’s it! Melt them together, and when they hit the frozen ice cream… BAM! The chocolate is instantly hardened and ready to eat. You’ll need to time adding your ingredients so that they stick if you choose to do that. Clarabelle’s, where we originally tried this treat, has lots of options including sprinkles, chocolate chips, even POP ROCKS!! And if you get “The Whole Herd”, you get ALLLLLLLL the toppings. We usually go that route.

This is a really fun treat for kids to get involved in making. They can dip their ice cream and add all the toppings they want. And you can always drizzle on more chocolate sauce if you need a stronger “glue” for the items.

Now, the magic here happens because the frozen surface of the ice cream hardens the coconut oil (coconut oil reaches a solid state just below 76°f). If you dip non frozen items in this magic sauce, well, it won’t instantly harden. However, a quick trip to the freezer will take care of that!

Ok, grab some ice cream bars and get dipping!

5 Minute Treats: Hand-dipped Ice Cream Bars

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Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 2 cups Chocolate Magic Shell 1x

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Description

Magically turn chocolate sauce into a chocolate shell for your ice cream bars with our latest 5 Minute Treat for Hand-dipped Ice Cream Bars. And don’t forget to generously top with “The Whole Herd”. A Disneyland-inspired treat.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Magic Shell:

2 cup chocolate chips (dark, milk, semisweet, white, or any combination)
3 tablespoons refined coconut oil
pinch salt, optional

To serve:

ice cream bars
sprinkles
decorettes
chocolate chips
Pop Rocks

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Instructions

For the Magic Shell:

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, coconut oil, and salt if using. Microwave on high 30 seconds, stir, and then repeat microwaving at 20 second intervals, stirring between, until melted and smooth. Let cool to room temp and use.
Can be stored in the refrigerator up to one month. Gently rewarm cold magic shell in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between.

To serve:

Let magic shell cool at least 5 minutes.
Quickly dip the ice cream in the sauce and then place on a piece of parchment.
Immediately cover in toppings.
If more “glue” is needed to hold toppings, drizzle on some additional sauce. Serve immediately!

Notes

If using blocks of chocolate, finely chop before melting.
Store in a tall, narrow container (tupperware works!) to make dipping ice cream easier.
Magic Shell can be stored in the refrigerator up to one month. Gently rewarm cold magic shell in the microwave in short bursts (5-10 seconds), stirring in between.
If you want to dip with non-frozen items, like fruit, dip, place on parchment, and then freeze at least 5-10 minutes.

Hot Cocoa Macaron

January 13, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Where can I find the original treat?

This holiday treat was part of the Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure Park.

Welcome back and Happy New Year! Are you in need of a comforting treat? Me too. Sometimes January can feel like someone let the air out of the balloon. There’s the big let down after all the holiday food and decorations have been put away for the year. And yeah, maybe there’s still a little of that, but now January marks the cozy season for me. Also, my youngest celebrates a birthday at the end of the month…. so I’m still party planning even after I put away the Christmas decorations.

Our first treat of 2020 is like a warm sweater by the fire in cookie form: the Hot Cocoa Macaron! This oversized cookie was part of the Festival of Holidays celebration at DCA and you could have found this at the Making Spirits Bright kiosk.

It really did remind me of the flavors of a cup of hot cocoa, I think part of that was the combination of chocolates, especially the milk chocolate filling with semisweet ganache center. The mound of mini marshmallows on top didn’t hurt either.

I love making macarons. (We have two other recipes on the site if you’re looking for more after this too!) They require a little patience and technique but honestly, they’re pretty quick to put together and they definitely wow people when you tell them you made them. If you’re looking ahead towards Valentine’s Day presents, these would be a pretty special gift (I might just gift myself another batch…).

I have a whole new set of tips and tricks with these, as the addition of cocoa powder to the macaron mix changes the consistency and texture a bit. So please read through all those before starting the recipe. They will ensure you will have a good batch (and not need to make them 4 times to be perfect… like some people I know *coughcough*).

BONUS! As a special gift to all of you who want to try this recipe, first, thank you, and second, I’ve made a printable template for perfectly shaped macarons. You really need both halves to match up in order to sandwich the filling, and this template will help you make sure that happens.

3 inch circle template

1 file(s) 86.61 KB

Download

I’m so excited to kick off a whole new year of treats with all of you! If there’s anything at the parks you’d like to see made on here, drop us a line in the comments below or shoot us an email!

Hot Cocoa Macaron

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 3 Oversized Hot Cocoa Macarons 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Cozy up with this oversized hot cocoa inspired Macaron filled with two kinds of chocolate filling and topped with a mound of mini marshmallows and dusted with peppermint. A Disneyland-inspired recipe.

Ingredients

Scale

For the macarons:

85g (1 cup minus one tablespoon) almond flour
120g (1 cup) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon (8g) unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
70g egg whites, from about 2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
40g (3 tablespoons) granulated sugar

For the chocolate ganache:

1/4 cup heavy cream
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For the milk chocolate buttercream (adapted from Epicurious):

1/3 cup whole milk, or milk substitute (this worked with almond milk)
2 whole egg yolks
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1–1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
4 ounces milk chocolate, melted and cooled
1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled

For the topping:

1 ounce white chocolate
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 candy cane, crushed

Special Tools:

3″ circle cookie cutter

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Instructions

For the macarons:

First sift the almond flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt back and forth four times between two bowls using a mesh strainer. Alternatively you can also pulse in a food processor 7-8 times. Set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Using a pencil, trace six 3″ circles using the cutter as a guide leaving at least an 1″ between shapes. Flip parchment over so that you can still see outlines, but the graphite will not transfer to macarons. Alternatively, place the free downloadable template (see notes above recipe for download) under the sheet of parchment. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add in the egg white and whisk on medium-low until slightly foamy, about 30 seconds. Add in the cream of tartar and whisk on medium until soft peaks appear. Then slowly pour in the sugar. Whisk on high until stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift the entire dry mixture into the egg whites. Fold them until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and no egg whites remain. Egg whites will deflate and mixture should be the consistency of cake batter when they are ready. See notes below.
Add batter into a piping bag. Cut the tip off about 1/2″, and pipe shapes onto the parchment lined baking sheet keeping the tip in the center and squeezing out until about 1/4″ before the outside of the circle. Then, pick up trays about 2″ from counter and let them fall down. Repeat. This helps to remove air bubbles from the batter. Let the batter sit about 45 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350°f about 15 minutes before the rest time is finished. Place cookies in oven to bake, and then lower the temperature to 300°f. Cook for 18-20 minutes.
Let the macarons cool at least 20-30 minutes before decorating.

For the ganache:

In a small sauce pan, heat the heavy cream until hot (about 181°f). Turn off the heat and add in the chocolate and stir to combine.
Next, add in the butter and continue to stir until everything is incorporated and smooth.
Transfer to a heat proof bowl and let cool to room temperature. Then cover and refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes).

For the milk chocolate buttercream:

Heat milk in a small saucepan over moderate heat until hot. Whisk together yolks, flour, 1/4 cup confectioners sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then add hot milk in a stream, whisking. Transfer custard to saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat while continually whisking (about 30 seconds to one minute). Reduce heat and simmer, whisking, until mixture becomes very thick, about 30 seconds more, then transfer to a medium sized bowl. Cover surface of custard with plastic wrap and cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Add vanilla and remaining confectioners sugar to custard and beat at medium speed until combined well, then increase speed to medium-high and beat in butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until smooth. Buttercream will look broken when mixing in butter but keep mixing and it will come together eventually!
Scrape down bowl. Add chocolates and beat until combined well.

Assembly:

Using a #100 disher or melon baller, scoop out small circle of ganache and place in the center of the macron bottom. Repeat with remaining macarons. See notes below for storing leftover ganache.
Fill a piping bag 1/2 with frosting, cut about 1/2″ from the tip of the bag, and pipe circles of frosting around in a spiral until you hit the ganache center. Repeat with remaining macarons. See notes below for storing leftover frosting.
Place macaron tops gently to form cookies sandwiches. Set aside.
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Spoon a small mound in the center top of each macaron. Place the mini marshmallows on top to set. Drizzle a small amount of the white chocolate on top and then sprinkle crushed peppermint on the tops of each macaron.
Wait about 10 minutes for the chocolate to set and then enjoy!

Bonus! Making the white flames:

Any left over melted white chocolate can be thinly spread on a sheet of parchment in the shape of a flame. Refrigerate 5 to 10 minutes to set. Remove from refrigerator and gently remove from the parchment. These can be placed on top of the macarons to resemble the decorations at DCA.

Notes

Sifting the almond flour and powdered sugar together is necessary for the absorption of oils and to prevent clumping of batter.
When mixing the macaron batter, you want to push the batter against the side of the bowl to help mix and deflate the egg whites. The cocoa powder will dry out the mixture and you will want to keep mixing more than a normal batch of macarons.
Do not pipe all the way to the edge of the circle as the batter will spread a bit while resting.
If you want a smooth top to the macaron, besides dropping the sheet pan to get out air bubbles, how you pipe is also important. Position your piping bag over the center of the circle and continually squeeze out batter until you fill 3/4 of the circle. If you pipe in a spiral, you will have noticeable lines on the top. You can use a damp, not wet, finger to push down any batter that sticks up. See below.
Any additional air bubbles that are not removed from the drop onto the counter can be poked with a scribe or toothpick before resting.
Any left over macaron batter can be piped into smaller cookies and baked off for 15 minutes.
If you are having any technical issues still with your macarons, I highly suggest looking up some tutorial videos on YouTube (that is until we have some of our own up!).
Leftover buttercream can be stored in the fridge up to one week, brought to room temperature, and whipped before using. It can also be stored in the freezer up to 3 months.
Leftover ganache can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks.
Macarons can be stored in the refrigerator up to one week. Let them sit 10-15 minutes to come to room temp before enjoying.

Haul-O-Ween Churros

October 28, 2019 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Where can I find the original treat?

These treats can be found at the Cozy Cone Motel in DCA during Halloween Time.

One treat Disneyland is (mostly) good at transforming each season are their churros. When a new foodie guide is out, expect to see several variations and themes. For this Halloween season, there were a number of delicious options, but for today, I chose to recreate the Haul-O-Ween churro.

Now, it might look like a crazy concoction some child cooked up in their Fisher-Price kitchen, but believe me, this was surprisingly good. Even with its edible green slime, and cookie and candy decorations, this churro treat was not too sweet. The cookie crumb coating worked really well with the classic cinnamon-sugar churro flavor; just adding a hint of cocoa.

Now, with this post I’ve gone and updated the piping tip that I usually use to a larger, closed star style. This resulted in a thicker, wider churro that was able to hold on to more cookie crumbs. Despite the size, it fried up light and crisp and this might be my new favorite churro style. I’m going to write up a quick kitchen tip post soon comparing the two types of pastry tips so you can decide which way you’d like your churros. Expect that excerpt here when that drops.

Also, let’s discuss the edible green slime for a minute. The description for the treat lists it as icing but it didn’t really, well, taste like icing. In fact, it didn’t have too much of a taste except kinda sweet, but not too sweet, and so I just made the executive decision here to make a thin style pudding and use that to decorate, and also dip my churros in for a sauce. It worked just fine. (Maybe next time at the park I’ll just ask for a side of sauce and take it home when it’s a little mysterious like this…)

Once the churros have cooled slightly, kids can take over coating and decorating the treats. Give kids edible green slime and they are gonna have some fun. But don’t worry adults, you’ll have fun with this too.

As usual, we’ve got plenty of notes and tips following the recipe, so please check those out. Now let’s get ready to churrrrroooooooooo!

Haul-O-Ween Churros

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 10–16 churros (depending on tip size) 1x

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Description

These delightfully fun classic cinnamon-sugar churros get the Oogie-Boogie treatment for Halloween with a cookie crumb coating, edible green slime, creme filled cookies, and candy toppings. A Disneyland-inspired treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Edible Green Slime:

1 package of vanilla instant pudding
milk or milk alternative per instructions on the box, plus 1/4 cup (see notes below)
1–2 drops of green food coloring (Americolor “Leaf Green” used here)

Churro:

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
big pinch of salt
1 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
vegetable oil for frying
12 creme filled cookies, like Oreos
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Additional Toppings:

candy corn
gummy worms
Oreo cookies, slightly crushed

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Instructions

For the green slime:

Make vanilla pudding according to instructions, adding in any additional milk to thin it out (see notes below).
Add in 1-2 drops of food coloring and stir well.
Chill, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the churros:

First, line two half sized sheet pans with parchment, set aside. Mix together 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and cinnamon in a long shallow bowl or loaf pan, set aside.
Next, crush cookies in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin until finely ground. Alternatively, you can pulse in a food processor until a sand-like consistency forms. Set aside in a large, shallow bowl.
In a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water, butter, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, or until butter has melted.
Turn burner to low and pour in all the flour at once. Stir until there are no visible flour lumps and dough has begun to stick together in a ball and pulled away from the sides of the pan.
Remove pan from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Then stir in each egg until incorporated. Dough will appear to break or become lumpy. Continue to stir until it forms a smooth, sticky dough.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton 1 M open star tip (for thinner churros) or with a Ateco 847 closed star tip (for thicker churros) half full with batter (see notes below on filling pastry bags) and pipe 6-8″ long dough onto the sheet pan. I was able to fill two sheet pans with all the batter.
Refrigerate dough at least 30 minutes and up to two days. Batter will stiffen the more it sits, so let the dough come to room temperature before frying. (Note below for frying immediately after making dough)
Fill a dutch oven or deep frying pan with vegetable oil at least 2″ up the side of the pan (I found a 1/2 gallon of avocado oil worked for me in my large dutch oven. See note below about reusing oil.). Heat oil to 340-350°f, using a candy thermometer to keep the temperature constant. You may need to adjust heat up or down during cooking.
Place churros 2-3 at a time in the cooking oil for 6 minutes, turning after 3 minutes with a spatula or spider. Wait until oil comes back to temperature before adding next batch. Thicker churros may need an additional minute to fully cook through.
Using a spider or large spatula, remove churros from oil and drain on a cooling rack over parchment or on a paper towel. Wait at least a minute and then toss the churro in the cinnamon sugar, tapping off any excess. Then roll churro in the cookie crumbs, lightly pressing to adhere. Set churro aside. Repeat with all the churros.

Decoration:

Plate churros and top with edible green slime, candy corn, crushed Oreo pieces, and gummy worms.
Enjoy!

Notes

To make a thinner style pudding, add in about a 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra of milk or milk alternative to the pudding. This will make a more liquid sauce for the churro. Keep measurements the same if you want it thicker.
Do not overfill your pastry bag! Fill in two to three batches. If there is too much dough, it will seep out the top and will be hard to pipe.
Slowly pipe out dough all of a consistent size, smaller spots on the churro can cause them to become more fragile while handling and can break in the oil or while coating in sugar.
Churro dough can be piped out onto parchment and covered in the fridge up to 48 hours.
If you want to make you churros immediately after making dough without the chilling time, once oil has reached temp, starting about one inch above the oil, pipe a small line of dough down into oil and either snip end with scissors, or break the dough off the pastry tip on the side of your pan. Follow directions above for frying.
Thicker churros will require a longer cooking time to fully cook through the center. Test one churro first to adjust your cooking time.
Cooking oil can be fine strained and stored again for another use. I strain back into the bottle it came from. Well strained oil can be stored in a cool, dry place and used up to several times.
Churros curling? That could be one of a few reasons. One is that it will naturally shrink and change shape as the dough hits the oil and puffs up. I found that the stiffer dough from sitting in the fridge resulted in straighter churros while fresher dough tending to curl more. Also, if you’re using a circular pot like a dutch oven, churros may rest against the inside edge of the pan while cooking causing them to take on the curved shape of the pan. To prevent this, nudge your churro with the spider or spatula immediately after placing in oil when it pops back up to the surface. Continue to nudge gently back and forth for about 20-40 seconds or until the dough has gotten stiff in the oil.

Mickey Mouse Spider Web Rice Krispie Treats

September 30, 2019 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Mickey Mouse Spider Web Rice Krispie Treat // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

These treats can be found all over the Disneyland resort.

There are so many tasty Halloween treats at Disneyland right now that it was a bit hard to narrow down what I wanted my first spooky treat of the season to be. But I had to go with a rice crispy (crispie… krispie… krispy…) treat. A Mickey Mouse Spider Web Rice Krispie treat that is!

Sometimes simple is best and these treats are SO simple to make. They’re also great at sizing up, in case you want to give these out as Halloween treats at home, or to a class, or to friends. (Our recipe below has a handy button to increase the recipe yield, please use it for this if you want a large amount!)

After the initial rice crispy treat is made and cooled, kids can help cut and decorate. I also tried out a new-to-me product from Wilton which is pretty much a prepackaged squeeze bottle of black icing. So that’s an option if you don’t want to melt two batches of chocolate and color them. I found it convenient, however, I would have liked a smaller opening for the icing. All of these pictured I used the bottle icing but I think I’ll also try with my own chocolate next time just to compare.

As per usual, there are some notes following the recipe so please read all the way through. One big tip though is that when you’re working with marshmallows, you’ll never scrape everything out of the pan you make them in so make peace with that now. Also, damp fingers/hands are best since the marshmallow won’t stick to you!

I hope you get in the kitchen this week and make these sweet, classic treats, with this Halloween spin!

Mickey Mouse Spider Web Rice Krispie Treats

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 3 Mickey Mouse Spider Web Rice Krispie treats 1x

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Description

Chewy, crispy, Mickey Mouse-shaped rice krispie treats get the Halloween treatment with a bright orange and black spider web design on the iconic treat. A Disneyland-inspired recipe.

Ingredients

Scale

For the rice krispie treat:

2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
157 g ( 2 cups) mini marshmallows or 20 regular sized marshmallows
2 cups crisped rice cereal

For the topping:

3–1/2 ounces white chocolate
6–8 drops orange, oil based food coloring for chocolate
2 ounces (100 g) light cocoa candy melts
3–4 drops black, oil based food coloring for chocolate
OR, Wilton Black Cookie Icing (instead of light cocoa melts and black food coloring)

Tools:

Mickey Mouse cutter
3 Popsicle sticks

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Instructions

For the rice krispie treat:

Before beginning, line a 8×8″ baking pan with parchment.
Combine the butter and marshmallows in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until marshmallows have melted and mixture is smooth.
Immediately dump in the crisped rice cereal and mix to combine.
Pour into the prepared pan and gently press mixture into place with a rubber spatula (or damp fingers). Set aside for at least an hour in the refrigerator so that the mixture can firm up enough to cut shapes.
Once firm, use parchment to lift out rice krispie treats. Use a Mickey Mouse shaped cutter to cut out shapes and set aside.

For the decorating:

First, melt the white chocolate and orange food coloring in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Use can alternatively use a double boiler for melting.
Insert a popsicle stick into each treat.
Dip a treat into the melted chocolate, letting any excess drip off back into the bowl. Repeat for other treats.
Next, melt the light cocoa candy melts and black food coloring in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Use can alternatively use a double boiler for melting. Or you can skip and use the tube icing here.
Transfer black melted chocolate to a squeeze bottle or a piping bag with a small portion of the tip cut off. Then decorate a spider web design over the orange chocolate. Repeat until all treats are decorated.
Let the chocolate firm up, at least an hour in the refrigerator before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Use a smaller pan than you think you’ll need for this. As the marshmallows melt into the butter, if there’s too much space in the pan they will start to dry out and form strings. Keeping the marshmallows closer together in the pan will ensure they melt more evenly, creating a better mixture to add the cereal into.
When mixing crisped rice cereal into the melted marshmallows, keep the mixture on the flame so that marshmallows stay liquid. Removing to mix in can seize up the liquid before the cereal is fully mixed.
You can combine some extra rice krispie treat scraps into the mold to shape additional Mickey Mouse treats.
You can also use orange candy melts instead of the white chocolate and orange food coloring.
Treats can be kept in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

Mickey S’more Square

August 12, 2019 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Where can I find the original treat?

These treats can be found all over the Disneyland Resort.

Did you know that Saturday was National S’mores Day? Don’t worry, you won’t find it marked on the calendar, and there isn’t an elf that sneaks into your house at night and leaves s’mores in your shoes. It’s just an excuse to enjoy one of the BEST treats for summer. And Disneyland has you covered… with no fire required!

One of the year-round favorites at the resort, you can usually find this square at Candy Palace, Pooh Corner, Marceline’s in Downtown Disney, and Trolley Treats at DCA. And now you can have it at home too!

The Mickey S’more square is made up of a crisp graham cracker base, a layer of rich milk chocolate fudge, a layer of thick marshmallow, and it’s all covered in a semi-sweet chocolate topped with a yellow chocolate Mickey Mouse. Our recipe below has a few steps, but it all comes together fairly easily once you’re ready to assemble. There’s just the added wait time for the fudge to set up, and the chocolate to set. You WILL NOT need to make graham crackers for this recipe, however, if you do have a homemade recipe you love, by all means use it! We’re using store bought here for consistency and time. For your final square, the Mickey chocolate on top is definitely optional, but we do give an easy way to make one below too, just in case you want a few to snack on!

We won’t be making any campfires for this recipe, and the only fire you’ll see is on a gas stove, but you’ll definitely know you’re eating a S’more when you take a bite of this yummy treat.

Mickey S’more Square

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 6 S’mores Squares 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Layers of crisp graham crackers, rich milk chocolate fudge, and gooey marshmallow are covered in semi-sweet chocolate and topped with a yellow Mickey Mouse chocolate in this dessert reminiscent of the classic s’mores. A Disneyland-inspired treat!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Milk Chocolate Fudge:

8 ounces (227 g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
pinch teaspoon salt

For the Marshmallows:

1–1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 corn light corn syrup
pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 packets of gelatine
2/3 cups of water, divided

For assembly:

6 graham cracker squares (3 large sheets broken in half)
12 ounces (340 g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped and divided
2–1/2 ounces white chocolate (71 g), chopped, optional
yellow oil-based chocolate covering, optional

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Instructions

For the Milk Chocolate Fudge:

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or wax paper.
In a double boiler, combine milk chocolate, butter, sweetened condensed milk, and salt. Stir occasionally, until smooth.
Pour into loaf pan and chill, uncovered, until firm, about 4 hours. Set aside.

For the Marshmallows:

Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper or wax paper. Grease top of paper as well. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/3 cup of water. Stir to dissolve sugar. Once mixture reaches a boil, do not disturb. Let the mixture reach “soft ball” stage, approximately 238°F (use a candy thermometer or probe thermometer to get an accurate temperature).
While syrup is boiling, in the bowl of a stand mixer, pour in the other 1/3 cup of water and sprinkle gelatine over it. Let sit for five minutes so water can absorb the gelatine. Not all of it will absorb and that’s ok.
Then, attach the whisk attachment and turn mixer on slowest speed. Wearing oven mitts in case of splashing, slowly pour in the syrup mixture into the mixer. Whisk two minutes and then raise speed to medium. Whisk another two minutes and then gradually move speed to highest. Whisk another 3-5 minutes until mixture is stiff. Beat in vanilla extract for 30 seconds and then pour everything into the prepared pan. Mixture will be very sticky and you might not be able to get everything out of the bowl. See notes below.
Use wet fingers to smooth out the marshmallow top and let sit out, uncovered, until firm. About 3 hours.

Mickey Mouse chocolate toppers (optional)

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chopped white chocolate and a few drops of the oil-based yellow food coloring.
Heat in microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and continue to microwave in short 15 -20 second bursts, stirring between, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
Pour into molds and let sit in the refrigerator about 30 minutes to harden. Remove from molds and set aside.

Assembly:

First, temper the semi-sweet chocolate for coating: In a microwave safe bowl, add 2/3 of the chocolate. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir again and microwave in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until chocolate has uniformly melted and has reached between 114° – 118°F. Then add in some of the remaining chocolate, stir to completely melt and then add more (I did three batches). Continue to stir the chocolate until it has cooled to 88° – 89°F (this can take several minutes of stirring). The chocolate is now tempered and ready to use. Set aside.
Un-mold the fudge from the pan and using a graham cracker as a guide, divide and cut the fudge to fit on the base of cracker. You may need to combine some pieces of fudge if your graham crackers are larger.
Next, remove the marshmallow from the pan keeping it on the parchment. To square off ends of marshmallows, use a long, sharp knife to trim sides. Clean knife with hot water between cuts.
Then, using a graham cracker as a guide, divide the pan into roughly 9 squares, using the same, long, sharp knife to make cuts. You will only need six of the marshmallows for this recipe. See notes below for storing extra marshmallows. Use damp fingers to remove marshmallows from each other if they get stuck together.
Create each stack by starting with the graham cracker base, a piece of fudge, and then top with the marshmallow. Set aside on a sheet pan lined with parchment.
Dip each stack into the tempered chocolate, using a spoon to pour chocolate on top and let drip down sides. Use a chocolate fork or slotted spatula to remove the stack from the chocolate. Allow the chocolate to drip from the stack for a minute or two (or you’ll end up with lots of pooled chocolate) and then place on sheet pan. Repeat until all stacks have been dipped.
If you are using the yellow chocolate Mickey Mouse topper, place one on each stack after you have dipped it.
Allow everything to set at least 4 hours or overnight. Enjoy!

Notes

Making marshmallows is a sticky, hot mess. You will need to wear an apron, close toed shoes, and make sure you have a candy thermometer and the clear space to work.
Be OK with the fact that you were going to lose some of the marshmallow in the mixing bowl, on your spoon, and probably on your hands. It’s OK! You’ll have plenty left over.
Any leftover marshmallows in the pan can be cut and tossed in powdered sugar. Keep in an airtight container up to a week.
When tempering chocolate, keep all moisture and liquids away from the chocolate.
If chocolate starts to cool after it is tempered, microwave for 5-10 seconds.
A note on pan sizes. I mention that the fudge is made in a loaf pan and the marshmallows are made in an 8″ square pan. Both hold around 8 cups capacity so you would be able to make both in the 8″ square pan. I was able to get 6 squares of fudge from the loaf pan, I just had to smoosh a few pieces together as noted in the recipe above. Force of habit of making fudge in a loaf pan automatically had me write the recipe this way!

Maple-Bacon Churro

July 15, 2019 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Where can I find the original treat?

This specialty churro was part of the “Get Your Ears On” celebration found in Grizzly Peak in California Adventure at the Disneyland resort.

We’re back today with another of our favorite churro recipes for #ChurroMonth here on the site. We just love anything with maple but when you add some salty bits of bacon… WOW! And we weren’t the only ones who were big fans of this treat. Many followers let us know that this churro was also a hit for them. So maybe we should start a #bringbackthemaplebaconchurro hashtag??

Anyway, this churro takes the classic cinnamon sugar recipe and dresses it up with a maple glaze and salty bacon bits. If you’re a fan of sweet and savory treats, this is definitely for you.

If you’re new to making churros, or any fried foods, please read through the notes below. I’ve tried to cover many issues that might arise while making these, but if you don’t see your question answered, leave us a comment below and we’ll get back to you (and you might even help another reader out!).

Ok, enough chatting for now… let’s make some churros!

Maple-Bacon Churro

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 14–16 churros 1x
Category: Treats

Print Recipe

Description

A sweet maple glaze and salty bacon bits top this classic cinnamon sugar churro found at Grizzly Peak in Disney’s California Adventure Park from the “Get Your Ears On” celebration. A Disneyland-inspired treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Toppings

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3–4 pieces of bacon
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon milk
1 cup powdered sugar

Churro:

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
big pinch of salt
1 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
vegetable oil for frying

Tools:

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Instructions

For the toppings:

Line two half sized sheet pans with parchment, set aside. Mix together 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and cinnamon in a long shallow bowl or loaf pan, set aside.
Cook the bacon until crispy. Depending on the type of bacon you have, this can take about 8-10 minutes on medium high, flipping halfway through cooking. Drain on paper towels, cool, chop into small pieces and set aside.
Make the maple glaze by combining maple syrup, butter, and milk in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil and whisk for two minutes. Remove from heat. Slowly pour in powdered sugar, whisking continuously until combined and smooth. Set aside until ready to use or funnel into a squeeze bottle. (This will make more maple glaze than you need for just drizzling on your churros! This will keep refrigerated up to two weeks. Warm before using.)

For the churros:

In a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water, butter, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, or until butter has melted.
Turn burner to low and pour in all the flour at once. Stir until there are no visible flour lumps and dough has begun to stick together in a ball and pulled away from the sides of the pan.
Remove pan from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Then stir in each egg until incorporated. Dough will appear to break or become lumpy. Continue to stir until it forms a smooth, sticky dough.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton 1 M open star tip half full with batter (see notes below on filling pastry bags) and pipe 8″ long dough onto the sheet pan. I was able to fill two sheet pans with all the batter.
Refrigerate dough at least 30 minutes and up to two days. Batter will stiffen the more it sits, so let the dough come to room temperature before frying. (Note below for frying immediately after making dough)
Fill a dutch oven or deep frying pan with vegetable oil at least 2″ up the side of the pan (I found a 1/2 gallon of avocado oil worked for me in my large dutch oven. See note below about reusing oil.). Heat oil to 340-350°f, using a candy thermometer to keep the temperature constant. You may need to adjust heat up or down during cooking.
Place churros 2-3 at a time in the cooking oil for 6 minutes, turning after 3 minutes with a spatula or spider. Wait until oil comes back to temperature before adding next batch.
Using a spider or large spatula, remove churros from oil and drain on a cooling rack over parchment or on a paper towel. Wait at least a minute and then toss the churro in the cinnamon sugar, tapping off any excess.
Place sugared churros on a cooling rack with parchment or a sheet pan underneath to catch drips and then drizzle maple glaze onto each churro. Immediately sprinkle with bacon bits so they adhere to glaze.
Allow to cool slightly and enjoy!

Notes

Do not overfill your pastry bag! Fill in two to three batches. If there is too much dough, it will seep out the top and will be hard to pipe.
Slowly pipe out dough all of a consistent size, smaller spots on the churro can cause them to become more fragile while handling and can break in the oil or while coating in sugar.
Churro dough can be piped out onto parchment and covered in the fridge up to 48 hours.
If you want to make you churros immediately after making dough without the chilling time, once oil has reached temp, starting about one inch above the oil, pipe a small line of dough down into oil and either snip end with scissors, or break the dough off the pastry tip on the side of your pan. Follow directions above for frying.
Thicker churros will require a longer cooking time to fully cook through the center. Test one churro first to adjust your cooking time.
Cooking oil can be fine strained and stored again for another use. I strain back into the bottle it came from. Well strained oil can be stored in a cool, dry place and used up to several times.
Churros curling? That could be one of a few reasons. One is that it will naturally shrink and change shape as the dough hits the oil and puffs up. I found that the stiffer dough from sitting in the fridge resulted in straighter churros while fresher dough tending to curl more. Also, if you’re using a circular pot like a dutch oven, churros may rest against the inside edge of the pan while cooking causing them to take on the curved shape of the pan. To prevent this, nudge your churro with the spider or spatula immediately after placing in oil when it pops back up to the surface. Continue to nudge gently back and forth for about 20-40 seconds or until the dough has gotten stiff in the oil.

DCA

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