Can't make it to Flower and Garden Fest? Epcot-style cooking can bloom at home, too
As a child, Anaheim native Ashley Craft fell asleep nightly to the sound of Disneyland fireworks in her bedroom.
She interned at Walt Disney World and, she said, carried her love for Disney magic into adulthood.
So when Craft turned to creating recipes inspired by the food she consumed across Disney parks, including Epcot, the next course she served up should come as no surprise: She writes cookbooks.
In recent years, Craft — whose popular food-stuffed blog is titled Ashley Crafted — has whipped up five theme park cookbooks: four on Disney food and drink and one, on Universal treats, for Simon & Schuster's Unofficial Cookbook line.
"The Unofficial Disney Parks EPCOT Cookbook" was published in 2022, to be followed this fall by "The Unofficial Disney Parks Restaurants Cookbook." Her other two Disney books are "The Unofficial Disney Parks Drink Recipe Book" and "The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook."
Whether you're a regular at Epcot's four seasonal festivals or can't make it to those food-filled extravaganzas, there's a little something for every tastebud among the 100 recipes in the EPCOT book.
Think Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches. Honey Sesame Chicken. Pimm's Cup. Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup.
And then dig in.
A few questions for the author, who lives with her husband, three kids and two kittens and visits Disney parks whenever possible:
How did the cookbooks and individual recipes, come to life — and have you made and tested every single recipe?
My path in life has certainly been "pixie-dusted" with my background. I have always loved Disney and wanted to keep Disney part of my life into adulthood. This began with blogging and then eventually I decided that I wanted to try to write and publish a cookbook — and now I've published four.
When I work on a recipe, it starts with tasting it at the parks and doing as much research on site as possible, like asking what is in it, any interesting facts about the food or location, how popular the item is, etc. Then I take a ton of notes on the flavors and look and go home and try to recreate it. This includes making the recipe accessible for the most people possible to cook, so using simple ingredients and cooking techniques is key. And yes: I have tested every recipe.
The Epcot book took me a little longer than the other books because I wanted to personally visit each of the seasonal festivals to try the food items. So start to finish, maybe nine months or so to research and write.
Is there a certain food or treat or drink you just “must” have on Epcot trips?
Epcot is such a special place for eating. My favorite activity is to "snack around the world" and get one or two small dishes from each country of the World Showcase and share with family and friends. Then you won't be too full and can try a bit of everything! I really don't eat the same thing twice if I can help it — always get something new, there is always something new!
How many trips do you figure you've made to Epcot, and when was the first? Was there a certain dish that wowed you and are there certain dishes that people most often want to replicate?
Oh boy, at this point I've been to Epcot countless times. Since I did two Disney internships in Florida, I visited Epcot every couple of days! The first visit was when I was in high school and my family went for a visit. It was so cool to see all the performers in each country. I have always loved visiting the shops in the Japan Pavilion. That is still one of my favorite Epcot activities.
Some favorites from Epcot for myself and a lot of Disney fans would be the School Bread of Norway, the Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich in France, and fish and chips from the UK.
Why the Disney-themed cookbooks? What is it about these dishes that spark memories and tastebuds?
I have been a lifelong Disney fan and just can't keep away from the magic that is the Disney Parks. I love Disney movies as much as the next person (OK, maybe a bit more than the next person) but the Disney Parks have always been the true embodiment of "Disney magic" to me. The way you can step away from your real life and into a life-size fantasy world is amazing. And not just the rides — the atmosphere, the smells, the sights, the sounds, the food! It is a whole experience, and I love it. I'm honored that I get to write these cookbooks and share Disney magic with people in their own homes.
You’ve traveled the globe. Have you found, too, that food is a universal shared experience, and do you meet people with their own Disney food stories?
I do love to travel! On a trip to Scotland, I loved trying new foods and understanding the people better through food. Every person on Earth has to eat, but to be human is to share that necessary experience with others in preparing and eating food.
I have had people from around the globe message me about how much they love my books or how happy they are to have access to Disney foods in a place where they can't easily get to a Disney park. I love that these books have the opportunity to transport people to Disney without leaving their homes.
Disney food isn't inexpensive. Any tips on recreating them in the most economical way?
I totally understand! I was raised in a very frugal household, so even though we lived by Disneyland we barely ever bought meals there. We ate soggy sandwiches out of the Jansport backpack. Now I buy all the food for my research and my kids don't know how good they have it. Disney meals can be super pricey and hard to swallow after already shelling out for all the other expenses of the trip. Making the dishes at home is way cheaper than buying them at the theme parks. I typically figure it costs about the same to make an entire batch of something that you would have paid for one serving at Disney. Maybe there was something you passed up on because of expense and want to try it when you get home — now you can.
Does your family understand and share your passion for Disney? And actually eat your Disney creations?
Yes and no. They don't get as excited as children should about an upcoming Disney trip because they go so often. When we go, they know Mommy is working and that photographing, tasting, and notetaking take precedence over rides and shows. But they love when I make the dishes at home and consider themselves part of The Unofficial Taste Testing squad!
Britt Kennerly is education/breaking news editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Kennerly at 321-917-4744 or bkennerly@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bybrittkennerly Facebook: /bybrittkennerly.
Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches (L’Artisan des Glaces, France Pavilion)
Yield: 6 sandwiches
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup almond flour
1 1⁄2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 drops red gel food coloring
2 drops blue gel food coloring
3 cups vanilla ice cream
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites on high speed 1 minute, then add cream of tartar. Whip 1 minute, then add granulated sugar and whip until stiff peaks form, about 4 more minutes. Set aside.
Into a medium bowl, sift almond flour and confectioners’ sugar. Stir to combine. Pour half of mixture into stand mixer bowl and carefully fold in with a spatula. Add remaining flour mixture and fold in until just combined. Scoop equal amounts into two small bowls. Stir red food coloring into one bowl and blue food coloring into the other.
Add mixtures to two large piping bags. Cut the tip off the bottom or fit with a round tip. Squeeze red circles and blue circles about 3" in diameter on prepared baking sheet, leaving 1⁄2" between circles, until batter is used up.
Firmly tap baking sheet against table or countertop about ten times to settle batter and knock out any bubbles. Let sit at room temperature 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake 18–20 minutes until barely brown around outside edges.
Remove from oven and let cool completely on baking sheet, about 20 minutes. Once macarons are cooled, flip red macaron shells. Scoop about 1⁄2 cup ice cream onto each red flipped shell and sandwich with a blue shell. Serve immediately.
Excerpted from The Unofficial Disney Parks EPCOT Cookbook by Ashley Craft. Copyright © 2022 by Ashley Craft. Photos by Harper Point Photography. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Want Epcot edibles but can't hit the park? This cookbook's a treat
