Location: Mainstreet Bake Shop – Magic Kingdom – Walt Disney World

Source: Mickey’s Gourmet Cooking Cookbook

 

Hello Beautiful Bakers!

I’m a super avid Disney Podcast listener. Whenever I’m walking from one place to another, or going for a run, I’m listening to someone talk about Disney.

I’ve been lucky to write for numerous Disney websites over the years. I’ve also had the pleasure to appear as a guest on different Disney podcasts too. I’ve even recently been invited to be a regular contributor talking about Disney foods on a new one. I’m like Kanye West checking out his reflection. It’s something I love to participate in.

Since the Disney community has been so welcoming to me, I thought it would be neat to give back a little bit. This site may be new but I can still use it to say thank you.

I thought it would be fun to start a series where I pick a new podcast or site to showcase. I’d spend some time getting to know their material and learning about what makes them unique and special. When I feel like I have a grasp on them, I’ll write a piece about them.  Nothing hard hitting. More of a showcase. I’ll also ask them what their favorite snack is and create that recipe for the blog post. This is a recipe site after all. Sounds fun right? Maybe I’ll find one I never knew I needed in my life and maybe you will too.

 

Lately, I have been listening to Daily Disney Blog so that seems like a great place to start. I’ve been a pretty regular listener to this podcast because I’m trying to catch up on old episodes. Since I’ve been marathoning them, I feel like I already have a decent grasp on what they are all about. With that being said, I’ve behind on some episodes so if all hell broke loose with them, please forgive me. Maybe a fight broke out between the two about Dole Whips and Citrus Swirls. For the record, I’m on team Dole Whip. Especially since you can get one with rum in it now.

The Podcast hosted by two friends Brad and Josh, and they have a comfortable flow between them. I get the impression it’s Brad’s child, but Josh seems like a good stepparent. I have to admit I was confused by the name at the start because it’s not a daily podcast. Then I thought it was because they live the “Disney Life” since people in the Disney community love to say that. That still wasn’t the reason though. I guess Brad used to write a blog every day and that’s where the name came from. Sort of anticlimactic so I’ll make up a reason in my head. Let’s pretend they go to the parks every day and have some wild adventures. Their adventures are so crazy they need to speak about them every day.

I think I really fell in love with these guys when they announced they were attending their first media event. They were both so excited and I was honestly excited for them. I remember my first Disney media event. I was covering an advanced movie premiere for another Disney blog. The editor of The Disney Driven Life asked me to and I was so nervous. I couldn’t believe when I arrived that my name was on the media guest list. Disney had invited some special guests, and I felt like the new kid in school. I was in the right place but not sure if everyone else could sense I was new.

When I walked into the theater there were seats that had signs saying “media seating”. I felt so important and so cool. I wanted to bring one of those signs home. My husband talked me out of it. I couldn’t even take a picture of it because Disney had taken our cell phones before we came in.

I was trying to act like I belonged there, but inside me, I couldn’t help but feel like I made it. Years later it all seems so silly but back then it was such a big deal. I know these guys felt the same way. I couldn’t help but be happy for them when I heard their excitement. Happiness is contagious like that.

Oh and if you have a moment check out The Disney Driven Life. It’s run by a lady named Maria and she is hands down one of the nicest people you will ever meet. I can’t think of anything but wonderful things to say about her and about her team. They are all fantastic. They are true Disney fans and a true Disney family over there.

 

Ok back to a Podcast and a treat.

Well, my Podcast and a snack idea are not starting out very well. I’ve actually been sitting on this idea for months. A few months ago I messaged them on Instagram to ask them my question. Ya, that’s right, I slid into their DM like that. Isn’t that what all the kids are saying these days? One of them answered me and asked me to clarify my question, I did, and I still haven’t received a response. Did I get ghosted by a podcast? Nah, I’m just going to assume they had to wash their hair or something… maybe had an extended nap… um… it was most likely some important Disney secret business.

Joking aside, people get busy and running a podcast takes a ton of time. I probably just fell through the cracks of daily life… their Daily Disney life… see what I did that? huh, huh? Ok, it was bad, let’s move on.

Today we’ll be making Gourmet Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies from the Main Street Bake Shop in the Magic Kingdom. I’ll assume they love them. Everyone loves cookies right? These were from the pre-Starbucks days of course. If you haven’t tried them before, they are 100% delicious.

Let’s get right into it and make some cookies. Cookies are always fun to make.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 cup white sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 cup flour

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 packages (18 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Sounds delicious already right?

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.

2. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla and cocoa powder.

I recommend letting the (room temperature) butter mixture mix for a while before continuing. Let it do its thing while you are scaling out the other ingredients. It will give you a much lighter and better result. A lot of people will just mix it for a second and move on to the next step.

3. Now stir in the remaining ingredients. You want to make sure everything is mixed really well. So easy right?

4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. This part always drives me nuts. I know it’s important. I know the cookies will bake better and hold their shape properly as a result, but I always want to jump right to the baking part.

This does give us the opportunity to talk about our new friends Brad and Josh. Ok friends is a loose term. Since I have heard so many things about them, and they know nothing about me, does that make me more of a stalker? I promise there is no hiding in bushes outside windows involved. I swear. OK maybe once, but you can’t prove anything.

These guys are pretty funny people. I like the way the conversation flows between them. You can tell they are friends in real life. So often you’ll hear podcasts where the hosts only communicate when on air. They don’t hang out in real life. That doesn’t seem to be the case with these guys. They seem to have a genuine connection. The gentlemen have a few different types of episodes; dining adventures, Star Wars themed, general Disney news… They have something for everyone. They seem to be the most excited when talking about Star Wars. Sounds like my husband actually. They would probably all get along well.

Let’s continue with the baking.

5. Make 1 tsp balls and place them on your ungreased cookie sheet. Make sure of course to leave enough room for them. I love how every cookie recipe says that. Like you would ever pill them on top of each other or something. Just one Jenga tower of chocolate cookie dough. That sounds right.

6. Bake for about 6-7 minutes, remove from oven, cool on pan for a few minutes and then transfer to a metal rack to cool completely before eating. They are so good that you will want to eat them straight out of the oven.

This recipe should make 2 dozen Disney says but it was more like 18-20 for me. Do recipes ever make the amount they are supposed to make?

I encourage you to check out the guys at The Daily Disney Blog. Check here to check them out. 

Happy Baking Friends! Love you guys!