These Brands Are Spilling the Secret Recipes of Their Signature Foods During the Pandemic

Unsurprisingly, that newfound cooking hobby has led to a notable increase in traffic to food websites during the pandemic. AllRecipes.com, Food52, Bon Appétit and BuzzFeed’s Tasty have all seen a spike in recipe demo and how-to-video views.

Previously, we’ve shared how to make DoubleTree by Hilton’s beloved chocolate chip cookies, as well as a “recipe” (more like a list of ingredients with cooking methods open to interpretation) by Burger King France for a “Quarantine Whopper.” BK France also shared ingredient lists for menu items exclusively found in the fast-food chain’s French locations.

Amid the uncertainty of when things will “return to normalcy” in a post-pandemic world, other food brands have been spilling the secrets for some of their most famous dishes and treats. Here are a few:

Disney’s Churro Bites

It’s no exaggeration that millions of people have bitten into the sweet sensation that is a Disney cinnamon churro, available at all Disney parks worldwide. Though all these themed locations are temporarily closed due to Covid-19, at least families who had planned trips can recreate the magic of Disney’s beloved churros at home. The recipe was released on April 5 on the Disney Parks Blog.

Ingredients (serves four):  

• 1 cup water
• 8 tablespoons butter
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups vegetable or canola oil
• ½ cup sugar
• Favorite dipping sauce

Instructions: 

1. Combine water, butter, salt, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon in a 1 ½-quart saucepan over medium heat. Bring pot to a boil, and then reduce heat to low.
2. Add flour to the pot and stir until mix forms into a ball. Remove the pot from heat and let rest for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add eggs to the pot and stir until combined; set aside.
4. Heat oil in a medium skillet or 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat (or until temperature reaches 350 F).
5. Spoon dough into a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe 1-inch strip of dough over the saucepan, cut and drop into hot oil. Repeat until the churro bites fill the saucepan with additional room to fry.
6. Fry the churro bites until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon or mesh spider strainer, and drain the churro bites on a paper towel.
7. Mix sugar and remaining ground cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Toss in the churro bites until coated.
8. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Disney’s Dole Whip Pineapple Frozen Treat

The day after Easter and a week after Disney released its churro recipe, the brand rolled out another park guest favorite on the Disneyland app: the pineapple Dole Whip. While the frozen treat could only be relished in certain locations throughout the Disneyland and Walt Disney World properties pre-coronavirus, now it can be found in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Ingredients:

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

Instructions: 

1. Add ice cream, pineapple juice and frozen pineapple to a blender at low speed, and then increase to high speed. Blend until smooth.
2. Use a piping bag with a star tip to recreate the classic Dole Whip swirl—or use a regular ice cream scooper—and add soft-serve to bowl.

Ikea’s Swedish Meatballs

Trips to Ikea stores aren’t complete without a mid-shopping lunch break to nosh on Swedish Meatballs, but since Ikea’s stores are closed until further notice, the international ready-to-assemble furniture chain has shared the recipe for its signature dish.

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