EPCOT Festival of the Holidays 2019 Booths and Menus

I am sooooo excited about Festival of the Holidays at EPCOT in Disney World! This will be my first year to attend, and I love Christmas. Festival of the Holidays features holiday foods from around the world. Festival of the Holidays runs from November 29 through December 30th of this year.

Like the Food and Wine Festival, I like to look at the booths, locations, and menus to plan for what I want to try. The menus feature small plates of foods. It looks like more desserts are featured at this EPCOT festival; there's even a cookie crawl. I am really excited to experience Festival of the Holidays and sample the food!

Here are the booths and menus for the 2019 Festival of the Holidays.

L’Artisans des Glaces (in France)

• Glace au Pain d’Epices: Gingerbread Ice Cream with Gingerbread Pieces (kid-approved)

American Holiday Table 

• Slow-Roasted Turkey with Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and Cranberry Sauce (kid-approved)

• Hand-carved Smoked Ham with Green Beans and Sweet Potato Casserole (gluten-friendly and kid-approved)

• Chocolate Pecan Tart with Whipped Cream and Whisky-caramel Sauce (vegetarian)

• Gingerbread Cookie

Beverages:

• Hot Cocoa (non-alcoholic) (kid-approved)

Bavaria Holiday Kitchen (near Germany)

• Potato Dumpling with Mushroom Sauce (kid-approved)

• Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce and Spaetzle

• Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl with Fresh Steamed Baby Vegetables and Marble Potatoes (kid-approved)

• Black Forest Roulade with Cherry Whipped Cream

• Linzer Cookie

Boulagnerie Patisserie Les Halles (in France)

• Bûche de Noël au Chocolat: Chocolate Christmas Log with Chocolate Orange Cream Mousse and Chocolate Crunch Biscuit (kid-approved)

Canada Popcorn Cart

• Pecan Maple Bark with Maple Sugar

Feast of the Three Kings (near Port of Entry)

• Pastelón: Sofrito-marinated Beef with Sweet Plantains and Olives (gluten-friendly)

• Queso Fresco-stuffed Arepa topped with Shrimp, Crushed Avocado Aji and Tomato Sauce (gluten-friendly)

• Arepas topped with Melted Queso Fresco (gluten-friendly and kid-approved)

• Tres Leches Rice Pudding with Pumpkin Seeds (gluten-friendly)

• Chocolate Crinkle Cookie

Beverages: 

• Coquito: Tropical Eggnog (non-alcoholic) (kid-approved)

Fife & Drum Tavern (near the American Adventure)

• Holiday Apple Pie Sundae with Soft-serve Ice Cream, Caramel Sauce and Crunchy Streusel Topping (kid-approved)

Funnel Cake (near the American Adventure)

• Pumpkin Spice Funnel Cake

Holiday Sweets and Treats (near Port of Entry)

• Peppermint Sundae: Chocolate Ice Cream, Whipped Cream and Peppermint Candy (gluten-friendly and kid-approved)

Beverages:

• Hot Cocoa (non-alcoholic) (kid-approved)

• Chocolate Peppermint Shake Featuring Twinings® Peppermint Cheer Tea (non-alcoholic)

L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen (between Morocco and France)

• Pastrami on Rye with House-made Pickles and Deli Mustard

• Smoked Salmon Potato Latkes

• Potato Latkes with Sour Cream (kid-approved)

• Sufganiyot: Mini Jelly-filled Donuts

• Black and White Cookie

Beverages:

• Egg Cream: Milk, Chocolate Syrup and Seltzer (non-alcoholic)

Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen (in Mexico)

• Giant Tostada de Puerco: Braised Pork served on a Giant Tostada with Chipotle Black Bean Spread, Guajillo Sauce, Queso Fresco, Crema Mexicana, Pickled Onion and topped with Chicharron Dust (gluten-friendly)

• Tamal de Pollo: Braised Chipotle Chicken served in a Corn Masa with Yellow Mole and topped with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Queso Cotija and Crema Mexicana (gluten-friendly and kid-approved)

• Horchata Cheesecake: Creamy Rice Cheesecake served with Cajeta Sauce

Le Marche De Noel Holiday Kitchen (in France)

• Rillette de Saumon: Salmon Spread with House-made Bread

• Bouchée à la Reine Traditionnelle: Turkey and Mushrooms in a Veloute Cream Sauce served in a Light Puff Pastry

• Bûche de Noël au Chocolat “Christmas Log”: Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Caramel Ganache (kid-approved)

Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe (in Norway)

• Traditional Holiday Rice Cream

Refreshment Outpost (between China and Germany)

• Warm Caramel-Stuffed Salted Pretzel with Soft-Serve Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce (kid-approved)

Refreshment Port (near Port of Entry)

• Turkey Poutine: Sweet Potato Fries with Turkey Gravy, Cranberry Relish and Crispy Onions

• T.G. Lee Eggnog (non-alcoholic)

Sapphire Holiday Kitchen (in Morocco)

• Grilled Lamb Kefta Kebab and Grapes with Euro Cucumber, Red Pepper, Pickled Pearl Onions and Harissa-Cilantro Dressing

• Confit of Chermoula Chicken Drum with Cinnamon Granny Smith Apple, Toasted Almonds, Brussels Sprouts and Pinot Noir Glaze

• Sfenj: Warm Beignets, Cream with Cinnamon Sugar, and Chocolate Sauce

Shanghai Holiday Kitchen (in China)

• Pork and Vegetable Egg Rolls (kid-approved)

• Mongolian Beef Bao Bun and a Fortune Cookie

• Celebration Barbecue Pork with Steamed Rice and a Fortune Cookie

• Chengdu Street Fries

Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen (in Japan)

• New Year Celebration Soba: Buckwheat Soba Noodles in Hot Dashi Soup with Kakiage (Vegetable Tempura) and Chopped Green Onion

• Chirashi Sushi Tree: Sashimi-grade Tuna, Salmon, Ikura and Yellowtail with Vegetables decorated on a bed of Rice

• Matcha Crème Brûlée: Creamy Green Tea Custard with a Caramelized Sugar Crust topped with Mochi, Red Bean Jam and Strawberry

Beverages:

• Ichigo Milk Boba: Strawberry Cream Drink with Japanese Calpico and popping Strawberry Boba Pearls (non-alcoholic)

Tuscany Holiday Kitchen (in Italy)

• Bianca Neve: Italian Flatbread, Mozzarella and Parmesan (kid-approved)

• La Genovese: Rustic Flatbread, Vidalia Onions, White Wine Braised Beef Tenderloin Tips and Mozzarella

• Collezione Barilla: Pennette Pasta, Sweet Sausage, Caramelized Onions and Creamy Sauce (kid-approved)

• Crespelle di Mele: Cinnamon Apple Fritters and a Vanilla Sauce Drizzle with Confectioners Sugar

• Bacio al Cioccolato: Warm Hazelnut Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Berry Sauce

• Panettone Mignon: Miniature Traditional Italian Christmas Fruitcake

UK Tea Caddy

• Twinings Iced Christmas Toddy: Twinings Iced Christmas Tea with Honey (non-alcoholic) (kid-approved)

Yukon Holiday Kitchen (in Canada)

• Seared Verlasso® Salmon with Crown Maple Whisky Glaze, Parsnip Silk, Apple Chutney and Hazelnut Croquant

• Canadian Wild Rice and Ham Soup with Almonds served with a Pretzel Roll

• Maple Bûche de Noël: Maple Mousse rolled in Gingerbread Chiffon Cake with Cranberry Sauce and Pecan Crumble (kid-approved)

• Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie

Beverages:

• Frozen Coffee (non-alcoholic)

For more tips, encouragement, and recipes for a healthy lifestyle, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

These cookies are a deep, dark chocolate with more chocolate chips for the person that loves, well, chocolate. They’re almost brownie-like and super delicious! I made these for the first time for the 4^thof July, kind of the opposite of what I traditionally think of a Summer dessert – not light or airy or fully of berries, but deeply chocolatey. And, sometimes you just need a little (or a lot) of chocolate. These cookies are a great make-ahead for the holidays as they freeze well.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10-11 minutes

Ingredients (Adapted from Pioneer Woman's Triple Chocolate Cookies)

2 ½ sticks butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups AP flour

¾ cups unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder)

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325*F.

Add butter to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for 2-3 minutes until pale yellow and fluffy. Add sugar, beat 2 minutes until fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, salt, and baking powder.

Slowly add cocoa powder to prevent it from coming out of the mixing bowl. Add flour slowly. Add chocolate chips. Mix until just combined.

Use a medium-sized cookie scoop or 1 1/2 Tablespoon of dough to portion cookies and place on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake for 10-11 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

This cookie dough freezes well. Simply scoop cookies onto a baking tray lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Freeze for 50-60 minutes. Remove from tray and place in a zip-top freezer bag. Label with baking time and temperature. These should last about 3 months in the freezer. To bake frozen dough, let cookie dough defrost in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Then, bake at 325*F for 10-11 minutes.

For more tips, encouragement, and recipes for a healthy lifestyle, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Favorite Foods

It's autumn, which means it's finally time for EPCOT Food and Wine Festival. This is the second time I've been to Food and Wine Fest. 

Here's what we tried and what we loved!

Active Eats

• Loaded Mac and cheese with Nuesk'es pepper bacon, cheddar, and leeks
• This is a cheesy, filling dish. I love the green onions on top. My husband loves a breadcrumb topping.

• Spice-crusted Verlasse Salmon with Uncle Ben's quinoa and ancient grains medley, crushed avocado and sherry vinegar
• This is a good-size portion of salmon. The salmon was cooked perfectly; it has a great crust and is tender on the inside. There is a tangy, vinegary dressing on the gun and ancient grains medley that is light and refreshing. I would have loved more avocado.

Africa

• Kenyan coffee barbecue beef tenderloin with sweet potato and corn mealie pap and kachumbari slaw
• The beef was tender and had great flavor. The sweet potato and corn mealie pap were a good accompaniment. 

Australia

• Roasted lamb chop with sweet potato puree, bush berry pea salad and pistachio-pomegranate gremolata.
• This was another one of my top pics; the lamb chop from Australia. It was great in 2018. And, I love the lamb chop this year! The lamb chop is tender and juicy. The pistachios are crisp. The pomegranate drizzle was a little tangy and the sweet potato puree was creamy, smooth, and surprisingly sweet.

Canada

• Le Cellier wild mushroom beef filet mignon with truffle-butter sauce
• This was one of my husband's favorites. Tender beef filet mignon with a fragrant truffle-butter sauce and mushrooms. He said it rivals the steaks at Le Cellier and maybe even beats it because of the truffle butter sauce.  Sidenote - definitely try Le Cellier; it's one of my favorite table service restaurants.

Cheese Studio

• Black pepper Boursin soufflé with fig marmalade
• This was delightful. Cheesy, soft soufflé paired with sweet and sticky marmalade - so good! Also, you earn a cheese stamp toward a free cheesecake with this dish. 

• Maple bourbon cheesecake with maple bourbon cream, caramel and pecan crunch
• This cheesecake was fluffy, and I loved the pecan crunch topping. It had a little too much maple for me, but my husband loved the maple. If you are a fan of maple, this is the dessert for you. 

Chocolate Studio

• Liquid nitro chocolate-almond truffle with warm whiskey caramel
• This was a super rich, extremely decadent frozen chocolate mousse. This dessert was refreshingly cool and very filling. If you love chocolate mousse, this is the dessert for you.

Donut Box

• Strawberry smoothie made with Blue Diamond Almond Breeze almond milk 
• This reminded us of the strawberry smoothie from Almond Breeze Orchard in 2018. Since that booth did not return, we were glad the smoothie did. We had the smoothie twice in 2018, and this 2019 smoothie did not disappoint. It is cool, fruity and refreshing, and you get a bonus of a donut hole!
• Sweet corn fritter with Fresno and red pepper jelly
• I really enjoyed the taste of the corn fritters with pepper jelly. They reminded me of hush puppies and the holiday appetizers with pepper jelly. The only thing was the red pepper jelly was drizzled on top, so my fritters were a little soggy instead of crispy. 

The Donut Box is a new booth this year. It feels like it replaced Taste Track. I like the aesthetics of the booth and the food offerings were tasty. It's a win in my book!

Flavors from Fire

• Steakhouse blended burger with blended beef and mushroom slider, brie cheese fondue, arugula, and truffle and blue cheese potato chip on a brioche bun
• This is what I want all burgers to taste like. I loved the patty made with beef and mushrooms. The potato chip tasted like a potato chip; I didn't get any truffle or blue cheese. I love a brioche bun! And I would have loved a side of the brie cheese fondue; so creamy and delicious!

• Charred chimichurri skirt steak on a smoked corn cake with pickled vegetable slaw and cilantro aioli
• This is another returning bite. We tried it in 2018. It was tender, juicy steak that paired well with the sweet corn cake, pickled slaw, and creamy aioli.

Hops and Barley

• Carrot cake with cream cheese glaze
• This is another returning bite. We tried it in 2018. It was a good, moist dessert with a great combination of autumnal spices. The cream cheese glaze keeps this dessert super moist and makes it decedent.

India

• Warm Indian bread with pickled garlic, mango salsa, and coriander pesto dips.
• This is another returning bite that we tried it in 2018. It was one of my favorites from 2018. I love bread! The flatbread is served warm alongside a trio of dips: a pungent pickled garlic packed with flavor, a sweet and slightly spicy mango salsa, and coriander pesto dip that is fresh and herbaceous.
• If you miss this dish, I highly recommend the bread service at Sanaa at Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge. It has 5 types of flatbread and 9 dips! So delicious!

Islands of the Caribbean 

• Quesito: puff pastry with sweetened cream cheese and guava sauce
• This is a delicious dessert. The puff pastry is airy and crisp. The cream cheese is lightly sweetened and pairs well with the sweet and slightly tangy guava sauce. I think this is a dessert that could be recreated at home.

Italy

• Costine di Maiale: balsamic-glazed and oven-roasted pork ribs
• The ribs! They were tender and flavorful. I loved the balsamic glaze. And they were surprisingly lean, which was great.

Mexico

• Capirotada de chocolate: chocolate bread pudding served with chocolate Abuelita creme anglaise
• We are a bread pudding-type family. I love bread pudding, and I love chocolate. The Abuelita chocolate has a little bit of cinnamon in it and reminds me of our time in Texas. I don't normally prefer common with my chocolate, but the cinnamon was faint and super tasty! 

Morroco

• Spicy hummus fries with cucumber, tomatoes, onions, tatziki and chipotle sauce.
• These are fried rectangles, aka "fries," of hummus. with a spicy chipotle sauce and refreshing tzatziki and veggies. I really enjoyed this dish. It's crunchy, spicy, but has the veggies and tzatziki sauce to cool everything down. Super tasty!
• Chocolate baklava
• I like chocolate and baklava, but I didn't love this dish. I think I would have enjoyed more chocolate or filling to the phyllo dough. Not bad; just not my favorite.

Refreshment Port

• Duck confit poutine with fig Demi sauce and brie cheese fondue.
• I LOVE this poutine! I love every single ingredient and the combination was terrific. There's a great ratio of toppings to fries. It's a dish where you get different combinations every time you take a bite. It was delicious! Melty brie, slightly sweet and rich fig Demi sauce - yum!

• Beef brisket poutine
• This is one of the menu items for Refreshment Port, not specifically for Food and Wine Festival. This was one of my husband's favorites. This poutine has beef brisket, beer-cheese sauce, poutine gravy, and crispy onions. Super tasty, gooey melty cheese, and crispy onions. How can that be bad?

Shimmering Sips Mimosa Bar

• Strawberry soft serve in a waffle cone
• This was a cool, refreshing strawberry soft serve with pink sugar and sprinkles. It was good but not super special. Also, it was so hot that day; the poor soft-serve did not stand a chance for a beauty shot.

• Banana almond soft-serve sundae made with Blue Diamond almond breeze almond milk, fresh berries, and chocolate almond streusel
• This was super tasty but kind of confusing. I think I wanted it to taste like a dessert, but it tastes like the best breakfast parfait! The soft-serve is smooth and creamy, the berries are fresh and bright, and the streusel is crunchy. It was very banana forward. If you need breakfast at Food and Wine Fest, I encourage you to try this dish.

Sommerfest

• Peach frangipane tart
• This tart was delightful. It has a tender, buttery, crumbly crust. It's filled with tender peaches and frangipane. Frangipane is an almond-flavored pastry cream. The taste of the frangipane reminds me of wedding cake because of the almond flavor. So delicious! 

Thailand

• Marinated chicken with peanut sauce and stir-fried vegetables
• My husband loved this. Tender chicken and vegetables with a super flavorful sauce. 

Wine and Dine Studio

• Butternut squash ravioli
• Y'all - I've said before, and I'll say it again. This dish is so good! I had it twice in 2018 and was so glad it returned this year. The butternut squash ravioli is perfectly al dente. It was topped with browned butter, Parmesan cheese, pumpkin seeds, and a balsamic vinaigrette. So good! I may try to recreate it at home.

Top Bites
My husband's top 3 bites include: Le Cellier wild mushroom beef filet mignon with truffle butter sauce from Canada, balsamic-glazed ribs from Italy, marinated chicken with peanut sauce and stir-fried vegetables from Thailand.
My top 5 bites include: black pepper Boursin soufflé with fig marmalade from the Cheese Studio, balsamic-glazed ribs from Italy, duck confit poutine with fig Demi sauce and brie cheese fondue from Refreshment Port, the peach frangipane tart from Sommerfest, and the butternut squash ravioli from Wine and Dine Studio.

If you have a chance to visit Disney World in the fall, I would highly encourage you to stop by EPCOT's Food and Wine Festival. It's one of my favorite autumnal Disney experiences. Food and Wine Festival is a great way to try new flavors and foods from around the world. The small plates are often based on dishes served at Disney restaurants. So, it's a great, less expensive way to try different foods. I love that you get to try so many different foods, like a progressive dinner. 

I want to hear from you! Did you go to EPCOT's Food and Wine Festival? What are your top food picks? What's your favorite booth? Did I miss your favorite?

This year, Food and Wine Festival runs from August 29 through November 23, 2019. So, there's still time to sample all of this year's foods. 

For more tips, encouragement, and recipes for a healthy lifestyle, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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