Recipe for Passion Fruit Mousse With Dragon Fruit Jam

Disney is continuing to share more Disney Parks recipes and this one is from the new Vibrante & Vívido Food Studio at this year’s Taste of EPCOT Festival of the Arts! We’re looking forward to making this one at home.

From a Disney Cast Member;

New Year, new food studio at the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts! That’s how the saying goes right?

Vibrante & Vívido Food Studio is the new addition to this year’s festival and the food featured is definitely vibrant, vivid and oh so colorful and full of flavors inspired by different cuisines in South America.

Located between Morocco & France, the food studio includes Latin-inspired dishes like a Chilled Seafood Cocktail with Octopus, Scallops, Shrimp, Black Garlic Aïoli, Tomato-Coconut Sauce, and Serrano-Lime Oil; a Blue Corn Pupusa-stuffed with Cheese and topped with Shredded Pork, Guajillo and Árbol Chile Sauce, Cabbage Slaw, and Aji Amarillo Crema (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) and a Passion Fruit Mousse with Dragon Fruit Jam.

Some of the beverages that you can find at this new studio are a coconut and passion fruit smoothie (non-alcoholic), a frozen piña colada and a passion fruit daiquiri.

For those at home that would love to make one of these dishes at home, here’s a recipe for the Mousse de Maracuya con Pitaya Roja Jam.

MOUSSE DE MARACUYA CON PITAYA ROJA (PASSION FRUIT MOUSSE WITH DRAGON FRUIT JAM)

Makes 12 Servings 

Dragon Fruit Jam 

  • 1 (12 ounce) bag frozen red dragon fruit
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

Mousse de Maracuya 

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup passion fruit purée
  • 1 cup chopped white chocolate
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • Reserved dragon fruit jam

Sugar Cookies 

  • 3/4 cups butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Dragon Fruit Glaçage 

  • 15 gelatin sheets
  • 2 cups ice water
  • 1 1/4 cups frozen red dragon fruit
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 4 cups chopped white chocolate

Passion Fruit Sauce 

  • 2/3 cup passion fruit purée
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

For Dragon Fruit Jam:

  1. Combine dragon fruit, sugar, and lime juice in small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until liquid begins to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick.
  2. Place in medium bowl and cool for 30 minutes. Blend with immersion blender until smooth.
  3. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For Mousse de Maracuya:

  1. Combine sugar and passion fruit purée in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until hot but not boiling.
  2. Place white chocolate in medium glass bowl. Pour hot passion fruit mixture on top and rest for 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  4. Whip heavy cream in bowl of electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into chilled passion fruit mixture.
  5. Transfer mousse to piping bag fitted with large round tip.
  6. Fill twelve 3 1/4 x 2 1/8 x 1 1/4-inch rectangular silicone molds half way full with mousse.
  7. Pour reserved dragon fruit jam into piping bag fitted with small round tip. Carefully pipe a thick strip of jam into the center of each mold, being careful to avoid the edges.
  8. Fill each mold with remaining mousse, filling to top.
  9. Freeze for a least 4 hours, or overnight.

For Sugar Cookies:

  1. Cream together butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add eggs and vanilla and beat on medium speed until mixed. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix on low speed until soft dough forms.
  2. Cover and chill dough in refrigerator for at least one hour.
  3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats.
  4. Roll dough on floured surface into 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Cut into twelve 3 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch rectangles.
  5. Place 6 cookies on each baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
  6. Cool completely.
  7. Once cookies are cool, place all 12 cookies on parchment-lined baking sheet. Set aside.

For Dragon Fruit Galçage: 

  1. Bloom gelatin sheets in ice water.
  2. Heat dragon fruit and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat until boiling.
  3. Drain excess water from gelatin sheets.
  4. Add gelatin and sweetened condensed milk to boiling sugar mixture.
  5. Place chopped white chocolate in large bowl. Pour warm mixture over white chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes.
  6. Carefully blend with immersion blender until chocolate and dragon fruit are smooth.
  7. Cool to 90°F.

For Passion Fruit Sauce:

  1. Place passion fruit purée, lime juice, and sugar in small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, until boiling.
  2. Simmer for 5 minutes, until sauce thickens and begins to reduce.
  3. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before use.

To serve: 

  1. Remove frozen mousse from molds. Place on baking sheet lined with silicone baking mat.
  2. Pour 2 1/2 cups of the 90°F dragon fruit glaçage into liquid measuring cup. Carefully pour on top of the frozen mousse, making sure edges and sides are covered. Set in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  3. Reheat remaining glaçage in a saucepan over low heat until it reaches 90°F. Pour into liquid measuring cup and pour over mousse for a second coat.
  4. Place one mousse onto the center of each cookie. If mousse is too soft, place in freezer for 10 minutes before moving. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  5. Place 1 tablespoon of passion fruit syrup on each plate. Spread evenly into a circle with a pastry brush or by pressing the flat edge of drinking glass against the syrup.
  6. Place cookie with mousse on sauce to serve.

Cook’s Note: Refrigerate any leftover jam in a sealed container – it’s delicious spread on warm buttered toast.

Disney Cruise Line Announces Return of Marvel Day at Sea & Star Wars Day at Sea in 2022

In 2022, two epic adventures at sea return to Disney Cruise Line with limited engagements of Marvel Day at Sea (Disney Magic) and Star Wars Day at Sea (Disney Fantasy). In 2019, we thoroughly enjoyed our Marvel Day at Sea and fell in love with Disney Cruise Line. 

Marvel Day at Sea – Disney Magic

Guests can combine the excitement of a Disney cruise to the Caribbean and Bahamas with the thrills of renowned Marvel comics, films and animated series for an action-packed, day-long celebration of the Marvel Universe on the following special 5-night Disney Magic sailings out of Miami, Florida:

  • January 8, 20225-Night Western Caribbean Cruise
  • January 17, 20225-Night Bahamian Cruise
  • January 22, 20225-Night Western Caribbean Cruise
  • January 31, 20225-Night Bahamian Cruise
  • February 5, 20225-Night Western Caribbean Cruise
  • February 14, 20225-Night Western Caribbean Cruise
  • February 19, 20225-Night Bahamian Cruise
  • February 28, 20225-Night Bahamian Cruise
  • March 5, 20225-Night Western Caribbean Cruise

Star Wars Day at Sea – Disney Fantasy

Guests can celebrate the legendary adventures and iconic characters from the Star Wars saga during a day at sea on the following 7-night Disney Fantasy sailings from Port Canaveral, Florida, to the Caribbean and a galaxy far, far away:

  • January 8, 20227-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
  • January 15, 20227-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
  • January 22, 20227-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
  • January 29, 20227-Night Western Caribbean Cruise
  • February 5, 20227-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
  • February 12, 20227-Night Western Caribbean Cruise
  • February 19, 20227-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
  • February 26, 20227-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
  • March 5, 20227-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise

Former Disney Accountant Suing the Walt Disney Company in Federal Court

Via wdwnt.com

Sandra Kuba, a former Walt Disney Company senior financial analyst who had previously filed complaints about the company to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, is now suing the Walt Disney Company.

Kuba has filed a federal lawsuit against Burbank, California-based Disney Financial Services on Tuesday on accusations that she was fired after she raised red flags on the company’s accounting practices. In the lawsuit, Kuba seeks unspecified damages, including back pay and attorney’s fees, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Kuba previously filed a series of complaints to the SEC as well as a whistleblower-retaliation complaint with the Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Disney claims that Kuba was fired because “she displayed a pattern of workplace complaints against co-workers without a reasonable basis for doing so, in a manner that was inappropriate, disruptive and in bad faith.”

The new federal lawsuit reveals that Kuba believed Disney was manipulating its books. Kuba said she noticed revenue reported several times for the same transaction and “nonsense entries that camouflaged the altered transactions flow created by Financial Systems.” The department that runs Disney’s internal control and fraud investigation added more “guest inconvenience promotion charge codes” instead of auditing the figures, which resulted in recorded revenue that did not exist and needed to be reversed,” Kuba said in the lawsuit.

“On a number of occasions throughout her career, (Kuba) reported her concerns about Disney’s policies, practices, and procedures that she genuinely and reasonably believed were unethical, improper or illegal to Disney’s management,” the lawsuit states. “Each time, (Kuba) suffered from harassment, hostility, and retaliation as a result.”

Kuba filed the SEC whistleblower complaint in August 2017, while she was out on medical leave. When she returned back to work the following month, she was fired. She then filed a Human Resources retaliation complaint with the company.

Kuba believes that “Disney terminated her employment as a direct result of both her internal complaints and her SEC whistleblower complaint,” per the lawsuit. “Throughout her employment at Disney, (Kuba) worked incredibly hard and consistently received positive performance reviews.”

However, a Disney spokesperson told MarketWatch in 2019 that “the claims presented to us by this former employee — who was terminated for cause in 2017 — have been thoroughly reviewed by the company and found to be utterly without merit; in fact, in 2018 she withdrew the claim she had filed challenging her termination. We’re not going to dignify her unsubstantiated assertions with further comment.” The spokesperson at the time also claimed that Kuba’s recent claim is “utterly without merit.”

The Walt Disney Company has called the new lawsuit “meritless” and plans to fight it in court.

Anaheim City Council Votes in Favor of California Assembly Bill To Accelerate Disneyland Reopening

The Anaheim City Council has voted in favor of allowing large theme parks to open at the same time as their smaller counterparts.

Sleeping Beauty Castle – Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland is the centerpiece of Fantasyland, and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. Surrounded by beautiful flowers and whimsical topiary, the Disneyland landmark beckons park visitors to explore the different realms of the place “Where Dreams Come True.” Walt Disney wanted this castle to be a friendly and welcoming presence in his park so it was built on a smaller scale than its European counterparts. (Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort)

The Anaheim City Council voted 6-1 on Tuesday to support a state assembly bill that would alter the reopening guidelines for theme parks, The Voice of OC reports. The bill would allow large theme parks to reopen in the moderate tier instead of the minimal one.

This bill introduced by assembly member Sharon Quirk-Silva would put the opening of Disneyland Resort into tier 3 of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, while it is currently in tier 4.

This would effectively speed up the opening of Disneyland Resort, as the resort would be allowed to open a tier earlier than currently scheduled. Smaller theme parks are currently allowed to reopen with a 25% capacity in tier 3. The passing of this bill would allow large theme parks like Disneyland to do the same.

Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu is also in favor of the bill.

“Nobody is saying we want to reopen Disneyland today,” Mayor Sidhu said. “This legislation does not seek to change the tiers. It only expresses that large theme parks with the bigger footprints and significantly greater resources to establish safety protocols should be able to open in the same tier as the small parks.”

The Anaheim City Council supported the bill in a 6-1 vote. Jose Moreno, the council member who voted no, stated he did so due to his worries about public health.

“If we urge legislation to allow theme parks to open of any size, we’re basically saying that COVID is in the same context at Adventure City in Stanton as it would be at Disneyland,” Moreno said.