For food lovers, a theme park’s appeal may be less about the rides and more about the menu, where the theme is often just as strong. Universal Theme Parks bring all your favorite Harry Potter offerings to life, for example, and Disney World answers a question that Beauty and the Beast fans have been asking for years: What exactly is that grey stuff?
Dolly Parton’s Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is no exception. The park has long been lauded for its hearty Southern comfort food, from classics like fried green tomatoes to cult favorites like pull-apart cinnamon bread. And thanks to The Unofficial Dollywood Cookbook, coming from Adams Media this April 4, you’ll soon be able to enjoy its many mouthwatering dishes at home.
The cookbook was created by Brownie Bites blogger Erin Browne, who lives with her family in Knoxville, Tennessee, less than an hour’s drive from Dollywood. There are 100 recipes in total, based on menu items from various eateries across park premises. Can’t stop thinking about the barbecue pork sandwich you once ate at Hickory House BBQ in Craftsman’s Valley? Browne can teach you how to recreate it in your own kitchen, no smoker necessary. Did the orange cream milkshake from Red’s Drive-In evoke the same joy that the Creamsicles of your childhood once did? You can relive that feeling with a few ingredients and a blender (of course, there’s also nothing stopping you from buying yourself a box of Creamsicles).
The recipes feature tips to help ensure that your results are as close to the real McCoy as possible. If you want your chocolate chunk cookies to be as dense as those from Showstreet’s Spotlight Bakery, for example, you shouldn’t skip chilling the cookie dough.
The Unofficial Dollywood Cookbook is a fitting tribute to Dolly Parton herself, a woman just as skilled in the kitchen as she is on stage (and basically everywhere else, too). Her trick for fluffy scrambled eggs alone has the potential to change your breakfast game forever.
You can pre-order your copy of the cookbook now from Amazon ($21).