Should Kids eat the Zebra Domes?

[Boston-to-Orlando]

Hi. This is probably a stupid question--but should kids eat the zebra domes if they contain alcohol? I assume it's just a little bit--am I just being crazy to think they shouldn't have it? (or is this just an excuse for me to eat theirs????)

 

[dbmarie]

I believe it is okay because the alcohol is cooked down.

 

[Boston-to-Orlando]

thank you . That makes sense. (I'm not a cook by any means, so I didn't know that)

 

[dbmarie]

I like to think I can cook but my family disagrees .

 

[Tricia1972]

No they shouldn't eat them. They contain raw egg yolks, which are a no-no for children, elderly and pregnant women (I fall into category 3 of this )


Also, looking at the recipe, it looks like the alcohol isn't cooked down much, unless it's mixed with HOT coffee.

Ingredients:

1 pound milk chocolate
¼ cup espresso coffee
5 egg yolks
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
6 sheets gelatin
½ cup Kahlua Liqueur
4 cups heavy cream
¾ cup white chocolate ganache
¼ cup dark chocolate ganache
sponge cake (store-bought or your favorite recipe)


Method:

1. Melt milk chocolate.
2. Whip heavy cream to soft peaks.
3. Mix yolks with sugar.
4. Soften gelatin leaves in cold water.
5. Mix gelatin with Kahlua and coffee. Set bowl over hot water bath to dissolve the gelatin.
6. Fold 1/3 of whipped cream into the chocolate.
7. Add the yolks, then the gelatin mixture.
8. Fold in the rest of the cream.
9. Pour mousse in flexipan domes almost to the top.
10. Place sponge circle (1/4" thick yellow cake cut in a circle) on top. Leave in the freezer to set.
11. Once hard, unmold and place in glazing racks.
12. Make white chocolate ganache and chocolate ganache.
13. Put chocolate ganache in a pastry bag. Ladle white chocolate ganache to cover each dome. Simultaneously, pipe a stripe design of chocolate ganache over the dome.
14. Refrigerate to allow the glaze to set.
15. Decorate the bottom edge with coffee crunch.
16. Place a chocolate covered coffee bean on the center of each dome.

 

[Boston-to-Orlando]

Oh No, Now I'm more confused!
(though I do let my kids 'lick the bowl' when I make cakes' which contain raw egg yolk-I shouldn't do that, but I do).

I hope more people weigh in!

I did let my 5 year old daughter have zebra domes last Fall, but now I'm wondering if I should have--due to the alcohol and now the eggs! what's next!!

 

[DisOrBust]

My kids have been eating them since one year of age and their still alive. I'm sure Disney uses pasturized "raw eggs". I can't imagine they would take that risk.

That amount of alcohol isn't going to hurt anyone unless they eat their weight in Zebra domes lol or are on Antibuse. Flagyl is another no no and alcohol.

 

[Boston-to-Orlando]

Thank you all for your input! I say "BRING ON THE ZEBRA DOMES!"

Heading to Saratoga in May and thinking about dessert NOW!

 

[PrincessAurora]

Eat them. The egg yolks are fine, the cooked alcohol is fine. We worry too much about the small stuff. I'm still alive. No kid I ever grew up with died from any of this. How many of us played on the gym in the playground? How many had lawn darts as a kid? A danger game if there ever was one, really. How many rode in the back of the station wagon or on the elevated back window of the car with no seat belt while the car is moving? Are we all alive?

OK, feed your kid a Zebra Dome. TONS better and safer than the lawn darts or the back window surfing!

 

[Tricia1972]

Chef TJ at Boma is great, it'd probably be best to check with him. He'd know about the eggs for sure.

I agree, if the eggs are pasteurized then it's ok, but if they can't guarantee the eggs then it may be a risk. Just like I grew up eating raw cookie dough with no problems, it'll probably be fine for the kids even if they aren't pasteurized. It'd be up to you as a parent as to how comfortable you were with them eating raw unpasteurized egg yolks.

I do know that they wouldn't guarantee the Ceasar dressing when I went in October, that it contained raw eggs and they wouldn't promise that they were pasteurized.

 

[Boston-to-Orlando]

OK, feed your kid a Zebra Dome. TONS better and safer than the lawn darts or the back window surfing!

..and better tasting!

 

[apostolic4life]

This is the USA......you can't get unpasteurized eggs for foodservice. All eggs sold in the country are pasteurized (unless you go to a local farmers market), and I highly doubt the chef is bringing in the eggs his chickens lay in the back yard for his zebra dome recipe.

And as for the alcohol, the alcohol never "cooks" out. The alcohol generally looses about 30-50% of its kick through cooking temperatures; flaming does not even remove the alcohol. The zebra domes do not have the needed temperatures to reduce the alcohol content. Mixing the Kahlua with coffee will not do the job. You will get 100% of the alcohol from the Kahlua, but with the amount used for the recipe, it is only enough to flavor the mix, not enough to add a noticeable alcohol concentration. Your child will not be effected by the Kahlua if she eats one or two.......if the alcohol was an issue the zebra domes would not be on a buffet where underage people can get to them.

 

[Tricia1972]

All eggs sold in the country are pasteurized (unless you go to a local farmers market)

This is not true, the eggs I purchased from the grocery store last night aren't farm fresh, and they aren't pasteurized. Pasteurized eggs are available, but all eggs in the store aren't pasteurized. (it may be different in your state-that all eggs have to be pasteurized, but it's not that way where I live at least)

You are right about food service. Most places should be fairly safe. I found this on USDA.gov. According to them most places DO use pasteurized liquid eggs and not shell eggs. Perhaps Disney wouldn't guarantee this for me when we went because they didn't want to risk it by telling me it was safe.

USDA Link about Raw Egg Consumption

A major cause of the Salmonella enteritidis illness in foodservice and
institutions is the pooling of shell eggs for quick preparation of foods,
such as omelets and scrambled eggs. A single infected egg can contaminate a large pooled batch with Salmonella enteritidis and increase the chances of human infection. Moreover, when pooled eggs are left sitting at room temperature for an extended period of time, the pathogen
multiplies.
Due to the emergence of Salmonella enteritidis outbreaks with shell
eggs prepared outside the home, the CDC has been strongly recommending
since 1989 that foodservice and institutions use pasteurized eggs,
particularly when high-risk population groups are served or when
recipes call for pooling shell eggs. The pathogen can be killed by pasteurization—the heat treatment of shell eggs or egg products (liquid,
frozen, or dried). In August 1990, the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) issued recommended guidelines for refrigerating, pooling, and
cooking eggs, and advocated substituting pasteurized eggs for shell
eggs by foodservice and institutions when possible. Currently, the
USDA’s Egg Products Inspection Act requires that all liquid, frozen, or
dried egg products be pasteurized to destroy pathogens.

 

[Boston-to-Orlando]

I think the deliciousness of the zebra domes outweigh any (potential) risks!

My daughter loves them. WE'll get 'em!

 

[WDWFRV]

Eat them. The egg yolks are fine, the cooked alcohol is fine. We worry too much about the small stuff. I'm still alive. No kid I ever grew up with died from any of this. How many of us played on the gym in the playground? How many had lawn darts as a kid? A danger game if there ever was one, really. How many rode in the back of the station wagon or on the elevated back window of the car with no seat belt while the car is moving? Are we all alive?

OK, feed your kid a Zebra Dome. TONS better and safer than the lawn darts or the back window surfing!

Exactly my thought!!!!!

 

[disnut8]

if the alcohol was an issue the zebra domes would not be on a buffet where underage people can get to them.

Well said. I've never been asked to show my ID to eat a zebra dome.

I've been off caffiene for over ten years and I can tell you that even the amount of coffee and chocolate in a zebra dome doesn't affect me at all.

It's a damn dessert - let's quit anaylzing it. Enjoy it!

 

[apostolic4life]

This is not true, the eggs I purchased from the grocery store last night aren't farm fresh, and they aren't pasteurized. Pasteurized eggs are available, but all eggs in the store aren't pasteurized. (it may be different in your state-that all eggs have to be pasteurized, but it's not that way where I live at least)

You are right about food service. Most places should be fairly safe. I found this on USDA.gov. According to them most places DO use pasteurized liquid eggs and not shell eggs. Perhaps Disney wouldn't guarantee this for me when we went because they didn't want to risk it by telling me it was safe.

USDA Link about Raw Egg Consumption

My experience is based of food purchasing and receiving for the food-service industry and the experience I have in shopping for food at home. No stores in WV carry unpasteurized eggs except farmer's markets and/or mom and pop local grocery stores, and in those cases they must be posted as such. Just out of curiosity, does the package you bought last night specifically say unpasteurized?? Is the store a local market or a national chain??

The information you posted is from 1997 and predates the food scares that have moved my industry to make internal changes to ensure food safety which includes the use of only pasteurized eggs/egg products. In the last 5-10 years our industry has taken steps to ensure our supply chain provides us with top quality contaminant free food products; this includes imposing standards of processing that rival the minimums set forth by the USDA. We are even looking into the pros and cons of new treatments that will give us safer food supplies. The food service industry is currently dealing with issues that may change the process from heat based pasteurization to irradiation so even vegetables can be sold free of contaminants. No vender (US Food, Sysco, GFS) I have dealt with in the last 10 years has sold unpasteurized eggs because of the possible liabilities associated with them.

Anyway, I stand by my statement that the eggs used in every aspect of the food service industry, in every location, are all pasteurized. Hence, the zebra domes will be safe if consumed by a child! Now with all that said, some chefs may still use "farm fresh" on a small scale if they choose to buy eggs from local farmers, but these places are few and far between.

 

[Tricia1972]

My experience is based of food purchasing and receiving for the food-service industry and the experience I have in shopping for food at home. No stores in WV carry unpasteurized eggs except farmer's markets and/or mom and pop local grocery stores, and in those cases they must be posted as such. Just out of curiosity, does the package you bought last night specifically say unpasteurized?? Is the store a local market or a national chain??

The information you posted is from 1997 and predates the food scares that have moved my industry to make internal changes to ensure food safety which includes the use of only pasteurized eggs/egg products. In the last 5-10 years our industry has taken steps to ensure our supply chain provides us with top quality contaminant free food products; this includes imposing standards of processing that rival the minimums set forth by the USDA. We are even looking into the pros and cons of new treatments that will give us safer food supplies. The food service industry is currently dealing with issues that may change the process from heat based pasteurization to irradiation so even vegetables can be sold free of contaminants. No vender (US Food, Sysco, GFS) I have dealt with in the last 10 years has sold unpasteurized eggs because of the possible liabilities associated with them.

Anyway, I stand by my statement that the eggs used in every aspect of the food service industry, in every location, are all pasteurized. Hence, the zebra domes will be safe if consumed by a child! Now with all that said, some chefs may still use "farm fresh" on a small scale if they choose to buy eggs from local farmers, but these places are few and far between.

I appreciate your point of view, and normally at this point in a debate I'd just step back and agree to disagree. However, I am 99.9% sure that you are providing wrong misinformation, that has a tiny risk of being potentially dangerous to some people, pregnant women in particular.

I see that my original USDA link is referring to an older site, so I decided to further investigate pasteurization in eggs.

Currently on the American Egg Board Website, there is NO reference to the fact that all eggs are pasteurized. It does not specify farm fresh eggs, it just simply tells you to purchase eggs that say that they are pasteurized.

Not trusting just the website to settle inquiring minds, I contacted them directly and they were very prompt with their reply.

My question

Recently I heard that all commercially produced eggs are pasteurized, meaning it’s safe for me (pregnant) to consume raw eggs.

Is this true?

Thanks,
Tricia

Their Reply

Hi Tricia,

Thanks for contacting us. There are certain egg producers that produce pasteurized eggs through a special process. One brand that is relatively widely available is Davidson’s.

While all eggs are carefully sorted, washed and sanitized, they are not all pasteurized. The egg industry does not recommend consuming raw eggs, especially if you are pregnant. All egg dishes and recipes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees and the whites/yolks should be firm. That said, in general, it is highly unlikely to get Salmonella or other illnesses from eggs.

Thanks,
Lauren Cobey
On behalf of the American Egg Board

So yes, everyone consuming raw eggs is probably safe, but there is still a tiny risk of salmonella, and salmonella is one of the leading causes for late term miscarriages.




Are the Zebra Domes at Disney safe? More than likely, but instead of just believing what a majority here feel, I personally would check with a chef who is aware of exactly what ingredients are in the product prior to consuming something that could potentially kill my unborn child. (Because I am sneaking in one more trip before the baby is born )

 

[Stinky_Pete]

Any food can be contaminated with salmonella.

I worked for a QSR company that had a salmonella outbreak. People thought it was the eggs in one of the products that harbored the pathogen but they were pastuerized. Testing determined that the flour in the product had somehow become contaminated. Since the product was not cooked the pathogen was not killed. They changed the recipe so now all ingredients in that product are certified "Ready to Eat."

 

[Allensfan]

I never met a beater off a hand-mixer, covered in cake batter, that I didn't like.

And cookie dough, does anyone ever cook that stuff??

I am sure the cook on TV Alton Brown would scold me, but I say...go for it.

Are you kidding, touching EVERYTHING at the parks and putting your hand anywhere close to your mouth has GOT to be MUCH worse!

I say Enjoy!!!!