TOP FIVE PLACES TO EAT IN CORNWALL

5 The Tiny Thai, Wadebridge 

This is a great new restaurant in Wadebridge. The staff are lovely and they serve fresh, homemade authentic Thai food. They also have a takeaway menu.

4 Inkies Smokehouse near Liskeard 

Inkies is a log cabin next to Gothia Falls. The owners are again lovely. They smoke all their own meat in their smoker, using great ingredients. The menu consists of burgers, hot dogs, milkshakes and more. I had the best BLT of my life here! It's also really reasonable.

3 Gylly Beach Cafe, Falmouth 

This is a beach front cafe on the south coast of Cornwall in beautiful Falmouth. The menu changes seasonally and it's a great all round place to hang out. They serve good coffee and homemade cakes, also a nice variety of lunches such as fish and chips and nachos. It's a great live acoustic music venue too!

2 Trevaskis Farm near Hayle 

This was a tough call for first place. The farm’s restaurant serves really nice lunches and evening food. Though the best part about this place is the dessert counter. They have a massive variety of fresh desserts providing anything you might fancy. Éclairs, cheesecakes, tarts, cakes etc etc! A lot of the food served is grown on the farm and also sold in farm shop. 

1 Cherry Trees, Padstow

This tiny, harbour front cafe gets very busy in the summer. It's a great place for breakfast and lunch, and you can also order food to take away. They have amazing cakes! They have a variety of classic cakes such as victoria sponges, chocolate cakes and also roulades and cheesecakes. They have THE BEST chocolate chip cookies ever.

Honorable mention to… 

Food for Thought, Harlyn Bay

This is a food van on the stunning beach in North Cornwall. It's run by my brothers and they serve everything you would want from a beach food van but they also best cream teas in Cornwall!

Bone China, Truro

This is the best place in Cornwall for afternoon tea. They also do nice lunches and great cocktails! It's in a beautiful setting and vintage themed, however it is currently up for sale so I'm unsure of its future.

Here's my video to go along side this blog post... 

https://youtu.be/u1-N4L5JIrY

IRISH CREAM TIRAMISU

3 tsp instant coffee

200ml hot water

2 tbsp amaretto

1 small premade cake 
(I used walnut cake for a bit of texture but you could use madeira cake or chocolate cake) 

1 tub of mascarpone 

300ml double cream

3 tsp caster sugar

3 tbsp Irish cream

Cocoa powder to decorate

Make up the coffee with the hot water and add the amaretto. 

Cut out the cake to fit your glass or bowl and dip into the coffee mixture. Then place in the bottom of your glass or bowl. 

Whisk the double cream, mascarpone, Irish cream and sugar together to form soft peaks. 

Add on top of the soaked sponge. 

Sprinkle over the cocoa powder to decorate.

Hope you enjoy, let me know if you have any other recipe requests!

Rhubarb and Custard Cheesecake

Rhubarb and Custard Cheesecake

400g custard creams

150g butter

325g rhubarb 

50g sugar

3 tbsp custard powder

400g cream cheese

300ml double cream

Chop the rhubarb into small pieces then add to a saucepan with the sugar on a medium heat. Stew for twenty minutes until soft. 

Remove eight pieces for decoration then blitz the rest in a food processor with the custard powder until smooth. Leave to cool. 

Next, blitz the biscuits until fine. Melt the butter then add to food processor and mix until fully combined with the biscuits. 

Add the buttery biscuits to a loose bottom tin and press down firmly to make the base of the cheesecake. 

For the filling, whisk the cream cheese to loosen then add the cooled rhubarb puree. Once combined, pour in the cream and whisk until the mixture has thickened. 

Pour onto the base and level off. 

Crush two custard creams for decoration and sprinkle over the edge of the cheesecake, followed by the eight pieces of rhubarb you save. 

Leave to chill in the fridge over night then enjoy! 

Here's the video for this recipe...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqftt6hMKa0

PS. I'm on Instagram and Twitter @sophielong07

Orlando, Florida! April 2017

My mum and I recently took a trip to Orlando, Florida! It was incredible, truly a holiday of a lifetime and the food did not disappoint. Here are just a few picks of my foodie highlights from the adventure.

For our first breakfast we went to the Kona Café in the Polynesian Resort. This table service restaurant is situated on the first floor of the lobby. I had tonga toast which is fried cinnamon toast stuffed with banana. It was good but next time I would choose differently. My mum's macadamia and pineapple pancakes looked incredible!

Magic Kingdom

The Mickey ice cream is probably the most iconic of all Mickey shaped goods. It is a must try classic, and I don't know whether it was just because of the environment but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's available at almost evert cart in Disney.

The other must try sweet treat in Magic Kingdom is Dole Whip. This pineapple flavoured, dairy-free soft serve is perfect on a hot day. It is available at Aloha Isle in Adventureland and at the Polynesian Resort.

EPCOT

If you like sampling different cuisines, Epcot is for you. Disney have really out done themselves with the attention for detail as you wonder round the eleven countries. My favourites were school bread (cardamom and coconut custard pastry) in Norway and spicey chicken with traditional beer in China!
 

Also, if your in Epcot, you can take a short stroll to The Boardwalk. Follow the signs near the French quarter and head to the lagoon that surrounds Disney's Swan and Dolphin, Disney's Yaught Club and Beach Resorts. By far my favourite thing about The Boardwalk is Ample Hills creamy. There are some fantastic ice cream flavours. Ice creams do however have a significant Disney-style price tag. I would suggest getting one to share!

Disney Springs

Disney Springs has a lovely, chilled atmosphere that has some great food and shops to choose from. There's a huge Disney store to pick up all the merch you could think of. My favourite restaurants I would recommend are Sprinkles for cupcakes and D.Luxe Burger for a typical American lunch (and the dipping sauces!!!). I also tried The Boathouse and Erin McKenna's Bakery but both were slightly disappointing.

Universal

I would say the food at Universal is not as good as Disney. The only must-try for me is butter beer in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I have also heard very good things about Cowfish in Citywalk where you can get sushi or burgers, or both!

If you want to head away from the, sometimes pricey, park food and drink I have a great final recommendation. Located right on International Drive, Maggiano's Little Italy was lovely. I took my beautiful mum for her birthday whilst we were away and the staff were fantastic. The food was rich and traditional Italian. They even brought my mum a complimentary dessert with a candle. This place would be great for kids too and it was really easy to park as there is a car lot right next door. Delicious meal and great atmosphere!

http://www.maggianos.com/

Bookoo's, Helston, Cornwall

I recently travelled down to Helston to try this quirky diner-style restaurant. It was worth the trip, if just for milkshake alone. I had the forerro roche brownie milkshake, it was amazing but very filling!
The burger was  also hefty with some really tasty accompaniments, such as onion rings and house-made barbeque sauce. The only thing I would say is that the sweet potato fries were slightly underdone, but the staff were lovely and made a real effort for my boyfriend's birthday with balloons and banners. There is an extensive menu, with gluten free and vegan menus as well.

Overall, great burgers and shakes that adults and kids can enjoy!

High tea @ Q Tearoom, St Agnes

I recently phoned Q Tearoom looking to book an afternoon tea for that day. They said they usually need 24 hour notice but were very accommodating and could organise something. Later in the afternoon they put on this lovely spread.

Everything was so fresh and garnished with delicious fruit. The Baker Tom scones were huge and lovely too.
The tearoom was very quaint, as you would expect, but what really shone through was the staff. I couldn't fault the whole experience, this is great for a spot of lunch or sweet treat.

Chocolate Construction Cake!

This cake can be personalised to suit your needs!

Orders welcome :)

Trevaskis Farm, Cornwall

I have heard a lot of good things about Trevaskis Farm and have been wanting to visit for a while. It surpassed my expectations. I would recommend booking as I arrived just after it opened for lunch and it was already full. I had a delicious fig and blue cheese panini off the daily specials menu. But the desserts are really where Trevaskis comes into its own. The long counter was full of indulgent treats that could be eaten in or taken away. There was something there to suit every sweet tooth! I had a slab of lemon meringue pie and it was simply perfect.

 

I will be going back to try some of the hot meal options on the menu and tackle another huge dessert!

 

#mustvisit

 

 

http://trevaskisfarm.co.uk/eat

Carrot, Coconut and Chocolate Cake with Coconut Cream Frosting

150ml coconut oil

100g light brown sugar

2 eggs

75g honey

125g self raising flour

50g oat flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp bicarb

200g grated carrots

50g desiccated coconut

50g dark chocolate

 

200g coconut cream

 

Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3. Whisk all wet ingredients well. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients then add the wet mix. Bake in a lined tin for 30 minutes then test with a skewer, if it comes out clean remover from the oven. If not, continue to bake in five minute intervals until ready. Leave to cool. For the frosting, simply whisk the coconut cream until light and fluffy. Spread on the cake and enjoy!

 

To make this cake vegan, swap honey for maple syrup and eggs for flax eggs. To make gluten free, use 175g of oat flour.

Afternoon Tea @ The Lane, Deal

This afternoon tea at The Lane is definitely one of the best I've had. The interesting mix of sweet and savouries were different to a standard tea. Mini brioche buns filled with pulled pork and slaw were fantastic! All treats shown in the photo above were for one person so at £14.50 it was good value for money. Overall, I was really impressed at this modern take on a traditional tea and if you can't manage it all staff are happy to box up the leftovers!

I will definitely be back to sample the cocktails and amazing-looking cakes on offer!

 

https://www.thelanedeal.co.uk/

Roast @ Cowdray, West Sussex

After a friend's wedding the night before, I sampled this delicious roast dinner at the Cowdray Estate. The café offered a varied menu, full of fresh ingredients and there were lots of options for those with allergies. The farm shop next door is also worth a visit!

http://www.cowdray.co.uk/eat/the-cafe/

Fifteen, Watergate Bay, Cornwall

I had been wanting to try Jamie Oliver's beach front restaurant for a while. I opted to order off the main menu and not for the five course sample menu. This worked out better as there was more choice with bigger portions and not as expensive.

The crab pasta to start was simple which complemented the fresh crab. For the main, the pork chop with lentils and salsa verde was delicious and nothing like I'd ever tasted. I don't normally eat pork but this was chargrilled making it superb, and the salsa verde cut through the lentils rich flavour. Though my favourite course was the dessert. The panna cotta was so silky smooth with a strong hit of vanilla, like the nicest milky bar yogurt you've ever eaten!

I would also strongly recommended sampling the cocktails, they were superb. I had a coconut mojito followed by an apple pie martini, both were so well balanced and refreshing.

I was very impressed by the whole experience, it was a lovely treat and will definitely be back to try the seasonal variations.

https://www.fifteencornwall.co.uk/

The Italian Kitchen, Bideford, Cornwall

I visited The Italian Kitchen for new years eve for a venetian themed evening. Everything was so fresh and seemed very authentic. It was also great value for money for the amount of food served. I can fault anything each course was so tasty. I am very keen to visit again to sample the everyday menu.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Theitaliankitchenbideford.co.uk

Afternoon Tea @ Fistral Beach Hotel, Newquay, Cornwall

I was very impressed with Fistral Beach Hotel's afternoon tea. It was good value for money and it came with lots of fresh fruit. The staff were lovely and were very accommodating. The dining room also has a stunning view over Fistral beach. It was very relaxing, enjoying the tasty treats whilst watching the waves roll in. I would definitely recommend trying this one!

https://www.fistralbeachhotel.co.uk/eat/afternoon-tea/

Christmas Afternoon Tea @ The Capital Hotel, London

 I booked this special treat as part of my friend's hen party. It was a very sophisticated affair. The staff at The Capital welcomed us, taking our coats and showing us to the bar. They provided some swanky nibbles as we perused the cocktail menu. My Polish apple martini was stunning.

There was an array of interesting sandwiches provided with the tea. The matcha tea bread was a bit lost on me, but the others were delicious. The festive sweet treats were intricate with some unusual flavour combinations. The pantone and marmalade macaroon was my favourite. You cant go too wrong with scones, clotted cream and jam.

Overall, the food wasn't the best I've had in an afternoon tea but I think the whole experience was worth while, we all felt spoilt!

http://www.capitahotel.co.uk/afternoon-tea

Sunday Roast @ The Basement, Padstow

I'd been to The Basement previously but this was my first experience of their roast. I'd say its definitely the best one I've had in the local area. With a delicate salmon starter, followed by roast beef sirloin with all the trimmings and light, flavoursome sorbets to finish. I couldn't fault it. There was great attention to detail and a great setting in the heart of Padstow.

 

http://www.thebasement.co.uk/

Ice Cream Cupcakes

Try these fun ice cream cupcakes with vanilla buttercream, sprinkles and flakes! This would be great to do this kids, even if you just bought plain cupcakes and decorated them at home. Explore your creative side!

Mustard and Rye, Truro

This was such a tasty meal at Mustard and Rye. The beef brisket was packed with flavour and covered in a sweet, sticky barbecue sauce. I did think the coleslaw could have been fresher and with a little less mayonnaise. But the cocktail I had to finish the meal was amazing. It was a spiced apple seasonal special with spiced rum and lime. It truly finished the meal off perfectly.

Also the staff were fantastic and truly a credit to the restaurant. If you like all things American, get yourself down to Mustard and Rye. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/MustardRye

Hot Chocolates @ Lusty Glaze Beach, Newquay

If your looking for a warming winter beverage this year, I would definitely recommend heading to Lusty Glaze. They've got a great range of flavoured hot chocolates, that can be pimped up with alcohol if you fancy something stronger! I tried the chocolate orange version which was so tasty.

The restaurant is so warm and welcoming with log burners on the go, and the beach front setting is just beautiful.

 

http://www.lustyglaze.co.uk/

Hazelnut Nutella Cupcakes #yum

This is a really tasty little recipe, great for a special treat!

 

100g plain flour

20g cocoa powder

140g caster sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

40g unsalted butter

120ml milk

1 egg

1/4 vanilla extract

 

100g soft unsalted butter
150g Nutella
225g sieved icing sugar
3 tbsp whole milk

Preheat the oven to 170C/gas 3. Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl, then add the butter and mix to incorporate.

Whisk in the remaining cake ingredients until smooth.

Divide evenly between eight cupcake cases.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, check with a skewer.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

 

For the buttercream, whisk the butter on high speed for five minutes. Slowly add the icing sugar then whisk on a high speed for a further five minutes.

Finally whisk in the Nutella and milk. Pipe on to the cooled cakes and decorate. I chose to decorate mine with chopped hazelnuts and sprinkles!