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/

Gastrosteria Ai Mercanti, Venice, Italy

This was the final meal of my lovely trip to Italy recently. Ai Mercanti is tucked away down one of the many pathways in Venice. My friend and I sat outside in the little courtyard and thoroughly enjoyed the sophisticated dining experience. The Italian prosecco was spectacular and was the perfect compliment to silky, garlic and chilli spaghetti with parmigano fondue.

We also shared two desserts. Crème brulee and 'Chocolate interpretations'. The chocolate dessert was nothing like I had ever tasted before. The chocolate mouse and ice cream discs contrasted a bitter, dark cocoa crumble. There were flavours of chocolate I never knew existed. It was a truly stunning dessert.

What a fantastic restaurant in the city of contrasts that is Venice.

Best bites of Edinburgh

I've just come back from a very foodie Easter weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland. It's such a vibrant city with so much to see and do, I couldn't fit it all into four days. The range of eateries, with cuisine from all over the world, was very exciting. Also, all the different themed bars are not to be missed. My intention for this blog post is to tell you my favourites from the city...but I might get carried away and write about everywhere because everywhere was so good!

 

 From the outside, Panda and Sons looks like a barbers. However, once you step inside and head down the stairs you realise it is much more. The vast range of cocktails are all very imaginative and sometimes even dramatic. I sampled 'Monet Talks' that involved painting your own cocktail with edible fruit coulis paint and prosecco. The atmosphere in this dark and aromatic venue is magical. It is definitely a hidden gem within an equally as exciting city.

http://pandaandsons.com/

Honestly, the best breakfast I've ever had. I absolutely loved Loudons café. I had the American pancakes that came with baked banana and maple syrup. This was basically dessert for breakfast but it tasted so good that I didn't worry. The staff were so welcoming and friendly, I could of easily eaten here every day of my holiday.  

http://www.loudons-cafe.co.uk/
 

If you are after 'fine dining' and grandeur this is the place for you. The Witchery is located on the historic Royal Mile and the stunning sixteenth century dining room is studded with antique silver wear and chandeliers. The three course set menu only costs £35, which is reasonable considering the portion size and beautiful setting. The food was good, particularly the Tonka bean crème brulee.
http://www.thewitchery.com/
 

Bentoya is a very popular sushi and Japanese fusion restaurant. If, like me, you can't choose from the extensive menu, go for a bento box which offers a mix of tasty morsels. Everything was so fresh and flavoursome. I highly recommend this bustling restaurant. It should also be noted that it's cash only and BYOB.

http://www.bentoya-edinburgh.com/

 

 And finally, Lola Lo. This Polynesian themed club has a great range of cocktails that can be served in themed mugs and even barrels like our one above. Slightly on the cheesy side but it has a fun atmosphere where you can dance off all the cocktails!

http://www.lolaloedinburgh.com/

Baking Zoella's cupcakes with friends!

I had such a lovely evening yesterday with two of my best friends. We baked Zoella's pumpkin spiced cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. I also picked up some cute Halloween cupcake cases and decorations from Asda. 

I love baking with friends, we had such a laugh!

Great tip from my friend Jess...when using American recipes, add slightly more raising agent as American agents tend to be stronger than those we get here.

 

Coconut Pumpkin Pie

This recipe is a twist on the traditional, autumn pie.

 

400g plain flour

200g butter

1/2 a pumpkin

Can of coconut milk

3 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp mixed spice

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 eggs

4 tbsp toasted desiccated coconut

Cube the pumpkin and cut off the skin. Roast in the oven at 200C/Gas 6 for 25 minutes until soft. 

For the pastry, pulse the butter and flour together in a food processor until it comes together, you may need to add a dash of milk. Leave to chill for a while then roll out and line a pie tin. Bake blind at 200C/Gas 6 for twenty minutes.

 

Purée the roasted pumpkin in a food processor. 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs then add the remaining pie ingredients, including the puréed pumpkin. 

Pour into the pastry case. Bake at 180C/Gas 4 for 40 minutes until set but still slightly wobbly. Then sprinkle on the coconut.

Borough Market, London

I bought this salt beef bagel with cheese, gherkins and really hot mustard at Borough Market from Nana Fanny's. It was very flavoursome. I also bought a Bread Ahead vanilla doughnut, which I'd heard lots about. It was incredible with a super, creamy custard filling!

Jammie Dodgers!

250g butter

140g icing sugar

375g flour

Splash of milk

1tsp vanilla extract

Jam of your choice to decorate

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the rest of the ingredients until it comes together as a dough. Chill for about 15 minutes. Roll out and cut into circles. Cut a heart out of the middle of half the biscuits. Bake at 180C/gas 4 for  10 minutes or until just golden.

Leave to cool and sandwich the biscuits together in twos with jam. 

Broadstairs Food Festival, Kent

Here is a selection of the delicious baked goods at last weekends Broadstairs Food Festival.

 

I had a hog roast roll, crepe, falafel wrap, Viennese finger and a blackberry cider over the weekend. All were delicious!

Tuna Steak @ Bentleys Bar and Grill, Margate

 

Really tasty tuna steak with hot wasabi dressing.

Great cocktails at Bentleys too.



Pecan Bourbon and Cinnamon Buns

 

I made these from Stacie Stewart's new cookbook, Stacie Bakes. Great recipe, I didn't have enough pecans so added a few walnuts.

Here's me getting my book signed at The Cake and Bake Show in London...

 

 

Fig and Cheese Bagels

I got this recipe from The Great British Bake Off Showstoppers book.

The original recipe was for fig, walnut and gruyere bagels. The walnuts and gruyere was meant to be drizzled on top after they baked. I didn't have any gruyere so just sprinkled on cheddar when they came out of the oven.

The recipe made twelve, so I froze most them.

They still taste great defrosted.

Patty and Bun, St James Square, London

Amazing, juicy 'Jose Jose' Chilli Burger in a brioche bun, coupled with chips with rosemary salt.

Get there before 12 if you want a seat for lunch.

Incredible.

Paella @ Cafe Mauresque, Canterbury

Lovely seafood paella at Cafe Mauresque.

Located down one of the side roads from the Cathedral, serving Moroccan/Spanish food.

Tea Cakes

I made these Tea Cakes from The Great British Bake Off Showstoppers cookbook, Mary Berry's recipe.

Here's the marshmellow thats inside..

 



Pulled Pork and Slaw @ The Greedy Cow, Margate

This pulled pork sandwich was amazing.

Wicked place in the middle of Margate's Old Town.

EDF Zingy Cupcakes

I love the cute EDF Zingy on all the adverts.

I made mini vanilla cupcakes then covered them in orange fondant icing and decorated. 

This Blog

I'm 23 years old and love baking. I hope to open a cake shop in Cornwall. Here's what I bake and eat.