Cafe des Amis, Canterbury, Kent

Lovely Mexican restaurant in Canterbury. Really friendly staff and good value. Monday to Friday, 5 til 6pm, you can get two courses and a drink for £13.95.

I had nachos and chicken fajitas. The fajitas were delicious and served with a range of tasty accompaniments.

 

I also tried the torta de chocolate. It was the nicest, gooiest torte I've had.

Cupcake Decorating @ Victoria's Coffee Shop, Whitstable

 

Two friends and I had a great evening at Victoria's Coffee Shop yesterday. Lovely owner, Victoria, led the cupcake decorating course. We learnt about butter cream and tried different piping techniques.

Victoria offers a range of other courses.

I would highly recommend trying one out.

Mini Chocolate Guiness Cakes for St Patrick's Day

125g butter

100g soft brown sugar

50g melted dark chocolate

1 egg

100ml Guinness

135g self raising flour

15g cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarb of soda

 

100g cream cheese

75g white chocolate

splash of Baileys

 

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Cream the butter and sugar together then add the melted chocolate and egg. Mix in the Guinness and the remaining ingredients.

Fill the tin with the mixture. I used greased mini sandwich tins but you could use a cupcake tin. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until just baked through.

 

For the icing, melt the chocolate then mix in the cream cheese. Add a splash of Baileys to loosen the mixture. Top the cakes with the icing.

Chilli Cheese Pinwheels

500g strong white flour

350g tepid water

7g yeast

pinch of salt

 

small block of chilli cheese, or any cheese of your choice

4 chillies, finely chopped

 

Combine the dough ingredients and knead for about 10 minutes. Leave to rise for an hour.

Roll out into a rectangle, sprinkle over the chillies and grate the cheese on top. Roll the far edge towards yourself like a swiss roll, then cut into thick strips. Lay the circles flat into a greased baking tray, spread apart. Leave to rise for a further hour.

Bake in at gas 6/200C for thirty minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

 

Cocktails @ Sands Hotel, Margate, Kent

Lovely atmosphere in Sands Hotel which looks over Margate bay.

£5 for any cocktails between 5-7pm Friday evenings.

Going clockwise, the above are:

Bellini

Processo and lychee liqueur

Sands

Malibu, Southern Comfort, Peach Schnapps, Blue Bols and apple juice

Sunset Bay

Cointreau, Amaretto, Grenadine and orange juice

Kent Raspberry Cooler

Raspberry Gin and elderflower sparkling cordial

 

All very tasty.

Mullins Brasserie, Margate, Kent

Great value meal at the European/Caribbean restaurant in Margate Old Town.

I had the three course set lunch menu for £12.95. To start, creole mussels. For main, jerk chicken with rice 'n' peas. And for dessert, steamed ginger pudding with toffee sauce.

 

All courses were delicious, I couldn't fault anything. I will defiantly be going back to try their dinner menu.

White Chocolate Cake made for a Valentine

 

9oz butter

5 oz white chocolate

9oz caster sugar

splosh of milk

6oz flour

4oz self raising flour

1tsp vanilla essence

2 eggs

 

Preheat oven to 170C/Gas 3. Grease then coat a tin with cocoa powder. I used a ring shaped tin but any shape would be fine. Heat the butter, chocolate and sugar on a low heat until smooth. Mix in the remaining ingredients and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool.

 

To make the ganache, melt 200g dark chocolate together with 200ml double cream until smooth and shiny. The measurements don't have to be too precise. Cover the cake with the ganache and fill the hole with raspberries.

 

I then decorated the cake with broken Cadbury Flake and a white chocolate heart. For the heart, I melted some left over white chocolate, piped it into a heart shape and allowed to set.