Coffee Spots in Northern Ireland

Hello again! How are we all? I thought today I would talk a little about something I LOVE and you all know that I am addicted to coffee. So, today I thought I would share a couple of my favourite coffee spots in my favourite little home country of Northern Ireland. The coffee scene is definitely expanding and improving here and it is very exciting for someone who loves coffee and a big slice of cake. This is by no means a definitive list, just a few of my favourites. I haven't visited every coffee shop in Northern Ireland (though I plan to) so doubtless a few more places will make the list soon enough.  So, let's get started...

Lost and Found, Coleraine

Flat white and Swedish almond cake with cream!

My ultimate favourite coffee spot in NI as it's also in my home town so I have many positive memories being back there. It's like my second home when i'm visiting my parents in Portstewart.  I love the décor in this spot, the friendly staff but most of all the Swedish almond cake, mmmm it's delicious. The coffee in here is AMAZING, I always order a flat white (my drink of choice) or a hot chocolate, which is so rich and chocolatey. In my opinion they have the best selection of buns and cakes, the kind you just can't find anywhere else. If you're ever in Coleraine this place is well worth a visit. I honestly don't know where I went before this place arrived in the town. Also, the breakfasts are great too, grilled halloumi, tomatoes and poached eggs on toast, um yes please!

Babushka, Portrush

Poached eggs and avocado on toast!

A good coffee shop with a view of the beach, what could be better on a stormy winter's day (and boy do we get a lot of those, year round!). This coffee shop is perched between Portrush harbour and the west strand beach and comes complete with deck chairs and benches to sit outside with the pups (weather permitting)! Whilst the coffee is great here it's their breakfasts and lunches that I love, like the ultimate cheese toastie in sourdough bread, aaah delicious. It's such a tiny little shop but packs a lot of flavour.

Established, Belfast

His and hers pre-shopping breakfast!

Before a day of shopping in Belfast, you need to be fuelled appropriately, right?! Well this is our go-to for breakfast before a spot of retail therapy. Amazing coffee, amazing food and salted caramel brownies to die for! The décor is fabulous also, very industrial with nice details. I also like that there are quite a few communal tables, perfect for getting some work done!

Paper Fig, Portstewart

Pecan friand and hot chocolate.

Last and by no means least is this little place that sits a whopping 2 min walk from my parents house so is a must when we are visiting them. Another place that has great outdoor seating to enjoy nice weather with your doggy on a walk (water bowls provided for the canines). The coffee is so good here, nice and strong, just the way I like it. They also do great lunches and ice-cream which is a must when you visit the seaside in the summer! It also has stunning views out to sea with binoculars for dolphin watching!

And there you a go, a few of my favourite coffee shops in Northern Ireland. If you are ever visiting our wee country be sure to give these places a try! I will be back soon with a very fun and alcoholic recipe for you to try! Thanks for reading,

Rachael xx.

Rainbow Piñata Cake

Hi everyone and welcome back to the Tea Cozy Kitchen. So, I mentioned in my last post that I was doing a bit of baking at the weekend for a first birthday party. I thought I would share with you the cake that I baked and also the process which was involved in making this cake.

For this first birthday party I made a Rainbow Piñata Cake. I mean what could be better for a kids party than a brightly coloured cake that explodes smarties when you cut into it!  For the cake sponge I just used a very simple all in one Victoria sponge method with a little added vanilla and made four layers with it. I used Mary Berry's Victoria sponge recipe as you really just cant go wrong with a recipe by her. I mean Mary Berry knows her cakes. To get the colour on the inside I used some gel food colouring. I wanted the colour to be vibrant so I used quite a lot (maybe could have done with a wee bit less, the colour was almost fluorescent).

As you can see the outside of the cake was decorated very simply with a light and fluffy vanilla buttercream and topped with some fresh berries. I wanted the outside to not give any hints on what was hiding on the inside. I did two layers of the buttercream to try and get an opaque finish! It was pretty hard to achieve this as I have made so many semi-naked cakes recently.

Between the cake layers was a thick layer of buttercream but also a good bit of strawberry jam. I always think that vanilla and strawberry jam screams kids birthday cake. To get the smarties in the centre I used a cookie cutter to cut a circle in the centre of the first three layers. When they were stacked and assembled with buttercream there was a column down the middle that I was able to fill with smarties. The top layer had no hole and was set on top to stop the smarties falling out.

 And that's how I made this Rainbow Piñata Cake, I think it's possibly one of the most fun cakes I have ever made and it went down a treat with the kids and adults alike. What's your favourite thing that you have baked? I would love to know! Thanks so much for reading,

Rachael xx.