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LMB Irish Gifting Guide

Hi guys,

It’s been a while since I’ve flexed my blog writing muscles, but I felt this post deserved a proper blog article with easy access links, so here we are! They are organised by category and will bring you straight to the website by clicking the ‘here’ button after each name.

We really are spoiled for choice with such incredible home grown businesses in Ireland and this year they…

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Hello all!

It’s been a long while since I’ve written up a proper blog post on here. I’m most active on my instagram these days, but I’m going to make an effort to post more regularly on my actual page as sometimes I find I cut recipes short to fit them all into the Instagram/Facebook format etc.

I was recently in New York and pretty much centered the entire trip around finding all the good foodie spots, so I figured it deserved a lengthy post! We tended to eat a late brunch and dinner most days, skipping lunch as our hotel had a free snack bar which was very handy. They had fresh fruit, lovely coffee & granola bars in the morning which were great to grab n’go. The options changed from lunch time and included savoury snacks and sweet treats with limitless soft drinks, fizzy water etc. We stayed in the Club Quarter Hotel Midtown near Times Square. It was a brilliant location, lovely room, great value, nice staff and the unlimited snack bar with filtered water on tap was such a bonus. They even gave little bottles to take your water with you! Hotel website linked here.

So, without further ado, here are all of the foodie places in New York during my trip. Hope anyone travelling to NY finds it useful! Thanks to everyone who recommended food spots to me before I went – you all helped to make my trip deliciously good and my foodie self is eternally grateful!

BRUNCH 

Bubbys – Easily the single best brunch I have ever had and was the food highlight of the trip for me. We went to the one in Tribeca but they have a few locations. We got the Eggs Benedict and ‘Pancake Flight’. The Eggs benny was to die for, we opted for the version with bacon and added some avocado to it. The pancakes were also EPIC. Super fluffy & thick, they came with berries, nutella, blueberry compote, whipped cream, caramelised banana and toasted walnuts. They also came with maple syrup and butter on the side without even asking – it was a lovely touch. The total bill came to about $60 including a tip and we didn’t get coffees/drinks, only tap water. I honestly can’t wait to go back to NY to have Bubbys again, it was just that good. Bubbys is a definite must! Website here. 

@bubbys

Sarabeths – This is super near to Central Park. We had seen on their instagram that they are famous for their french toast so that’s what we went with. For $50 we also got a caraffe of Bellini’s – it’s about 5-6 glasses which were $15 each so it’s good value really ;). I ordered the Almond crusted French toast and my friend went for the ‘Fluffy Fat’ french toast. We also ordered a side of bacon (additional $12). I will say I was quite disappointed with my almond version as when I cut into it, it was actually bone dry in the middle. The whole point of French toast is that it should be eggy/custardy having been soaked in an egg mixture but this was essentially dry almond toast. They were very good and immediately replaced it with the plain version that my friend had ordered. This was absolutely delicious and came with a side of butter and maple syrup. The service was great here and I would definitely recommend the Fluffy Fat french toast and skip the almond version! All in all the bill came to about $115 excl tip. Pricey but it is in a great location and overall the food and drink was lovely. Website here. 

  @sarabethsnyc

Fresh & Co – We definitely couldn’t leave New York without trying a cream cheese bagel! I had lots of places recommended to me, but we happened to be passing by here and were stuck for time so we just popped in. It wasn’t on the menu and breakfast had just finished, but they made these specially up for us which was really nice. We asked for 2 wholemeal bagels, filled with cream cheese, avocado, crispy bacon and a runny fried egg. We got freshly squeezed orange juice to go with. It was honestly *so* good and hit the spot. Great place to call into if you just want something quick to eat & go. I think it was roughly $12 for the two bagels, with orange juice about $5 extra incl taxes. They have quite a few locations. Website here.

@freshandconyc

DINNER 

Ellens Stardust Diner – This place is pretty much as American as it gets. It’s a diner set in the heart of Times Square, waited by Broadway hopefuls who sing and perform throughout the entire meal. They are also famous for their brunch. We headed here our first night and ate dinner here. We went for the Mac n Cheese burger, served with waffle fries. We then shared a Brownie ‘Mudslide’ Sundae for dessert. It was typical American diner food, it was decent and hit the spot but you definitely more so go there for the surroundings than the food. Total bill was about $60 excl tips but be mindful, they send around a separate bucket for the tips for the singers too. Website here.

@ellensstardust

Ottos Tacos – We got these the night we went to Woodbury Common Shopping outlet. It was such a long day and we were absolutely shattered when we got back to our hotel, so we ordered Uber Eats. We opted for a ‘Beyond’ Vegan chorizo taco, chicken taco, chips & guac and rice and beans. The chorizo taco wasn’t great but all in all was a tasty meal and perfect for a late night nibble. Uber eats is super handy if you’re stuck on time/tired and they have no problem delivering to hotels, they had a huuuuge selection of foods available. Website here.

@ottostacos

Otto Pizzeria – We had a lovely dinner at otto pizzeria. We originally wanted to get to Joes pizza which I’d had lots of recommendations for or Scarrs… however otto was closer by and Joes had queues out the door! I opted for a delicious egg pizza washed down by blood orange cocktails. We actually arrived half an hour earlier than our booking and they were lovely about it and immediately seated us. We also got complimentary focaccia & olive oil to start! It did the trick but definitely still have Joes & Scarrs on the pizza list! Website here.

@ottopizzeria

BAKERIES 

Levain Bakery – I went to the one just off central park. I had heard a lot of hype about this place. They are famous for their super thick gooey cookies and sweet jesus, they did not disappoint. Some of the best cookies I’ve ever had. All made better by eating them while strolling on lovely sunny day in central park. You wouldn’t even know the bakery is there – it is tiny and down these little steps, I had to ask a local where it was as I couldn’t find it! There was no queue when I was there thankfully, but be mindful of this as apparently there is usually a big wait. The cookies were $4 each and worth every bit and more! Their hot chocolate looked epic too so will definitely be paying here a visit the next time I’m in New york to get it! Definitely put this place on your list. Website here. 

@levainbakery

Magnolia Bakery – If you are a fan of Sex in the City, you’ll be familiar with this place. It is just around the block from Carrie Bradshaw’s famous apartment and the bakery featured in the TV show a couple of times making it an instant hit. They are famous for their banana pudding – a creamy pudding filled with banana, sponge and graham crackers. I opted for the small pot (as I was stuffed but couldn’t not go to NY and not try it!). It was absolutely insanely good. I think it was about $5 incl tax and worth it for sure. Next time I’m going to try their cupcakes as I’ve heard they are amazing too. Website here.

@magnoliabakery

Carlos Bakery – If you’ve ever watched Cake Boss, here is a must visit! We went to the one near the Port Tunnel (where we got our bus from to Woodbury Common. We actually got a great deal for this on groupon, I’ve linked it here) The original one is in Hoboken and I believe is worth a visit too! The bakery itself was full of a mix of treats, a lot of artificially coloured american style cakes which wouldn’t be my thing, but their pastries, cookies etc all looked amazing. We were spoiled for choice. M\y friend got an M&M cookie which was really tasty and I got a chocolate hazelnut lobster tail pastry filled with delicious hazelnut creme patisserie and drizzled with nutella. So good. All in all they both came to about $11 dollars. The perfect breakfast to bring on board the 1 hour bus journey!  Bakery linked here. 

@carlosbakery

OTHER BITS…

Airport Lounge – 51st & Green in Dublin Airport terminal 2. We opted to pay into the lounge before our flight as we had a few hours to kill. It was definitely worth it in my opinion! It was located after pre clearance for the US so it was lovely to relax and unwind knowing you had that already done. It costed €39 to get in at the door, but you can book it online for €35. Our flight was in the morning, so they had a full buffet breakfast bar alongside a cocktail bar and coffee station. You can see the lounge by clicking here. 

The Plaza Hotel – We were initially going to book ourselves in for afternoon tea here as we’ve heard rave reviews. It was booked out in the end, but we went their for a drink after our brunch in Sarabeths. We opted for 2 x champagne cocktails each $26 excl tax/tips. They were served with a lovely little snack plate of chilli pumpkin seed chocolate and roasted chickpeas. The cocktails were amazing and the setting was just fabulous. It is pricey, but 100% worth it. We sat in a window seat and watched the world go by, just taking in the surroundings for the afternoon. It was such an activity fulled break, it was lovely to just relax for a while and unwind. Would highly recommend it and I think I would definitely try the afternoon tea the next time I visit! Website here. 

@theplazahotel

Tourist Attractions – I figured I may as well pop in the places we went while I’m at it. We pretty much ticked everything off the list except visiting the Brooklyn Bridge and the Highline… next time!

Statue of Liberty – We got a free ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island. You don’t need to pay for the tourist ones and they will try the hard sell to push it on you at the door of the terminal but stand your ground! You can get the commuter ferry for free from Whitehall which goes right past it and you get a very clear view. We just hopped off at the other side and got straight back on it. Took 20 mins – they go every half an hour. Would definitely recommend. Info link here.

Carrie Bradshaws Apartment – Quite near the Statue of Liberty area, about 20 mins in an Uber. It was so cool to see as a SATC fan. It was also just around the corner from Magnolia bakery. Be mindful people actually live in the Apt block when you’re taking photos. Location is here

Ground Zero – We went here en route to statue of liberty as it is quite close by. It was also quite close to Bubbys in Tribeca. We just went to see the memorial which is free but you can go into the museum too. There is a great shopping mall and discounted designer department store nearby called Century 21. Worth a visit too. There is also a target nearby if that’s something you wanted to browse!

Rockefeller Centre – Top of the Rock. We paid about $42 for the ticket to get up. We bought online but they have a ridiculous queue system where you need to validate your online ticket to get a physical one, so the queue was the same for those who didn’t buy online and it cost the exact same. Be prepared to queue, we waited almost an hour to get up but we were told it was unusually busy as it had been raining the 2 days previous. However, the views are absolutely spectacular when you get up, so it was well worth it in the end. You can go at sunset for an extra $10 per ticket which would also be pretty cool.

Woodbury Commons Shopping Outlet – This place is definitely well worth going to if you are in the market for discounted designer handbags / shoes. The clothes were good value too depending on what you’re looking for but the handbags we’re exceptionally cheap with 60%-80% some items depending on what coupons you had/how much you spent. As I mentioned above, we got the return bus from the port terminal near times square. It was $27 on groupon linked here or you can buy it there for $42 so it’s definitely worth getting it online. It took about an hour each way, with a pretty regular time table. It doesn’t open until 10am so we got the 8.30am coach which worked out great. You also get a free coupon book from the information desk when you arrive which is included in your bus ticket.The food was okay there, had a lot of fast food outlets and a Pret A Manger (they are everywhere in NY!) Definitely a must visit if you’re looking to do some shopping! Link for outlet is here.

Central Park – I was really taken with central park. It is so cool to stroll around (especially with some Levain cookies!). You can hire a horse drawn carriage for a pricy $100 per half an hour or a bike cart for $5 per minute. We were initially going to rent bikes but we didn’t bother in the end, instead walking around and taking it all in. Well worth a look. The plaza hotel and Sarabeths were super near here too.

So that’s a wrap! It’s pretty much all I can fit into this post. I hope it’s helpful for any trips you have planned to New York. Please tag me if you visit anywhere I’ve recommended so I can relive the memories… @littlemuffinblog

It was the most epic trip and I will definitely be back! Miss you already NYC.

New York – Foodie & Travel Guide Hello all! It's been a long while since I've written up a proper blog post on here.

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Summer Berry & Apple Galette

Hello all,

This beauty is the easiest pastry dish you’ll ever whip up. A free form tart, it’s packed full of juicy berries & Apple, teamed with a short buttery pastry and a nutty crunchy crumble to top it off.

The perfect bake for the bank holiday ahead ❤️

Ingredients

Makes 1 Galette serving 6 – 8 people

For the Pastry

· 160g Plain flour

· 25g Caster sugar

· 1⁄4 tsp Salt

· 120g Butter, chilled…

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Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart

Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart

Hello all,

  Another one of my Easter desserts recipes are here! If anyone is looking for an all round rich, salty, sweet chocolate dessert, this is the one. This tart has crunchy buttery pastry, filled to the brim with a rich salted caramel, topped with a milk chocolate ganache. Boldness all round, this tart isn’t for the faint hearted – but trust me, you won’t regret making this beauty.

Recipe…

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Easter Bunny Cake Been extremely busy the last couple of months while also being very lazy and not doing any new blog posts...I know slap on the wrist for me!!

#bake #Baked #Baking #Cake #Chocolate #cook #Cooking #Cool #Different #Easter #Fun #goodies #kitkat #Yum

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Easter Cake Take 2! Hello all! I hope you've all had a fab Easter- I know I have!! Yesterday I made another Easter cake, but I was short on a few ingredients for the original one, so my sister and I made do with what we had and came up with this one.

#bake #Baked #Baking #Cake #Chocolate #cocoa #cook #Cooking #Cool #Different #Easter #easy #Food #Fun #goodies #milk #party #simple #white #Yum

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Churros con Chocolate

I’m in Spain on holidays at the moment so I feel this recipe apt! Churros are a not so secret guilty pleasure of mine: the crispy fried sugary dough with the not so sweet dark chocolate sauce tastes out of this world! I make a chocolate ganache type sauce to go with my churros which slightly differs to the traditional chocolate sauce the Spanish serve with theirs (it’s like a milky thick hot…

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#Chocolate #churros #delicious #Food #sauce #sweet #tasty #yummy

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Perfect Key Lime Pie

Perfect Key Lime Pie

I’m not much of a pie person- but this pie is special.The filling is smooth and bursting with lime zest while the crust is crunchy and buttery rich- both of which work together extremely well. In my eyes, it is THE perfect key lime pie. Its easy and quick to prepare but also looks divine decorated with dollops of cream and thin slices of lime as I have done in the picture. I was recently asked to…

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#bakes #Baking #cakes #Cooking #cream #delicious #dessert #eggs #Food #lime #pie #pies #sweet #tasty #Yum #yummy #zest

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Apple and Raspberry Almond Crumble

Apple and Raspberry Almond Crumble

Last night I had to make an off the cuff dessert (which my dad requested 5 minutes before sitting down to dinner) with zero time and barely any ingredients in the cupboards! I found some cooking apples mum had picked the other day and some frozen raspberries in the freezer, so I decided I’d make a speedy crumble. When you think of crumble, you think boring. But the addition of flaked almonds and…

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#aaple #bake #Baked #Baking #Cake #cook #Cooking #crumble #crunchy #Different #Easter #easy #Food #fruit #Fun #goodies #party #quick #raspberry #simple #Yum

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Hello World!

Hey guys!

So I’ve finally decided to make a blog….

I’ll be posting regularly about dishes (both savoury & sweet) I enjoy making & love to eat.

I hope you like my page and please leave feedback. Be nice, I’m new to this!

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Salted Chocolate Hazelnut Flapjacks

Salted Chocolate Hazelnut Flapjacks

Hello all!

  A few weeks back, I was making my usual batch of buttery flapjacks and I felt like shaking them up a little. That’s when these babies were born! These flapjacks have it all – saltiness, nuttiness & sweetness… the perfect combination in my eyes.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb oats

12 oz butter

Pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 oz caster sugar

2 oz light brown sugar

1 tbsp golden syrup

150 g…

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ULTIMATE Vegan Chocolate Cake (GF, DF)

ULTIMATE Vegan Chocolate Cake (GF, DF)

Hello all! So looking at this cake you’d never guess the secret ingredient which is… AVOCADO! I’ve been working on this beauty for a while – it is gluten, dairy, refined sugar free and vegan. I wanted those with intolerances and allergies to not feel left out on the momentous day of eating chocolate for breakfast, lunch & dinner that is… Easter! This cake is so good, you’d never guess it has next…

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Salted Chocolate Chip Buckwheat Cookies (V, GF, DF)

Salted Chocolate Chip Buckwheat Cookies (V, GF, DF)

Hello all!   These beauties are THE closest thing that I’ve ever made to an authentic chocolate chip cookie – without all the nasties. It’s vegan, gluten/egg/dairy free and tastes insanely good! The recipe yields roughly 8 large cookies or 12 smaller ones. Watch out for space between them as they do spread quite a bit during baking. You can also roll the raw dough up to have as chocolate chip…

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Simple Mincemeat Crumble Pastries

Hello all!   I hope everyone is in the thick of Christmas festivities! I came up with the recipe for these beauties a few weeks back… They are the perfect last minute Christmas sweet treat and can be whipped up at a moment’s notice with just 5 core ingredients!   Ingredients Puff Pastry (2 pre rolled sheets) Jar of Mincemeat 3oz Plain Flour 2oz light brown Sugar 2oz Butter 1oz oats (optional) ½…

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#Christmas #delicious #easy #festivebaking #Mincemeat #mincepies #pastries #simple

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Healthy Flourless Oat Crêpes (V, GF)

Hello all! So I’ve recently changed from making my banana version of these (which are more of an american style fluffy pancake, recipe here) to making this banana free version. They are super healthy, quick and easy to whip up and are made using cupboard ingredient staples! They make the perfect guilt free and delicious breakfast. Go on, treat yourself… Serves one (Makes 2 medium sized crêpes,…

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#Breakfast #Brunch #Glutenfree #healthy #Vegan

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Strawberry & White Chocolate Blondies

Strawberry & White Chocolate Blondies

Hello all, For what feels like the first time in a lifetime, I’m finally writing a post! My absence has been for a good reason however – I was on work placement in the fantastic Cully & Sully office for 6 months. It was a hectic but amazing summer in which I gained invaluable experience and knowledge along the way. I’m now back to reality ( & college) with a bang! This year is my 4th and final…

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Death by Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Death by Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Hello all! So if you, like me, have a TONNE of chocolate still lurking around the house from easter, this is the recipe for you! It’s a recipe I’ve been making for years and years and no matter who I make it for, it’s always a winner! See the recipe for this beauty below..   INGREDIENTS • 400g chocolate (200g milk, 200g dark) •100g salted butter •1 can condensed milk •300g digestive biscuits…

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