Henry Grattans Do Cheesecake

Just before we went into lockdown yet again, I finally got to visit somewhere on my bucket list, Henry Grattans. It is a pub and restaurant in the heart of Cellbridge. They also cater for functions, if we are ever allowed to host one of those again.

I have followed Henry Grattans on social media for ages and their dishes always look divine. I drive by them regularly to do a bit of shopping in the Aldi close by. I had to drop a lot of hints before himself finally got the message lol So we went as a little treat for the Christmas as our usual St. Stephen's Day treat could not go ahead. It's very cosy interior is very inviting. It has a very vintage style but yet doesn't look outdated. In fact I think it recently underwent a make over. The booths looked very comfy and I'd definitely like to try them out next time. 

Their menu is huge and they cater to many. We actually both had a look at the menu before we went and still hadn't decided by the time we arrived. Too much to choose from, we wanted it all lol. Myself and himself decided to go for the biggest burger on the menu the double house burger. It's served with onion rings and fries. I could not get my mouth around the burger or burgers as there were two, hence the name and all the fillings. It was absolutely delicious, I was a mess and could have done with a bib but it was definitely worth the effort haha.

As it was Christmas I thought I'd have some cocktails. We hadn't been out in forever with all the restrictions so I wanted to let my hair down. However, there were no cocktails unfortunately and I think this was due to a reduction in staff but they did have pink gin so I wasn't too disappointed. The added strawberries to my gin and tonic was sublime and I now do it myself when fixing myself a G & T. I like to be a little fancy, you know. 

Drum roll please...they had cheesecake of course. A Baileys cheesecake. You can see for yourself from the picture it was perfect. Presentation is everything, especially when it comes to pictures for someone's awesome blog lol. Dusted with chocolate and berry sauce and served with both ice cream and cream because let's face it who wants to have to choose. It was delicious and went down a treat. The menu states it is "Chef's Cheesecake" and you have to ask for details, which makes me believe there are other flavours for me to try. I'll just have to go back and try some more, when they re-open.

I was super happy to squeeze in a trip to Henry Grattans and I can't wait to get back. I would definitely recommend getting yourself to Henry Grattans when you can. Also if Henry Grattans is within your 5km limits you can avail of their click and collect service every weekend. So there's always that. 

I hope you enjoyed the blog post guys and hopefully I've given you somewhere new to try in the future. As always let me know if you've been or if you have a recommendation yourself. 

Caz xx 

New Year, New Cheesecake...Resolutions

Hi Guys,

Happy New Years. I hope you’ve had a pleasant start to 2021. I’ve lets just say had an eventful one, hence the late start to getting back to the blog. But I’m here now so “lets get this party started” as P!NK would say. I’m not going to start off with a new recipe or recommendations. As it’s a new year I’m going to start off with some resolutions. For example some places I want to visit to taste cheesecake, some techniques I want to work on and recipes I want to try. As always I love your feedback so if there’s a recipe you’d like to recommend let me know. 

So one type of cheesecake I have attempted in the past but lets just say have not mastered is a baked cheesecake. Obviously no-bake cheesecake is super easy to make but the wait time to eat it is so long. Baked cheesecake is ready to eat straight out of the oven so it has its perks lol I really want to master this skill because its not so simple, unless you like burnt chocolate cheesecake haha. 

My next cheesecake skill I wish to master is the ripple effect, usually achieved with coulee. I have attempted this effect before on my Percy Pig Cheesecake using syrup and although it did look good I could definitely improve my skill and increase my confidence. I will perfect this skill if it’s the last thing I do lol. 

I cannot forget Japanese cheesecake. This is the spongiest cheesecake on the planet and I must try it. It’s definitely a recipe I’ve had saved for a while and my boyfriend is one hundred percent behind the plan to make this. I might try this one soon, I’ve been dying to taste it and it just looks like so much fun haha.

Now for some places I’d like to visit. I mean if I had magic powers then I’d be in Lanzarote sampling cheesecakes along the coast but unfortunately at the moment travel looks like a distant memory we all once shared. So I’m going to keep it to Ireland in the hope we can soon travel a little further than 5km. 

            One place I have to try is Charlys Cheesecakes. It’s based in Tramore. I’ve been drooling over their Instagram pictures for months and if I drove, I’d consider making a break for it just to try those delicious looking cheesecakes. Please go follow Charlys Cheesecakes on Instagram and Facebook and have a look what they have on offer.

Another place that’s been on my bucket-list for maybe two years now is Thundercut Alley in Dublin city centre. It only opens three days a week but it serves up some very imaginative cheesecakes that I can’t wait to sample. They do small dishes and cocktails so I’ll be making a night of it as soon as we’re allowed. Check out their social media pages, you won't be disappointed. 

Let me know below or on my social media pages if you have any recommendations or baking goals you’d love to achieve in 2021. 

 

Cheers to the New Year!!

 

Caz xx

**Picture credit goes to Charlys Cheesecake - Taken from their Instagram page**