Chocolate Pistachio mi-cuits with sweet cream

This afternoon I was watching "French Food Safari" that I found at Brisbane library. It already open m appetite, but when they started showing pastries, viennoiseries and other French cakes I had a craving for sweet. I wanted chocolate!

I took a quick look in my pantry and realized that I didn’t have what I use for my usual chocolate cake (no egg or butter). And I remember this clever pin on how to replace egg in a cake. So I built a new recipe that actually turned out really well. Theses cakes are really light and not too sweet. It’s why I made that cream that goes perfectly with it and balances the sweets!

Chocolate Pistachio cake

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup yogurt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup finely slices pistachio + 1/4 for decoration

Sweet cream

• 1 cup pouring cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1tbs lemon juice

Mix all the dry elements together in a large bowl (exepted for the pistachios). In a second mixing bowl mix the melted butter, yogurt and milk. Slowly start pouring the liquids into the first bowl.

Preheat oven 180°

Place the mixture in small cake pan (make about 12, depending on the size). Add the pistachios on top. Cook 20 to 25 minutes.

Let the cakes cool down. In a bowl, incorporate the pouring cream, sugar and lemon juice untill you obtain a bubly and smooth texture. Then, disposate the warm cake on a plate with the cream and decorate with pictachios and cocoa powder.

Enjoy!

Xx

Come back & best muffin recipe

Well after a good 2 months away from you I finally found the courage to start writting again! I've been away then too busy to cook anything interesting and I ended up feeling awefull for waiting that long and was shy to write a new post.

When I went in Queensland, I stopped by the little village of Kuranda which is a huge hyppie market with lots of organic and hand made products. After a tiring morning wondering around the aisles I stopped for a muffin-coffee and that was.... I had to ask what was his secret and he did gave me the recipe.

Too happy i tried it, first thing when I came back in Sydney. Not disappointing at all! They are soft and full of taste. Really easy to make and you can use the base of this recipe for any flavour just add whatever you feel like. It is the perfect perfect balance for a good muffin base.

Here are some pictures of the trip in North Queensland and the muffin's recipe.

Ingredients

• 300g flour
• 150g brown sugar
• 50g melted butter
• 1 egg
• 225ml milk
• 2 bananas
• 2 teaspoons of honey (can be replace by 60m of butter scotch)
• 1 handfull of dark chocolate
• 1 handfull of white chocolate (can be replace by macadamia)

1. Preheat oven at 200°
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together and keep on the side.
3. Mix well the egg with melted butter and add milk and honey. Slowly poor the dry mix into this one. Stir until everything is well combine then add the chocolates and bananas.
4. Poor into muffins pan and cook at 200° for 20 minutes.

Have a good week end

Xx

Stuffed Rigatoni Pasta Bake

This is a perfect weeknight dinner. Because you can assemble it early in the day and stick it the fridge as is in the baking pan, and then baked it right before dinner.

I like to serve a vegetarian dinner and explore new recipe without meat. I think the ricotta cheese really pumps up the flavor, and I love any pasta in tomato sauce…For this recipe you could think of using a mix of ricotta and goat cheese or only goat cheese!

I am taking rigatoni pasta and stuffing it with a mixture of ricotta, then I take those cute little stuffed pasta and let them bath into tomato sauce. Then I sprinkle with mozzarella and let it bake for 15-20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 pack rigatoni pasta
• 1  ricotta cheese
• Salt & pepper
• 3 cups tomato pasta sauce (or good quality store bought napolitana)
• 1 handful fresh basil leaves
• ½ cup grated cheese
• 2 pinch of italian herbs

 
 
Methode

1. Preheat the oven 180°
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil? Add the rigatoni and cook 5 minutes: al dente. Drain them. 
3. In a bowl combine ricotta, salt, pepper and italian herbs.
4. Put the cheese mixture in a pastry bag and snip the end off. Pipe the room temperature cheese into the rigatoni noodles. If you don't have pastry bag you could stuff them with a knif but it might take a while. TIP: make sure the ricotta is at room temperature so it's easy to pipe.
5. Stand the stuffed rigatoni in a baking pan.   
6. In a sauce pan, heat up you tomato pasta sauce and add the basil leaves. Pour it on top of the rigatoni and add the grated cheese.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese melt.

Ingredients

• -1lb rigatoni pasta
• -8 ounces ricotta cheese
• -4 ounces goat cheese
• -Kosher salt
• -Fresh black pepper
• -3 cups marinara (or good quality store bought marinara)
• -1 handful fresh basil leaves
• -½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese

- See more at: http://www.heatherchristo.com/cooks/2013/02/17/skillet-baked-stuffed-rigatoni/#sthash.iiVbsbOg.dpuf

Enjoy!
Xx

Then sprinkled them with parmesan. Then I baked them up until they were a little crispy around the edges. - See more at: http://www.heatherchristo.com/cooks/2013/02/17/skillet-baked-stuffed-rigatoni/#sthash.iiVbsbOg.dpufThen

I am taking rigatoni pasta and stuffing it with a mixture of ricotta and goat cheese. Then I take those cute little stuffed noodles and made them bathe in tomato sauce. - See more at: http://www.heatherchristo.com/cooks/2013/02/17/skillet-baked-stuffed-rigatoni/#sthash.iiVbsbOg.dpuf

I am taking rigatoni pasta and stuffing it with a mixture of ricotta and goat cheese. Then I take those cute little stuffed noodles and made them bathe in tomato sauce. - See more at: http://www.heatherchristo.com/cooks/2013/02/17/skillet-baked-stuffed-rigatoni/#sthash.iiVbsbOg.dpufI

I am taking rigatoni pasta and stuffing it with a mixture of ricotta and goat cheese. Then I take those cute little stuffed noodles and made them bathe in tomato sauce. - See more at: http://www.heatherchristo.com/cooks/2013/02/17/skillet-baked-stuffed-rigatoni/#sthash.iiVbsbOg.dpuf

I am taking rigatoni pasta and stuffing it with a mixture of ricotta and goat cheese. Then I take those cute little stuffed noodles and made them bathe in tomato sauce. - See more at: http://www.heatherchristo.com/cooks/2013/02/17/skillet-baked-stuffed-rigatoni/#sthash.iiVbsbOg.dpuf

I am taking rigatoni pasta and stuffing it with a mixture of ricotta and goat cheese. Then I take those cute little stuffed noodles and made them bathe in tomato sauce. - See more at: http://www.heatherchristo.com/cooks/2013/02/17/skillet-baked-stuffed-rigatoni/#sthash.iiVbsbOg.dpuf

DIY cercle Paper Garland & Opening of the ETSY shop

Yay! It's a long week end! These 3 days off because of the Queen's birthday will be really well used. In a word, craft, craft, Craft.

I wish to advise you of the oppening of my Etsy shop where I started to list my last creations. How exiting?! Sharing my creations with you on the blog is one thing, but being able to sell them all over the world is at the next level. Now let's see if people like it.

This garland would be perfect for a baby shower, new born bedroom or even a weding decoration.

Material

• Thin brown rope
• Large papers (all of them white or very close to white)
• Hole punch
• Craft glue

 Direction

1. Cut 1.5m of rope (or just cut the size that you wish to make your garland).
2. Using the hole punch make 30 circles
3. Glue 2 circles to each other with the rope going inbetween them, and start over and over untill you use every circle or untill the size pleases you. Leave about 2 centimeter between each circle.

Feel free to go have a look at the Etsy shop and let me know what you think :)

Have a good week end

Xx

Carnival party theme - Printable

I am turning 20th in a month and in France it's a really important birthday: when you move from youre chilhood to the 'adult world'. Personaly I felt that when I moved to Australia and had to start taking real responsabilities and decisions. But I found there an oportunity to throw a childish-sofisticated party... Carnival theme it will be!

It will be colorful, sweet treat, pinata, photo booth... Where is the sofisticated part? My guest list: adults only. We live in a 2 bedroom apartment with a good size living room but not big enough to suport kid's noize! I am taking care of everything myself, I just haven't decide for the cake, it has to be phenomenal: large, high, colorful and a little crazy. I am may be thinking of ordering it but I still have to pick one!

Here find the pictures of the labels the food/drinks on the table and birthday invitation. If you want to get them, go directly to my Esty store

Have a beautiful week end!

Xx

Breakfast Sandwich - Pepperoni, Avocado, Tomato & Poached Eggs

I seriously needed big breakfast this morning. Either I didn’t eat enough yesterday or I must have worked harder than I realized last night because I woke up this morning absolutely STARVING. I needed something really hearty, but I also wanted some vegetables and bread and I needed to get it in my stomach FAST. Breakfast sandwich time!

I recently discovered this new bakery that has this beatifull sourdough bread and at home we can't live without it. I started to rediscover this simple but delicious bread with everything.

The first bite was like nothing I had ever had before. I was totally transported in the breakfast for dinner kind of ecstasy. I mean, I’ve had breakfast sandwiches before, but there was something about putting all these ingredients inside some amazing sourdoughbread.

Ingredients

• 4 slices of sourdough bread
• 2 poached eggs
• Few slices of peperroni (can also use fried bacon)
• 1/2 soft avocado
• 1 tomato

Methode

1. Start boiling water for the eggs while putting the bread in the toaster.
2. Spread avocado on the bread add tomato slices and peperroni.
3. Poached the eggs and add them on the sandwich then close it. Too easy!

Enjoy
Xx

Peaches pie pop stick

These cute peaches pie pop stick are too cute. Just look so good on a sweet table!
Lemon juice adds a nice tang but also keeps peaches from turning dark. Frozen peaches can be used if they are first thawed and well drained.

Ingredients

• 2 Puff pastries
• 6 cups diced peeled fresh peaches
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Turn the oven on: 150°
2. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, lemon juice and extract. Add sugar and salt; toss gently. Let stand for 15 minutes. Drain extra juice before using the peaches.
3. Line the 2 sheets op pastry on a table. With a glass cut as many cercles as you can.
4. Place de pastry cercle into  cookies tray and fill with the mix (not too much because you need to be able to close it) dot with butter. Cover up with another pastry cercle and close it helped with a fork.
5. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 10minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for 4 to 10 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.