Pistachio and berries friands (GF) - Financiers a la pistache et aux fruits rouges (GF)

I love making (and eating) friands! There are quick to make and very convenient to use unused white eggs after you made a custard or ice cream. Plus, it's very fancy: tiny, yummy, pretty and French! So easy to wow your guests with friands! At last but not least, there are super easy to turn into a gluten-free sweet treat!

Here is my latest favourite recipe: pistachio friands with berries. This is a GLUTEN-FREE recipe!

Easier and tastier than a sponge cake - The 'Wow' factor of the Gateau Lorrain

After a computer break down, lots of baking and parties, super busy work weeks and a teething crisis (4 teeth in 4 days nights, I am finally back... as a survivor... Poor baby though, that was terrible for him. No.2 is back to normal with a new and so unexpected routine of 4 hours sleep a day (twice 2-hours sleep). Who knows how long it will last? There is definitively a God! thanks to Him!

Given the usual workload and the obvious absence of any backup or granny (as an expat family), I chose a fairly easy cake that I filled with vanilla custard, decorated with whipped cream, tangelo jelly and and fresh fruits. I declined three version of this cake: one for the daycare party, one for our private family party and one for our friends party. Easy, beautiful but still pretty healthy - success guaranteed!

The base for the cake is from an original French recipe: the gateau Lorrain. Few years ago, this cake has been showcased on a French blog Les Ateliers d'Hys. It's been a hit and almost all cooking blogs showcased their own declination of the gateau Lorrain. I literally fell in love with this cake - it is moist, fluffy so delicate. I love it straight, with cream, custard, fruits, whatever I love it!

Lemon and blueberry Financier cake

I was so excited to be off work, on annual leaves today. Figure of speech?

My day began around 5.50am, just as usual, with the first food request of the day - No.2's breastfeed! But lucky we both fell back to sleep until 7.30am! Yay! Until I can vaguely hear "Maman, I'm hungry" from somewhere like on another planet... No.1 is awake. The day can start.
9am: direction to the doctor to get - I took the 'working mom special plan': every day off, I have the pleasure to see our doctor for one of my two boys when it's not myself!
Followed by the pharmacy, the bank, the post and the mall.
11 am: the kid show started in the mall (cause holidays). No.1 was so happy to watch it I couldn't refuse. Time for No.2 second breastfeed of the day... I really enjoyed sitting on the floor in the centre of the mall, with a baby breastfeeding and a big boy watching the magician with little stars in the eyes, in spite of what he made several requests for all sorts of naughty food.
12 pm: we're all home and starving! Of course, it's lunch time already! Fortunately I had some delish leftover of Paella (still need to find the time to post you the recipe as this dish was just stunning!)
1.30pm: No.2 Plunket appointment. I think that at that time I did not get a chance go wee-wee. Don't laugh at me I'm sure you already experience that!
2 pm: Back to the mall to change a faulty item bought the same morning.
3 pm: we are finally back home! for good! Just on time for a little dino snack, but nothing is ready yet.

I looked in the fridge and find a bowl with egg whites left from the day before that I needed to use. Perfect to test this appealing recipe with egg whites only: Financiers myrtilles/citron created by Camille from Cakes in the city. Despite the English name, this is a French blog. But don't worry - I have tested and translated this easy and quick recipe for you ;-)