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Soft furnishings, fabrics, accessories and more... www.etoile-home.com

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Get your Easter hopping with our delicious butter biscuits

Easter weekend gives us the perfect excuse to get together with family and friends. And where there are friends, there are hungry souls needing to be fed. Our Easter butter biscuits are guaranteed to delight your guests, young and old. Best of all, the kids will love to help out with making these delectable treats. So roll up those sleeves, call in the kids and get baking. You’re tummies will be forever grateful.

Shani and Atlee’s Bunnylicious Butter Biscuits

Ingredients

(Makes about 36 cookies)

1 cup unsalted butter softened 1 ½ cup caster sugar 1 egg 1 ½ tsp vanilla 2 ¾ cup plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter until very soft, add sugar and continue until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt into a seperate bowl. Add to butter mixture a little at a time.

Chill dough for approximately 10 minutes in the fridge. Separate into two balls. On a floured surface, roll out each ball seperately until the dough is approximately 1/8” thick. Dip your cookie cutter into flour and then cut out your shapes. Place on to a ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 8-11 minutes.

Leave cookies to cool before decorating. The simplest way to decorate these gorgeous treats is to use fondant icing. Sprinkle a flat surface with icing sugar to stop the fondant icing from sticking. Roll out your fondant icing until it is a 1-2 mm thick. Use the same cookie cutters you used to make your cookies and dip them into a little icing sugar so they don’t stick to your icing. Cut out your shapes and brush with a little water on the bottom side (cookie facing side) before placing on top of your cookie. This will help it to stick to your cookie. Once icing is in place, you can decorate your cookies to give them personality. We think the more you express yourself, the better the cookie. So go for it!

Photographed on étoile home’s Miles Tablecloth in Lemon Yellow.

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Spring Greens -Hero Colour of the Month

Our colour hero for March is light and interesting greens, Avocado, Eau de Nil and Antique Moss. On our Pinterest pages for each of these colours they perhaps cross over a little and in a room might be interchangeable and complementary but always a little reminder of the outdoors and the Spring.

If you have any beautiful images of our March Greens please do share them on Instagram or Twitter with our handle @etoilehome

Visit our Avocado Green Pinterest page 

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I love this post from @wallpapermag. It is a great link to our hero colour of March Avocado Green.

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Collaboration with Floor_Story

We have collaborated with the brilliant Simon Goff Floor_Story to bring you these gorgeous flat weave rugs in our Glasswork pattern. Now on our website from £295, click here to shop

#flat #weave #wool #rugs #floor_story #madeinindia #glod #petrol #blue #turquoise #olive #green #floor #covering #ideas #inspiration #glasswork #pattern #home #decor #design #interiors #geometric #fabric #bythemeter #cushion #wash #bags

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Homemade Cinnamon Buns for Sticky Bun Day

Today is Sticky Bun Day, which might just be my favourite day of the year. No stress or expectations just some quiet time and my delicious Cinnamon Buns. Perfect.

Ingredients

For the buns:

450 g strong plain flour 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp dried yeast 275 ml hot water 2 tbsp vegetable oil

For the filling:

200 g very soft butter (spreadable consistency) 100 g light brown sugar 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

For the icing:

200 g butter 200 g cream cheese 1 tsp vanilla 250 g icing sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.

2. Place the flour in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar and mix in. Now sprinkle over the yeast. With your hands, mix in the water and the oil. Turn onto a floured board and knead well, for about 10 minutes. Oil the bowl and then pop the dough back in. Cover with a damp tea-towel and leave in a warm place for 90 minutes until doubled in size.

3. After this time, knock the dough back (knocking the air out) and knead again for 5 minutes. Roll out into a large rectangle, flouring the surface as you go. The dough should be around 2cm thick.

4. Spread the dough with the soft butter. Be liberal. Scatter over the sugar and cinnamon and roll into a log. Cut into equal-sized pieces. You should be able to get 6 large rolls or 12 regular ones. Place on greaseproof paper and flatten each one slightly. Make sure they’re arranged close together.

5. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden all over.

6. For the icing, beat your butter until soft and fluffy. Add your cream cheese and beat until incorporated. Add vanilla and icing sugar. Once cooled, spread the icing on top of your rolls. Yum

Photographed on étoile home’s Dorothy Tablecloth in Tea Rose Pink

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Pretty Tea Rose Pink Ticking Stripe Napkins, an étoile home collection classic in this season’s coolest colour.

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In the month of love, we celebrate the pale pink colour of the blush of your cheek, Tea Rose Pink. This pale shade of warm pink is every where at the moment. It works fantastically well paired with grey, whites or even rich dark browns. Visit our Pinterest page to see why we love it so.

To make searching for your favourite colour easier you can shop the étoile home website by colour for all our pinks click here.

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Celebrate Chinese New Year with Crispy Duck Pancakes

One of the great holidays I have adopted is Chinese New Year, I love the colours, the parade and the food. This year to celebrate we are making Crispy Peking Duck Inspired Pancakes. This is super easy and it tastes fantastic, even the kids will like it. I bet this is probably your favourite too!

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 duck legs  1 tsp five-spice powder  1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, crushed 1 tsp salt  A drizzle of honey  200ml chicken stock

Plum Sauce 10-12 destoned plums 5 tablespoons sugar 2 pinches five-spice 2 tablespoons soy sauce ½ teaspoon chilli powder grated orange zest

½ cucumber 1 bunch spring onions handful of coriander chopped 2 packs pre-made pancakes

Method

1. To salt the duck, prick the skin of the legs all over with the tip of a sharp knife or fork. Mix together the salt, 5-spice and crushed peppercorns. Rub the dry mix all over the duck legs and allow them to sit in the fridge overnight or for a few hours before cooking.

2.  Preheat the oven 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Pat the duck legs dry with some kitchen roll. Place them skin-side down in a frying pan in which they will all fit comfortably. Place the pan over a high heat. After about 5 minutes the skin will start to crisp and brown. Make sure that the legs are well browned before turning them over to cook the other side.

3. Transfer the legs to an ovenproof dish. Drizzle the skin with a little honey and add the chicken stock to the dish. Put in the hot oven for about 20 minutes before dropping the temperature down to 140C/275F/gas mark 1 for another hour or until the meat falls away from the bone of the duck leg.

 4. Once the duck is in the oven make your plum sauce, place 10 or 12 destoned plums into a pan with 5 tablespoons of sugar, a couple of pinches of five-spice, a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce, half a teaspoon of chilli powder and a splash of water. Bring to the boil, then simmer until you get a nice shiny pulp. You can remove the plum skins if you want to, but I usually leave them in. You can add a little grated orange zest, as this goes well with duck. Put the sauce to one side to cool before serving it, and taste to check the seasoning.

5. As for the spring onions and cucumber, that's straightforward. Use half a cucumber and a bunch of spring onions and finely slice them. I strongly advise buying a couple of packs of pre-made pancakes which you can place in a steamer or microwave and slowly steam until nice and hot. The bamboo steamers are only a few quid from Chinese supermarkets, so it's worth getting hold of some and they're great to serve at the table.

6. Once the duck has cooled a little bit, use two forks to shred all the meat off the legs, putting all the meat with its crispy skin on to a serving plate and sprinkle with the coriander.  Take a pancake, place some duck, a bit of spring onion, a little cucumber and a dollop of plum sauce on to it, then roll it up and enjoy.

Have a great year of the Rooster, if you were born in 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 it’s your year and it means you are are very observant. Hardworking, resourceful, courageous, and talented, Roosters are very confident in themselves. No surprise there then.

The recipe was photographed on étoile home’s Pueblo pattern fabric by the meter, with a marble cutting board and bowls from Tiger, a Jason Atherton John Lewis Social Collection marble plate, a copper measuring cup from Anthropologie.

Recipes inspired from Jamie Oliver and Henry Dimbleby and Jane Baxter from the Guardian.

[etoilehome]

BERRY AND SPINACH SMOOTHIE RECIPE FOR GREEN JUICE DAY

My Berry and Spinach Smoothie made from Blueberries, Raspberries, Spinach and Cucumber is a healthy and delicious way to keep on with your New Year’s Resolutions when self-control may be flagging.

I do not have a juicer and this is still a quick and easy recipe.

Makes 2 small or 1 large serving

Ingredients

125 Blueberries fresh or frozen 50 grams of Raspberries fresh or frozen 100ml orange juice Large handful of fresh spinach washed 8cm (3” ) piece of cucumber chopped

Method

Blitz all your ingredients until very fine in a food processor, blender, hand blender or juicer. If you are not using a juicer them pass everything through a fine sieve and serve. What could be easier and better for you? If you are using frozen berries the drink is perfectly chilled already if not you can serve over a couple of ice cubes.

Hang in there January is almost over.

Photographed on étoile home’s Geese Fabric in Petrol Blue with a ceramic serving board from John Lewis and a tumbler from Tiger.

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Petrol Blue is a very popular with our clients but now it is also a big colour in home decor at the moment. We have provided you with lots if inspiration on our Pinterest page. Now it is time to shop. These are a few of our favourite things in Petrol Blue. In picture order below.

Dark blue enamelled tables from Cox and Cox. Crafted from sturdy powder coated iron with a deep blue, glossy enamel top, these unique side tables will make a Scandi inspired statement in your living space. From £150 

I adore pretty much everything Elephant Ceramics does, and they do a lot of beautiful ceramics in Petrol Blue. Check out their lovely website.

Lush upholstery in deep Petrol Blue and the modern structure of the metal frame is the perfect contrast in this beautiful chair from West Elm. £699

The ABAYA Blue And White Ceramic Vase by Habitat is decorated with a reactive glaze that gives it its beautiful variations in depth of colour which is why I love it. £15

Perfect for the modern dining room The Fawn Tink Table in Blue by Heal's is a great combination of beautiful natural materials and modern craftsmanship, with it’s slender oak frame inspired by the delicate profile of a baby deer. £1,495

Last but not least, we collaborated with Floor Story to turn our geometric Glasswork pattern into a lovely flat weave rug. They are now in stock at their new showroom at Kent & London, 5 Hackney Road, London E27NX From £295

To save time you can shop on our étoile home website by colour, to shop all our blues click here.

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Leather Hand Bags for Eastex

étoile home worked with fashion retailer Eastex to develop this elegant leather Messenger Bag exclusively for them. It was lovingly handmade in our London based factory. 

Read all about it on their blog.

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Give Yourself a Good Dose of the Blues This January

Whilst December may be characterised by our celebration of abundance, decadence and indulgence, January is often known for its temperance and dampened spirits. But don’t despair– the news need not be all glum and dreary. January can also be a month for change, metamorphosis and relaxation. So crawl out from under that duvet and give yourself a good ole dose of the blues– blueberries, that is. Trust us, this treat will sweeten even the bluest of January mornings.

Blueberry Smoothie

Ingredients – Serves 2

1 banana 200ml orange juice 200grams fresh or frozen blueberries 100 grams raspberries 125ml natural plain yoghurt 1 handful of ice cubes 1 tsp honey or agave syrup to sweeten if desired

Mix until smooth in a blender. Serve chilled.

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Give the Gift of Hand Made Truffles this Christmas

A homemade gift is a rare thing at Christmas these days. Most years, I am too busy to send my Christmas cards not to mention make gifts for the ones I love. However, a day making chocolates is a fun day and the recipients will be so pleased with their prize. They are easy, taste amazing and filled with love make an amazing gift. So get elbow deep in chocolate this Christmas.

 Pecan Pie Truffles

Makes about 40 truffles

300 grams pecans, toasted and finely chopped 80 grams ginger nut biscuits 200 grams dark brown sugar, packed ½ teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons maple syrup 50ml butter melted 1 teaspoon vanilla 200 grams dark chocolate

Place in a food processor toasted pecans, ginger nuts biscuits, brown sugar and salt until well combined. Move the mixture to a bowl add maple syrup, butter and vanilla, stirring thoroughly. Use your hands to make sure the mixture becomes fully incorporated.

Form mixture into walnut-sized balls, you may have to use the warmth of your hands to get the mixture to stick together. Then place on a baking sheet with parchment paper and freeze for 2 hours.

In the top of a double boiler, or bain-marie or in a medium stainless steel bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, melt chocolate. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Stab the frozen pecan balls with a toothpick then dip into the melted chocolate, place onto prepared baking sheet and top with half a pecan to cover the toothpick hole. Return to the fridge for 10-15 minutes or until firm. They will keep in the freezer for 30 days in an airtight container.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

340 grams 70% cocoa chocolate 120ml double cream 30ml Butter 225 grams of peanut butter 10ml vanilla 150 grams finely chopped roasted peanuts

In a double boiler over moderate heat melt the chocolate, butter, double cream, and peanut butter until completely combined. I use a pyrex bowl over a pot of boiling water.

Remove from heat and add vanilla and a pinch of salt.

Let the chocolate mixture return to room temperature and then place in fridge to cool for about 4 hours or until firm.

Roast your shelled raw peanuts at 150 degrees for about 10-15 minutes untillightly roasted.

When the chocolate is firm, use a small teaspoon or mellon baller dipped in hot water to scoop out the chocolate mixture then roll then in the chopped peanuts, you may have to roll it in between your hands to remove any air gaps creating a solid round ball, this also helps warm the chocolate for the nuts to stick to.

Place the truffles on a baking sheet with parchment paper and return to the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set. They will keep in the freezer for 30 days in an airtight container.

Chocolate Truffles

We cheated on this one and used the BBC Good Food’s Recipe. It has great tips and ideas for making and decorating your truffles.

300g good-quality dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids 300ml pot double cream 50g unsalted butter

Chop the chocolate and tip into a large bowl. Put the cream and butter into a saucepan and heat gently until the butter melts and the cream reaches simmering point. Remove from heat, then pour over the chocolate. Stir the chocolate and cream together until you have a smooth mixture. Add any flavourings to the truffle mix at this stage (divide the mixture between bowls and mix in liqueurs or other flavourings, a tsp at a time, to taste. Try bourbon, Grand Marnier, coconut rum or the zest and juice of an orange), or leave plain. Cool and chill for at least 4 hrs.

To shape the truffles, dip a melon baller in hot water and scoop up balls of the mixture, then drop the truffles onto greaseproof paper. Or lightly coat your hands in flavourless oil (such as sunflower) and roll the truffles between your palms. You could also use a piping bag to pipe rounds onto greaseproof paper.

Coat your truffles immediately after shaping. Tip toppings into a bowl and gently roll the truffles until evenly coated, then chill on greaseproof paper. Try: crushed, shelled pistachio nuts; lightly toasted desiccated coconut; or roll a truffle flavoured with orange zest and juice in cocoa powder. To coat in chocolate, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Melt 100g milk, dark or white chocolate for 10 truffles. Allow chocolate to cool slightly. With a fork, pick up one truffle at a time and hold over the bowl of melted chocolate. Spoon the chocolate over the truffle until well-coated. Place on the baking tray, then chill.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days, or freeze for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight. To give as presents, place 8-10 truffles in individual foil or paper cases inside small, lined boxes tied with ribbon. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to give them.

Make a day of it and immerse yourself in chocolate. MMMMMMmmmmmm.

Chocolate truffles were made and photographed at our studio in London UK on our Seeds Fabric in Pumpkin Orange. The copper measuring cups are from Anthropologie UK, and the cutting board is vintage.

If you are in the USA you can find our products at www.etoile-home.us.com

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Island Snow Cocktail

Christmas and all its festivities are now upon us, so whether you are entertaining or just kicking back with your loved ones try our Island Snow Cocktail with both the flavours of Christmas-orange and cinnamon and the Caribbean-coconut and rum in a creamy concoction.  Yum.

Serves about 4 total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

100ml silver tequila 120ml freshly squuezed orange juice 1 tin coconut milk with the cream 200ml coconut rum 100ml Spiced Rum 20ml maple syrup 1 tsp fresh ground cinnamon

for garnish: sprigs of rosemary and fresh cranberries or logon berries

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together well with a hand or proper blender. Taste and add more syrup if you'd like more sweetness. Then garnish and enjoy the taste of a tropical Christmas.

Photographed on a marble cutting board from Tiger and étoile home’s Spots Tea Towel in Coral and Vermilion.

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Looking to invest in blinds or curtains this Christmas? We have loads of patterned fabrics in great colours for your home. Our cotton/linen weight fabric is perfect for window dressing. 

Shop our fabrics by the meter now.

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As the holiday parties kick off, and you start to feel a little bleary eyed take a little respite, pour yourself an eggnog, grab a snickerdoodle and put your feet up. You deserve it so enjoy….

Classic Eggnog

Ingredients

4 egg yolks ½ cup sugar and one tablespoon 1 pint whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 3 ounces rum or bourbon 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Pinch of cinnamon 4 egg whites

Directions

In a large bowl, beat or whisk the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the ½ cup sugar and continue to beat or whisk until it is completely dissolved and the yolks are fluffy. In a saucepan, over high heat, add the milk, cream, and nutmeg and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually add the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to the pan and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often. Do not leave to simmer. Remove from the heat. Quickly strain into a bowl and stir in the bourbon or rum. Pour into a mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the chilled mixture and serve. Garnish with nutmeg.

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup softened unsalted butter ¼ teaspoon salt 1 ¾ cups sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt into a small bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, 1 ½ cups sugar. Beat thoroughly with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat until creamy and well combined. Add the dry ingredients, and beat until combined. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ¼ cup of sugar with the cinnamon.

Shape the dough into 1 ½-inch balls (1 tablespoon per ball), and roll in the cinnamon sugar. Arrange the balls approximately 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake two sheets at a time until the edges of the cookies are set but the centers are still soft (they will not brown), 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Transfer the sheets to wire racks to cool for five minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

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Pumpkin Decorating-No Carving Required

A very easy but effective and stylish way to decorate your pumpkin this Halloween is to simply paint it.

Give your pumpkin a wash to remove any mud, grease or marks. Dry it completely then in a well ventilated area place the pumpkin on some newspaper or a plastic drop cloth then start giving the pumpkin a fine layer of your chosen spray paint colour, wait for it to dry and repeat until well coated. Be sure to turn it over once dry to coat the bottom. Multiple light coats prevent the paint from running down the sides.  

If you want to add glitter do it while it is still wet so it will stick. If you are adding pen detail or further paint colours wait for it to be completely dry. Get creative. I love the idea of loads of different size and shape pumpkin in a variety or similar colour shades.

Hope we have inspired your best Halloween creation yet.

Happy Halloween from étoile home.