I Made My Own Yogurt!

Many people who know me know that I have been on a quest for the perfect yogurt. I've tried many brands, been loyal to some for a long time, others for a short time, and still haven't settled on "my" favorite brand. I do love Fage, but it's pretty expensive. I love Cabot as well, also expensive, and a tangier yogurt than others. For years I loved Yoplait Custard Style, until I realized it has almost as many calories as a small hot fudge sundae! I'm trying to stay away from chemical sweeteners, so most of the "light" yogurts won't do, since they are sweetened artificially. I was thinking of buying a commercial yogurt maker, but how would I even know if I liked the end result? So, I headed to the trusty internet in a search for home-made yogurt recipes with reviews, so I could read first-hand how people rate the yogurt recipes they've tried.The first thing I realized: it's not rocket science. It doesn't need to be complicated. It doesn't require a lot of kitchen contraptions. So, over the past few days, I have mixed together my first batches of home-made yogurt. It takes more time than effort, and here's the verdict: It's delicious. It's light, and mild, and sweet without any sweeteners. I'd never eat plain yogurt, and I loved this, and made a second batch and stirred in some local honey and a bit of vanilla. With berries, or granola, it will be a wonderful breakfast or dessert. A swirl of jam, or lemon curd, or marmalade could put this lovely yogurt over the top. So, now I am a yogurt maker. I may never buy yogurt again!

HOME MADE YOGURT

1/2 gallon milk (skim to whole fat, your choice) I used Battenkill low fat

4 tablespoons plain yogurt to use as a starter (I used Cabot Plain Greek - you can use any plain yogurt)

• In dutch oven or large pot on stove, over moderate heat, bring milk to 185 degrees F (bubbles start forming around edge), or to just before boiling, stirring to make sure milk doesn't scorch on the bottom of the pot. 

• Remove pot from heat and cool down to 110 degrees (a candy thermometer would be very helpful for this process.) If you don't have a thermometer, 110 degrees is when it's still hot but not painfully hot when you dip your pinky finger in (a standard gauge for measuring heat in a lot of yogurt recipes!).

• Take 1 cup of the heated milk and mix with the 4 tbsp. of starter yogurt (whisk together) and stir back into the hot milk mixture. 

• Wrap a thick towel completely around the pot (with lid) to incubate the yogurt and keep it warm.  Place wrapped pot in oven (turned off!) with the light on, and let sit for 8-14 hours. I let mine sit overnight and then all day while I was at work.  

• Unwrap pot and place yogurt in fridge to chill completely before straining (I poured the yogurt into a large bowl for the fridge).

• To strain, pour yogurt into a lined colander set over a large bowl. I used a few sturdy paper towels as the liner. (To create space for the whey to drain, I inverted a small pyrex dish in the bottom of the bowl and set the colander on top of that.) Allow yogurt to drain until it reaches the consistency you prefer. Pour off whey as it accumulates. I let it go overnight to make it thicker. To make it an even thicker Greek style yogurt, strain again.To make yogurt cheese, strain even longer. I had saved yogurt containers (washed in the dishwasher) so I had a quart container ready. My half-gallon of milk made just under a quart of yogurt, pretty much for the price of a half-gallon of milk. Well worth the effort!

I made home-made yogurt!  You can, too!

A Healthy(er) Double-Chocolate Cupcake!

OK, I just had to get back to baking; after all, this is the Adirondack Baker! For those looking for a healthy(er) dessert option, here's a recipe for a double-chocolate cupcake that can provide a sweet ending or snack without undermining your efforts at eating well.

This recipe is one I adapted from Cooking Light. Their version uses all-purpose flour, butter and granulated sugar. I decided to healthify (is that a word?) this recipe to another level by using whole white flour, brown sugar, and canola oil. I chose to melt the additional dark chocolate rather than give it a fine chop, and I also added a teaspoon of cinnamon because Shannon, my nutritionist, tells me that cinnamon is a wonderful spice to add to any diet, that it's great for the bloodstream. It compliments chocolate in a very simpatico way (like my south-of-the-border reference?).

Since I'm still in carb-detox mode, I won't be enjoying these cupcakes just yet, but my family will.  This recipe makes 1 dozen cupcakes, just enough for a big family dinner or for making your co-workers very happy! One or two might make it to my freezer, for that time when I am able to handle an occasional (and healthier) treat!

HEALTHY(ER) DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE
12-cup standard muffin pan, with paper liners
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit

Ingredients:
1 cup whole white flour (I use King Arthur), MINUS two tablespoons (whole white absorbs more moisture than AP flour)
1/3 cup cocoa powder (I use Ghiradelli)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark, firmly packed
1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup egg substitute (I used 1 large home-grown egg, and 1 egg white)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 oz. dark chocolate, melted in microwave

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (I use Battenkill low-fat milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar - let sit for a minute or two)

Directions:
In medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, mix brown sugar and canola oil very well, until there are no lumps left.  Add egg and beat well (if using real eggs, beat well after each addition).  Add vanilla extract and melted chocolate, and mix very well.  Beat this mixture at high speed for a good minute.

With mixer at lowest speed, add flour mixture alternately with milk, 1/3 each at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Then beat for one more minute.  Scrape bowl to make sure you got it all incorporated.

Fill muffin cups 1/2 to 2/3 full, using all the batter for 12 cupcakes.

Bake for 18 minutes or until cupcakes test done (toothpick comes out clean, or cake bounces back when gently pressed in the center).  I always use the "press" test.

Sift a little confectioners sugar over top, or frost as desired.  OR (!) frost with a chocolate ganache, also made healthier with eliminating the cream and melting the chocolate with just a tablespoon of canola oil.

HEALTHY DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped (or use dark chocolate chips - I used Hershey's)
1 tablespoon canola oil

In microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate with canola oil for 1 minute.  Remove (carefully - my bowl got hot) and stir with fork until all the chocolate has melted.  Mine took just one minute, if you need to put it back in the microwave, try another 20 seconds.

With a tablespoon, stream ganache over center of cupcake and let it spread, but not all the way to the edges.  You want some of that pretty cake to show through!

OK, now who gets them?!!!