A Little Something

How I Make My Honey Vanilla Yogurt

I am finally in the habit of making yogurt on a regular basis, so that it is easily accomplished and thus will actually occur on a regular basis without reverting back to purchasing the stuff. We can consume a great deal of yogurt when the mood strikes us, which gets rather expensive as well as not quite optimal healthy-wise.

We like vanilla yogurt, thus this recipe for already slightly-sweetened, ready-to-eat right out of the jar, vanilla yogurt. I bought a set of pint sized canning jars for this purpose, and it is convenient that folks can just grab a jar to take on the road and it is good to eat as is (not to mention fun to eat out of the quaint jar). We like it especially with my homemade granola, making for a substantial breakfast or lunch or snack, or even supper if one has had a heavy midday meal and is just looking for something light at night.

This is my simple recipe/method.

Heat a gallon of whole milk in a large pot until it reaches 180 degrees F, using a candy thermometer to check your temperature. This takes about twenty minutes at a medium-high temperature on my stove. Stir it occasionally and keep yourself in the general vicinity lest your milk boil over unto a grand mess. (!)

After it reaches 180, remove from heat and let it cool to about 120 degrees F.

In the meantime, prepare your jars and have a glass pint measuring cup handy. You want your jars to be very clean, washed in hot soapy water and rinsed well, or in a dishwasher.

I set my jars up like so, placing them on a cookie sheet lined with a clean dish towel. I incubate my yogurt in the oven, so this works very well.

After the milk has cooled I stir in one cup of honey and a couple of tablespoons of vanilla. (The exact amount will depend on your personal preference and the potency/quality of your vanilla.)

I then measure out a cup of yogurt in the glass measuring cup. If this is your first batch you have to start with purchased plain yogurt, one that contains 'live active cultures' as stated on the label. I usually use Stoneyfield brand and it has always worked well for me. After the first batch, I of course just save half a jar of my own yogurt and use that as the starter for the next batch.

Add about a cup of the cooled milk to the cup of starter yogurt and stir gently, then pour it back into the pot of milk. Stir gently to blend the cultures throughout the milk.

Then simply fill your jars with the mixture. I've found it easiest to just use the same measuring cup as a dipper/ladle, as it's easy to pour the milk into the jars this way with no mess.

I set the lids on the jars (but don't add the bands just yet).

Then I place the whole tray into a warm oven. To warm the oven, I turn it on for about a minute and a half and then turn it off. I use a timer and stand right next to the oven paying attention so it doesn't get too hot! Too hot will kill your cultures. (Another method is to leave the pilot light on while you're incubating, which provides enough warmth to incubate the yogurt, but I don't like to wear out the oven lights in this way.) After about four or five hours I repeat the turning the oven on and off for a minute or so to keep the oven warm enough. Don't disturb the yogurt while it's incubating or try to check on it. I usually leave my yogurt to incubate overnight for about twelve or maybe even sixteen/eighteen hours; the yogurt should look firm.

Then I put the bands on the jars and put them in the refrigerator to chill.

Honey Vanilla Yogurt

1 gallon whole milk

1 cup honey

2 tablespoons vanilla

1 cup yogurt for starter, either from your previous batch or purchased plain yogurt with live active cultures

Yield approximately 9 1/2 pints.

Apple Galette

Lydia has mastered the art of the galette and we are all enjoying her culinary skill. Last night when Michael came in the door he took one look and noted she was wearing an apron, and declared it 'a very good sign'. He was right, as three galettes were baking nicely in the oven. We have decided apple galette is even better than apple pie as the bottom crust is crisp and flaky and doesn't get soggy like a pie does. The boys like them as they think they look medieval, and Josiah wants some for movie props. The galette is less juicy than pie and not overly sweet, so you can pick up a wedge and eat it like a heathen if you are a teenager, or have it proper on a plate with ice cream if you are a civilized sort. I am.

As written, the recipe makes one galette which we say serves four - the recipe is easily doubled or tripled. These are very quick and easy to make, and by baking them on parchment paper cleanup is a breeze.

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt*

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup butter

5 tablespoons ice water

Toss dry ingredients together in a bowl. Rub in butter with your fingertips until blended. Sprinkle with water and mix gently until dough comes together into a ball. Roll out on a floured surface until you have an approximate 14" round.

Transfer the round to a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. If you do a good job rolling the dough and don't have any tears, all the juices will stay nicely (and deliciously) contained in the crust.

Peel, core and slice 2-3 large apples. We have been using 2 1/2 huge Stayman apples per galette. Slice the apples into thin wedges and arrange them in an overlapping circle on the dough, leaving a rim of about 3" of dough.
 
 

Keep adding apples, filling in the center with another smaller round of slices. Sprinkle the apples with 1/4 cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dot with about a tablespoon of butter on top of the cinnamon sugar. Fold up the edges of the dough making little pleats as you go around.

 

The galette should be about nine or ten inches in diameter.

Bake the galette in a preheated 400 degree F oven for approximately 35 minutes. I start checking it after about 25 minutes. It should be nice and golden looking and the apples fork tender.
  

Best served warm with ice cream, a cup of tea on the side, of course.
 Edited to add: * If you are using salted butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt per galette is adequate. Of course salt in pastry is a matter of personal taste, so adjust accordingly.

Lydia is still making, and we are still eating, lots of galette. They also make a lovely gift to pass along to a friend as well. We've found that they are best when baked to a nice golden color (not underdone), and eaten right out of the oven. The crust is really superb - crispy and flaky and oh, so delicious when it's hot and fresh - and you don't even think of putting ice cream on such perfection.

Applesauce

We bought lots of extra apples at the farmer's market so I could make applesauce. Homemade applesauce is a most simple, delicious, warm, homey, nutritious snack - perfect for fall. Being a lover of quality kitchen gadgets and also of tasty homemade food, my dear husband granted my wish for a food mill. I am now the very happy owner of the Oxo Good Grips Food Mill which makes applesauce super easy.

Wash the apples and chop them with a handy dandy apple slicer - you don't need to peel or core the apples - I love that. Put about an inch of water in the bottom of a large pot and throw in all the apple pieces. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until apples are cooked through. Mine took about 40 minutes.

 

Then run the apples through the food mill. The Oxo lives up to its reputation of comfortable, easy to use kitchen gadgets. It takes a lot of turning to process the apples, but it's very fast and easy and the comfortable spinning rubber knob makes it a breeze.

 

Stir in a spoonful of cinnamon if you like.

 

We enjoyed our applesauce warm for lunch with cheese and crackers. My big stock pot of apples cooked down to about five quarts of applesauce, and by the end of the day it was all gone. I would like to make more and maybe freeze some for the winter - we'll have to see if the next batch 'evaporates' as fast as this one did.