So it seems that lately I have been making a lot of white-colored desserts. All of it stems from Thanksgiving. When my Dad was here for Thanksgiving, I made frozen yogurt. Then, when I got a kitchen aid stand mixer (how I love that thing!), I made meringues. Then, I had a lot of leftover milk (which I don't drink) and made my vow to make something for my co-workers, I made homemade yogurt which then got turned into more frozen yogurt.
So, let's start off with yogurt (as you need this to make frozen yogurt).
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| Homemade yogurt |
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| My yogurt maker. It worked well! |
Yogurt from scratch (based on Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz)
Ingredients:
1 quart whole milk
1 tbsp. fresh live-culture plain yogurt
Special equipment:
Quart jar
Insulated cooler
Procedure:
1) Preheat the jar and insulated cooler with hot water so they will not drain heat and it can stay warm to ferment.
2) Heat the milk until bubbles begin to form. If you use a thermometer, heat the milk to 180 F. Use gentle heat, and stir frequently, to avoid burning the milk. It does not need to come to a full boil. The heating is not absolutely necessary, but it does result in a thicker yogurt.
3) Cool the milk to 110 F, or the point where it feels hot, but it is not hard to keep your (clean!) finger in it. You can speed the cooling process by setting the pot with the hot milk in to a bowl or pot of cold water. Don't let the milk get too cool; the yogurt cultures are most active in the above body temperature range.
4) Mix starter yogurt into the milk. Use just one tablespoon for one quart. I used to make more starter, assuming more is better, until I consulted my number one kitchen reference book, The Joy of cooking (1964 edition), known affectionately as Joy in our kitchen. "You may wonder why so little starter is used and think that a little more will produce a better result. It won't. The bacillus, if crowded, gives a sour, watery product. But, if the culture has sufficient Lebensraum (German for room to live), it will be rich, mild and creamy." Mix the starter thoroughly into the milk and pour the mixture into the preheated jar.
5) Cap the jar and place it in the preheated insulated cooler. If much space remains in the cooler, fill it with bottles of hot water (not too hot to touch) and/or towels. Close the cooler. Place the cooler in a warm spot where it will not be disturbed. "Yogurt has the added idiosyncrasy that it doesn't care to be jostled while growing" Joy notes.
6) Check the yogurt after 8 to 12 hours. It should have a tangy flavor and some thickness. If it isn't thick (hasn't "yoged"), warm it up by filling the insulated cooler with hot water around the jar of yogurt, adding more starter, and leaving it 4 to 8 more hours. You can leave it to ferment longer if you wish. It will become more sour, as more of the milk's lactose is converted into lactic acid. A longer fermentation period can often make yogurt digestible even for lactose-intolerant individuals.
7) Yogurt can store in the refrigerator for weeks, though its flavor will become more sour over time. Save some of your yogurt to use as starter for the next batch.
My yogurt turned out amazingly! It was really wondrous to open up those container which had just contained raw milk and to see solid yogurt inside! Sandor Katz was right... you really don't need a lot of yogurt starter! Just a tablespoon and you're set! I have tried to make yogurt previously and used a quarter cup and had the result turn out all watery. This was also my first opportunity to use my yogurt maker (received through Renaissance camp for a potential yogurt making experiment I was going to do with the kids), which worked quite well. But so did putting it in a cooler with a warm water bottle (the kind "old people" use). The only pain in the butt thing (and the yogurt maker doesn't help with this either) is the whole heating it up to a certain temperature and then cooling it down to another. I put my bowl of liquid yogurt mixture outside to cool off, and it still took like 20 minutes. I was definitely thanking having a very cool space agey thermometer that I could just point at things, push a button and it would tell me how cool or hot it was! It is definitely cheaper than buying yogurt at a store, but the heating and cooling part is a bit inconvenient for me! As a note on yogurt starter, I just bought my favorite yogurt at the store (Nancy's) and put it in. Make sure whatever yogurt you buy has live cultures in it! Otherwise, it won't work!
This next recipe (frozen yogurt) comes to you thanks to the blog 101 cookbooks. You can find the original link here http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/a-frozen-yogurt-recipe-to-rival-pinkberrys-recipe.html
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| Frozen yogurt with cherries. Deliciousness! |
Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Recipe
Heidi notes: First off, remember it is important to use good-quality whole-milk yogurt. The version in David's book is Vanilla Frozen Yogurt. This time around I skipped out on the vanilla, opting for straight, bright white yogurt with the sweetness playing off the tang of the yogurt. I also used slightly less sugar than called for here, more like 2/3 cup - but you can go either way depending on what you like.3 cups (720g) strained yogurt (see below) or Greek-style yogurtMix together the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla (if using). Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate 1 hour.
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
To make 1 cup (240g) of strained yogurt, line a mesh strainer with a few layers of cheese cloth. then scrape 16 ounces or 2 cups (480g) of plain whole-milk yogurt into the cheesecloth. Gather the ends and fold them over the yogurt, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours. So, for the above recipe start with and strain 6 cups of yogurt.
Makes about 1 quart.
I followed her note and skipped out on both the vanilla extract and the extra sugar. And it came out delicious! It is especially nice when you make the yogurt yourself! Just like what you would get in a store such as pinkberry's. Mmmm....
And, finally, my last white colored dessert, meringues:
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| Beat the eggs to stiff peaks |
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| Until it looks glossy |
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| Plop onto a cookie sheet (this one has parchment paper on it) |
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| Have an expert husband around |
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| And bake at 275 for one hour. |
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| For crisper meringues, leave in the oven for another hour. Enjoy! |
Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book1976
Meringue recipe
MERINGUE SHELL
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
Have egg whites at room temperature. Add vanilla, cream of tartar, and dash salt. Beat to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating till very stiff peaks form. (Meringue will be glossy.)
Cover baking sheet with plain ungreased brown paper. Using 9-inch round cake pan as guide, draw circle on paper. Spread meringue over circle. Shape into shell with back of spoon, making bottom ½ inch thick and sides about 1¾ inches high. Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour. Turn off heat and let dry in oven (door closed) for at least 2 hours. Fill with ice cream and sauce, or fresh fruit. Makes 8 servings.
INDIVIDUAL MERINGUES
Make meringue as for Meringue Shell above. Cover baking sheet with plain ungreased brown paper. Draw 8 circles, 3½ inches in diameter; spread each with 1/3 cup meringue. Using back of spoon, shape into shells; form a hollow in center.
Bake meringues at 275 degrees for one hour. For crisper meringues, turn off heat and let dry in oven (door closed) about 1 hour.
Fill with ice cream, pudding mixtures, or fresh fruit. Makes 8 servings.
(Picture hint: To make 3½ inch circles, use a compass or trace around a jar lid. Use a spoon to shape meringue mixture into shells)
Ah, kitchen aid mixer, how I love thee! This made whipping up egg whites a treat! And, thanks to my wonderful husband, Scott (the expert on meringues), they came out wonderfully! A trifle sweet for my taste (like biting into a sugar cube), but light and delicious all the same. Next time, a little less sugar and some extracts. Note: Scott makes this every year at Renaissance camp during food week while explaining denatured proteins. They use food coloring and lots of extracts (e.g., vanilla, maple, mint, etc.). The kids love it!
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