This is such a simple recipe for homemade creamy yogurt. The yogurt is made using non-fat milk and inoculated with previous batch of homemade yogurt…confused?  Continue reading and you will find out how…

We always have yogurt in the morning and the amazing thing is that I do not even remember when the last time I bought yogurt was.  I make my own yogurt from organic non-fat milk using the yogurt that I made previously…so it is a continuous production of yogurt by taking approximately 2 tablespoons or so from the jar that it is in used. The recipe is very versatile, you can use 1% fat, 2% fat, or whole milk. The more fat content in the milk the thicker the yogurt will turn out.  Although I use non-fat milk I can assure you that my yogurt still very creamy.

There is no excuse to not make your own yogurt as no fancy gadget is required, use your imagination to keep the inoculated milk with yogurt somehow warm by using oven with the light on, top of refrigerator, Instant Pot, rice cooker that has a keep warm setting, cooler or a thermos cooker (which is very similar to a cooler, only retains the temperature more efficiently).

I personally use the thermos cooker when making a large container, but often use the oven if I want to have the yogurt in small individual cups.

Oh! Make sure that you have a candy thermometer or any thermometer as the temperature is very important.  If the temperature of the milk is too high it will kill the live culture, or if it is too cold it will not the optimal for the culture to develop…therefore the only important parameter is the temperature.

The making of yogurt always reminds me of my microbiology laboratory where I used to cultivate all kind of bacteria and yeast…a lot of fun!

Ingredients:

• 2 quart of milk (any of your choice)
• 2 tablespoons of plain organic yogurt, preferably nothing added but live and active culture.

Method:

Place the milk in a pot and bring to simmer until bubbles form around the edges, around 180F. Stir frequently as it heats preventing crust in the bottom of the pan.

Remove the milk from the heat and let it cool until approximately 110 to 120F, do not add the yogurt below 110F or above 118F.

Place the yogurt in the jar and pour approximately ¼ of the milk and stir gently, once the yogurt is totally incorporated in the milk, add the remaining milk to the jar and stir again. I like to pass the milk through a fine colander to retain any unwanted particles or film produced during the heating process to have a smooth and creamy yogurt.

Cover the jar and place in the warm spot you selected. Do not disturb the jar while resting. Let the mixture sit for 6 to 12 hours. Just remember that the longer the yogurt sits the tangy it will taste.

Transfer the jar in the refrigerator and chill.  The yogurt will continue to thicken as it cools.

If you care for a thicker yogurt you can pour the whey liquid away and pass the yogurt through cheesecloth.

Make sure to reserve roughly 2 tablespoons of the yogurt for the next batch.

I hope you enjoy this simple method of making yogurt…check on the some of the recipes these recipes…Fresh Berries with Vanilla Yogurt or Yogurt with Honey Caviar recipes.

Did you know that yogurt is the most consumed fermented dairy product? Not only prevents osteoporosis due to the calcium and vitamin D from the milk, yogurt is loaded with live good bacteria, called probiotic. Probiotic food help to keep you gut healthy. The good bacteria use the sugar in the milk (lactose) and transforms into acid lactic, therefore for its tangy flavor.

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Today I am sharing with you a very simple twist for your everyday bowl of berries and yogurt. You will not believe that just a little sprinkle of the Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla powder on a plain yogurt will make magic…all of a sudden the berries are covered by an elegant layer of very delicate, aromatic and flavorful yogurt…

This is one of the posts that there is no need for recipe. Plain and simple, just top your fresh berries with yogurt.  Oh, before I continue, when I was approached by Nielsen-Massey Company to try one of their products I picked the vanilla powder since I have never used vanilla in the form of powder. I received a sample of Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Powder for review and I was not financially compensated for this post, all the opinions are mine based of my experience.

Now, back to the post…the special treat is in how you prepare the yogurt…in this particular post I used homemade non-fat yogurt (which I will share some other time). You can use whatever kind of plain yogurt you wish.

I added a bit of organic sugar and a sprinkle or two of the vanilla powder. I could not believe that just a little bit of the vanilla powder could give such an amazing aroma and yet delicate flavor to the plain yogurt. I hope you get a chance to try.

If you enjoy this simple twist of berries with yogurt you might want to check on Strawberries and Cream, Frozen Berry Yogurt recipes.

Did you know that berries are rich in vitamins, minerals and phytonutrient? The berries are loaded with anthocyanins due to the natural bright colors and flavonoids in the seeds and skin.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

This is a recipe for a simple muffin, loaded with citrus flavors from calamansi and poppy seed. Great for breakfast or as a snack.

Have you ever heard of calamansi? Well, I did by chance…years ago, I was looking for a dwarf orange family tree, and bump into this nice tree which at the time looked like a mandarin orange tree. After a few months I noticed that the fruits were tiny, they looked like the little cuties, but much smaller. I thought that the farmer made a mistake when placing the tag…It was then that I looked carefully at the tag…it said calamansi or calamondin.

After a lot of search in the internet I learned that calamansi is a cross between mandarin orange and kumquats, which are slightly elongated. This fruit is very popular in Philippines and Malaysia and grow throughout Southeast Asia.

These little orange like fruits are like orange, starts off as a green and turns orange-yellow as it matures on the tree. Apparently you can use it either way, green or orange-yellow. The juice is tart, like lemon, although much more fragrant.

I have been using calamansi to marinate chicken, pork…the same way I would use lemon. This time I decided to bake some muffins and substitute the lemon juice for calamansi juice.

They came out nice, they had a hint of an exotic aroma…but one thing I would change next time baking these muffins it to add a bit more of the calamansi juice.

This is a super simple recipe, no need for any especial gadget…just a couple of bowls and spatulas…I hope you will try this recipe one day.

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons calamansi freshly squeezed juice
• 120 g all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons yogurt (I used non-fat, but feel free to use any kind)
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fit mold with 9 medium size paper muffin cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In another large bowl, whisk the melted butter, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and calamansi juice together until well blended. Pour the flour mixture over the wet ingredients and, with the rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough, do not over mix. Stir in the poppy seeds.

Scoop the batter into the muffins cups.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a wooden stick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, or freeze for future enjoyment

If you enjoy this citrus dessert, you might want to check on Tangerine Chiffon Cake or Lime Pudding Cake.

Did you know that calamansi like all the other citrus is rich in vitamin C? In spite of the orange color, the fruit is very sour, although the peel is sweet, resembling a kumquat.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

I always liked chocolate filled with cherry and brandy, so I thought why not making a frozen yogurt with brandied cherry? It sure sounded much more tempting than plain cherry.

Yes, it turned out awesome…and nobody got drunk in spite of the amount of brandy that was added to the cherries. The alcohol was totally gone with the cooking, but the flavor and aroma of the brandy was detectable in every cherry. So now imagine a spoonful of the creamy yogurt with cherry in every bite…yum!

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh cherry
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup brandy

2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
2-3 tablespoons brandy (optional)

Method:

Make sure that your ice cream maker bucket is in the freezer overnight before you start the process.

Remove the pit of the cherries (I just bought a cherry pitter and it is great!) and place in a medium pan with the sugar and brandy. Cook over high heat until boiling point, then lower the heat to medium low and continue to cook for approximately 12 minutes until the cherries are slightly soft, and still somehow whole (not mushy) and syrupy.

Remove the brandied cherries from the heat , let it cool and place in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, all the brandied cherry and brandy (optional). Once the cherry and the yogurt are all well blended turn on the ice cream maker and pour the yogurt mix into the frozen bucket.

Churn until the mixture is creamy for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on your ice cream maker.

Serve immediately (best option) or place in the freezer.

If placed in the freezer, remove the frozen yogurt 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

If you like this frozen yogurt recipe, you might want to check on Mango Frozen Yogurt with Agave Syrup, Rhubarb Frozen Yogurt or Strawberry Frozen Yogurt.

Did you know that cherries are very low in calories and rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals? Cherries are rich in pigments which contain antioxidant properties, therefore beneficial to prevent many diseases such as cancer, heart disease, pre-diabetes, hypertension, etc…

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Now that the warm weather is here, I keep the ice cream bucket in the freezer all the time, so I am ready for a quick and fast frozen dessert.
This is a very simple and refreshing yogurt dessert. I love the color and the flavor of this frozen yogurt, nothing like the combination of fragrant mango stirred together with the tartness of yogurt…

Ingredients:

2 large mangoes
2 tablespoon vanilla vodka
2 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup agave syrup
1 cup Greek yogurt

Fresh strawberry and mint leaves for garnish

Method:

Cut the mango in small pieces and blend together with vodka, lemon juice and agave syrup. Add the yogurt to the mango mix and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Place the mango/yogurt mix into the ice cream maker and follow the instructions of your ice cream maker.

Garnish with strawberry and mint leaves.

If you enjoy this simple recipe for mango frozen yogurt you might want to check on strawberry frozen yogurt as well.

Did you know that there are more than 1000 different varieties of mangos? Mangoes are rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Mangoes contain enzymes that are good tenderizing agent, therefore often used for marinade.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great week!

This is a very easy and simple cupcake recipe…the cake is very light and moist since yogurt and the egg whites in the form of soft peak were added to the batter. Both frosting and the cake contain orange rind, which give the cupcakes a very citrus flavor. The cupcakes can be baked ahead, and frozen. On the day that you want to serve them, make the frosting while the cupcakes are defrosting, top them and they are ready to be serve

Cake Batter

Ingredients:

¼ cup orange juice
1 cup fat free natural yogurt
1 tablespoon orange rind, grated
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup or ¼ lb butter
3 eggs, separated
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ cup sugar

Method:

Sift the flour with the baking powder. In a small bowl mix the orange ring with the yogurt and the orange juice.

Cream the butter and approximately 3/4 of the sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the vanilla extract and the egg yolks one at the time, until very light and airy.

Add the half of the sifted flour with approximately half of the yogurt mix. Mix gently and repeat with the rest of flour and yogurt.

Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy, add the remaining of the sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks.

Gently fold approximately 1/3 of the egg white into the batter, then fold in the remaining egg white, avoiding deflating the batter.

Fill the cupcake cups to 2/3 and bake in pre heated oven at 350F for approximately 10 minutes until a inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool down before icing them.

Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients:

2 cup mascarpone cheese
5 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon orange rind, grated
1 teaspoon orange blossom

Method:

Mix all the ingredients until fluffy.

Top the cupcakes with the mascarpone frosting and serve.

Did you know that mascarpone cheese is made by coagulating cream with a weak acid?

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