Chocolate yogurt

We eat a lot of yogurt in our family, usually of the make at home in our yogurt maker kind, which I like because it is neither too sweet, or adds to landfill with huge amounts of un-recyclable plastic.

However, we seem to have been on a bit of a kick with chocolate yogurt lately. You know the kind – in the little plastic pottles, lots of additives, not much nutritional goodness, but lots of yum!

So I decided to set out on a quest to make the perfect chocolate yogurt, and do you know I think I may have found it…

The original video is here.  It’s in french, which isn’t too helpful. However it does give the basic ingredients/ amounts which are:

370 g dark chocolate (I used 72% dark Ghana)
500g whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pottle of natural yogurt

And here’s how to make these delicious little jars of chocolate:

Directions:

1.  Heat milk in heavy bottomed pot to 180° F (82° C).

2.  Remove from heat.

3.  Cool milk to 110°-115° F (43°-46° C).

4.  Add a pottle of fresh yogurt culture  (store brought plain unsweeted yogurt) to warm milk and let rest about 5 minutes before stirring.

5.  Add to a bowl which has the chocolate (broken up) and sugar, stir until completely melted together.

6.  Pour into a glass jar or ceramic container (I use five 1/2 cup wide mouth glass jars) and cover.

7.  Place into a warm oven set to 110° F (43° C).

8.  Incubate, without disturbing, for 6-8 hours or until firm.

9.  Refrigerate until ready to eat (at least 4 hours).

10. Enjoy!

So smooth.

So creamy.

So NOT for breakfast…

Nom nom 🙂

 

‘Tis the season

For reindeer cookies…The silly season is upon us and the year flying by at an alarming pace. But there is always. Always! Time for reindeer cookies 🙂This year they were decorated with chocolate and m&ms.

Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies recipe:

• 1/2 cup golden syrup
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon milk
• 2 Cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger

Preheat oven to 180 C. Heat golden syrup, sugar, butter and milk together in a pot until melted.

Sift dry ingredients and add to pot. Blend together well, using a wooden spoon.

Cut out gingerbread man shapes, place on baking sheet and bake for 7 -9 minutes until lightly golden. When cool decorate with melted chocolate and m&ms. Share with all your friends!!!

Pancake squares

Pancakes are a Saturday morning tradition in our house, and for those days when I can’t be bothered standing in front of the stove flipping pancakes, I whip up a batch of super easy pancake squares. These are simply a modified pancake batter cooked in the oven (all at once in a tin). To eat you just remove them from the pan, slice and serve… Easy!

Because we have a plentiful supply of raspberries at present we are really enjoying raspberries in our pancake squares. But the pancakes don’t have to have fruit – they are perfectly delicious without – and you don’t have to be limited to raspberries, through the winter we enjoy frozen blueberry or grated apple, or feijoa pancakes… all equally YUM YUM YUM! What could be easier, or more delicious?

Easy Oaty Pancake Squares

Heat oven to 180 C. In a medium bowl mix together well:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tablespoons sugar

Add:

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 50g melted butter

Stir through approx 1 cup of fresh or frozen fruit (eg raspberries, blueberries, grated apple) – if using.

Pour into a lined baking dish and bake for 20 – 25 minutes until lightly golden. Test with a toothpick to ensure it’s cooked through.

Remove, slice into squares and enjoy topped with a little maple syrup and fresh fruit 🙂

Perfect peach pie…

We’ve enjoyed a looooonnnnnnggggg hot summer, and even though its officially autumn our weather station informs me that its still 27 C right now – and its 6.30pm! I’m not complaining though, I know winter is just around the corner so I fully intend to remain in summer mode as long as I possibly can.

Of all the fruit and veg our garden has provided this summer, the golden queen peach has been my favourite. So sweet, juicy and so, so peachy… it’s like biting a little bit of summer each time I sink my teeth in. Nothing at all like a ‘brought’ peach; homegrown golden queens really are the royalty of peaches.

Ours are now almost at their end, brown spots are appearing and skins are wrinkling, so tonight I cooked up a simple pie with the last of them.

A crusty crispy crust….

Sweet and juicy center, with a hint of lemony tang…

And the smell which fills the kitchen? Heavenly!

A perfect end of summer food… this pie really hit the spot.

With maybe just a smidgen of hokey pokey ice cream! Yum!

Raewyn’s Perfect Peach Pie

Crust:

• 1 cup flour
• 60g cold butter
• 1/4 c iced water

Pie filling

• 6-8 peaches (peeled and sliced)
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice and zest of a lemon
• 1 egg

Preheat oven to 200 C.

Make the dough using a food processor – cut the butter into the flour, then with the motor running add the water in a slow stream. Keep blending until the mix all comes together to form a ball. Roll the dough on a lightly floured board and transfer to pie dish (I like to cook the pie and trim the extra pastry from the edge later).  Peel and slice the peaches and arrange in dish.Heat together the sugar, lemon juice and butter until melted/dissolved, cool slightly, then beat in the egg and pour over the peaches. Transfer to hot oven and bake until set and the pastry is golden… about 30 – 40 minutes- perhaps slightly less than this one, but those crispy edges were deliciously caramelized!

Enjoy! How’s your week going? Are you cooking up anything delicious you really just HAVE to share with me? – Jxo

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Despite the weather being almost unbearably hot….

It is indeed beginning to look a lot like Christmas!From the Christmassy centerpiece on our table… To the Christmas crafting that’s been going on. There are obviously going to be a lot of reindeer at the inn this year. Here’s hoping they don’t eat too much?Carter’s ended up with lightning bolts on both sides (he’ll need these for extra speed apparently).

The tree has been up for a couple of weeks, and the remainder of the decorations are now up too. These crochet decorations I made last two(!) years ago needed a few bead replacements, and are now good as new…I’ve also started making a starry crochet garland, I’ll share the star pattern as soon as Ive made a few more. I’m loving my smaller hook and crochet yarns now I’ve become accustomed to using them.

And if you are looking for the perfect little Christmas muffin, give these a try. Sweet and cinnamony… just the thing for Christmas, wherever you may be!

Christmas Muffins

• 1 cup plain white flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk

Topping:

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a whiz mix egg, butter, sour cream, and milk –  until well combined.  Add in flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, and whiz just a little until the mixture is all combined (dont over process or you’ll end up with tough muffins!). Scoop batter into 10-12 paper lined muffin tins.  Stir together topping ingredients and sprinkle about a 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of the mixture onto each muffin. Bake at 200C for 15-20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

Make a cup of your favourite warm beverage, put your feet up and enjoy. How are your Christmas preparations coming along?  Is everything ready? Jxo

Perfectly Pink

Just quickly stopping by while I have a cake in the oven (In case you’re interested I’m baking one of these, if you fancy a healthy cake this is it – YUM YUM!) and right now the children are outside occupied with Dad (I have no idea what they are doing, but all is quiet so I’m not about to run out and ask). Sorry its been a bit quiet on the blog… I am working on, not one, but two, dolls (I have tireless taskmasters) and a new crochet cardigan (for me!). I promise to share some photos soon!

In the mean time, today’s episode is brought to you by the color pink 🙂

My garden is awash with pink, not usually my favourite color… but today it is so bright and lovely, I especially love my peony which is in bloom early this year! Ahh spring, how I love thee ♥

To everyone who drops by the green dragonfly over the weekend, hello and welcome, I hope you have a wonderful weekend! If you came looking for some crochet inspiration you might like to check out my crochetlicious pinterest board… it’s been getting a lot of action lately. So many things to make, so little time! Love Janette xo