Homemade Vanilla Yogurt With Cherries and Almonds
Making my own yogurt seemed a bit of a stretch, even for me! But it is SO much better tasting – and less expensive! – than store-bought. Give it a try – it is hard to go back!
Time to cook 15 minutes | makes 5 servings
Ingredients
1 quart milk, any fat percentage (I use whole milk, but others work fine)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt, as a starter
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
a handful pitted, sliced fresh cherries
1-2 tbsp. sliced almonds
Instructions
Heat oven to 225 degrees for 5 minutes, then turn off.
Place milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring up to a boil and then right away, turn the heat down. (This step kills the enzymes that would otherwise kill the yogurt culture).
Monitor the temperature and cool to 115 degrees. Stir in the yogurt and vanilla extract. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and wrap in dish towels to help retain heat. Place it in the oven for 8 hours, or overnight.
Stir the yogurt and place in a storage container. If it is not as thick as you like, you can transfer it to a mesh strainer, lined with cheesecloth, over a bowl. Strain 30 minutes or until desired thickness.
Top with cherries and almonds and enjoy!
(Of course, you can use purchased Greek yogurt for this recipe. But I really want you to try to make yogurt yourself!)