Chocolate Cupcakes

I made chocolate cupcakes for my son's birthday today! I learned there is a difference between natural cocoa and dutch processed cocoa. In the processing of the dutch coca it is treated with an alkali that neutralizes its acid, so it is best to use this cocoa in recipes without baking soda. Go to joysofbaking.com for more information on the dutch processed cocoa.

If you use dutch processed cocoa, you may want to omit baking soda from the recipe. Below is the recipe and picture of the cupcakes I made with dutch processed cupcake! The adjustments are included for high altitude (above 4,000 ft.)

Chocolate Cupcakes using Dutch Processed Cocoa

2 cups (minus 2 TBS) of Sugar
1 3/4 Cups all-purpose flour
3/4 Cups Dutch Processed Cocoa
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. boiling water

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add eggs, milk, and oil and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in boiling water--the batter will be thin.

Prepare muffin tins, by placing paper baking cups in each cup. Fill 2/3 full with batter. Recipe makes 24 cupcakes. Bake in a preheated oven 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes. Cool completely and frost with Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" frosting.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" frosting:
1/4 C. butter
1/3 C. Cocoa (dutch processed or natural)
1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
3-4 Tbs. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Melt butter and mix with cocoa. Add vanilla and then Alternately add sugar and milk until it is a spreadable consistency. Should frost 24 cupcakes with some leftover frosting.

Homemade Yogurt

We are big yogurt eaters at my house. I will buy store bought yogurt, but often make it myself. Here are the recipes I use to make peach and vanilla yogurt .



VANILLA YOGURT
(Milk prices $2.00, it costs me about $1.00 to make 7- 6 oz cups)


1 quart 2% milk
1/4 cup sugar or Splenda
1 tsp vanilla
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (optional, used to give yogurt a firmer texture)
5 Tablespoons plain yogurt (skim and discard upper surface of yogurt before measuring.)

Bring 1 quart of milk to 180 degrees, I use a candy thermometer it takes 10-12 minutes. This kills the bacteria in the milk and also helps give the yogurt a firmer texture. Take out 1/2 cup of milk and put in a separate bowl. Allow the rest of the milk to cool to 110 degrees (about 30 minutes.) When cool skim off the bubbles and the other stuff.

Mix gelatin in with the 1/2 cup milk until dissolved. Add vanilla, sugar, and the rest of the milk. Mix well and add plain yogurt (you need the live cultures to make yogurt), mixing until the yogurt is well blended.

Follow Directions for your yogurt maker (I keep mine in the yogurt maker for 8 hours and chill for 3 hours.) Or use the Oven Method.

Oven Method: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Turn off oven and place yogurt inside. You can do small jars of yogurt or 1 big bowl of a quart of yogurt. Keep the door closed and turn on oven light. The yogurt needs to incubate for 8-10 hours. If the yogurt doesn't set, take it out of the oven, preheat oven to 200 degrees and return yogurt to the oven with the light on, for 1 hour. Cover yogurt with lids or plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours, yogurt will continue to thicken as it chills.



PEACH YOGURT
(Milk prices $2.00, it costs me about $1.50 to make 7- 6 oz cups.)

1 quart 2% milk
1/4 cup sugar or Splenda
1/2 cup Peaches, chopped or purred
5 tablespoons peach juice
1 pkg. unflavored gelatin (optional, used to give yogurt a firmer texture.)
5 Tablespoons plain yogurt (skim and discard upper surface of yogurt before measuring.)

Bring 1 quart of milk to 180 degrees, I use a candy thermometer it takes 10-12 minutes. This kills the bacteria in the milk. Allow the milk to cool to 110 degrees. When cool skim off the bubbles and the other stuff.

In a separate bowl combine the peaches, juice, sugar, gelatin. Add cooled milk and plain yogurt, mixing well so all ingredients are well blended.

Follow Directions for your yogurt maker (I keep mine in the yogurt maker for 8 hours.)
Or use the Oven Method.

OTHER TIPS
Temperature is key to making good yogurt.
You can use whole milk, 1%, 2%, fat free, or powdered milk to make yogurt.
Make sure you use PLAIN yogurt with live cultures.