Sunday, June 5, 2011

Goat's Milk Yogurt with Rose Syrup and Lychees

Hello gorgeous.

Any day that starts with something that is more like a dessert than breakfast makes me extremely happy.

This indulgent combination of yoghurt, rose syrup and lychees was the brain child of Daily Cookie.  I tasted her yoghurt and just I could not get it out of my mind. My version uses goat's milk but you can make yoghurt with almost any kind of milk. You can use whole milk, skim,  evaporated, powdered milk. cow's, goat's, sheep's and even buffalo's milk. Just remember that the thinner the milk the thinner the yoghut will be. Milk powder can be added to thicken the milk or you can strain off some of the whey to make a soft cheese.


lychee

Goats' milk is becoming more popular and can be more readily found in supermarkets here. Recently I discovered a local brand of raw goat's milk. I contacted the producer and was delighted to discover that not only is it raw (unpasteurized), his goats are free of growth hormones and antibiotics so the milk is 100% organic.


I started making yoghurt when my children were babies because I could not find a full or even low fat commercial yoghurt in the supermarkets. Fat free may be all the rage but babies need fats for their development.

syrup1

Nutritional requirements aside,  I am also keen on having my children develop a taste for a variety of textures and flavours so that later on they might have an appreciation for a wide variety of  foods. Has it worked? For the most part yes. Sweet is not the only flavour in their food vocabulary and they do eat tangy home-made yoghurt with about the same gusto as their Danimals brand yogurt. For my part I actually prefer the slightly sour European styled yogurts which you don't find here.

Do you like plain yoghurt? It's a bit of an acquired taste isn't it?  As much as I am fond of  yoghurt the astringent sour cream flavour of some home-made and artisanal varieties can be a bit overwhelming. For me a good plain yoghurt should be a balance of sour with sweet undertones of creamy milk. If it tastes like paint stripper I won't eat it. I think this yoghurt strikes just the right balance . It's not too sweet nor is it too tangy.

yogurt rose syrup2

Goat's Milk Yoghurt with Lychees and Rose Flavoured Syrup
1 quart goat's milk
1/4 cup powdered milk (I used cow's milk because I was out of powdered goat's milk)
1/2 cup plain unsweetened yoghurt ( be sure that the label indicates that it is a live culture)

1 can lychees
rose syrup to serve

Method
Sterilize a glass measuring cup, thermometer, a tablespoon, lid of glass jar and a small bowl.
Pour a quart of milk into a clean glass jar ( I used a Welch's grape juice jar but you could also use a glass mayonnaise jar)

Nest the jar on a clean folded kitchen towel in a large saucepan on the stovetop. (The towel will prevent the jar from rattling once the water gets to a boil).

Fill the saucepan with water that comes  half way up the jar. Put a thermometer into the milk ( NOT the water). Put the stove on high heat and bring the milk to 185°F. 

If you do not have a thermometer, the milk is the right temperature just before the milk boils. There will be a some foam on top and the milk around the edges of the jar may be starting to form tiny bubbles. This method of the jar in the milk is better if you don't have a thermometer as the water bath prevents the milk from scorching.

While you are waiting for for the milk to come to temperature fill your sink with cold water and blocks of ice.

Once the milk is at the desired temperature. Hold it at 185°F for about 10 to 15 minutes. If you have the time then holding the milk at this temp for about 30 minutes gives a thicker consistency.

Remove your starter yoghurt from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature while you are scalding and cooling the milk.

When the milk is 185°F, Cover the jar loosely with lid and leave to cool. You can hasten the process by placing the pot with the warm water in a cold ice bath in your sink. Do not place the glass jar directly into the cold water initially as it might break. Once the jar has cooled somewhat more ice can be added to the water in the sink and the jar can be placed directly into the cold water.

Pre-warm your oven to it's lowest temperature. For me that's 175°F and turn off the oven.

When the milk has cooled to 115°F, Put the yoghurt starter in a small bowl add the dry milk powder and gently stir in a small amount of the cooled scalded milk. If you do not have a thermometer, wash your hands and stick your finger in the milk. it should feel very warm but you should be able to hold your finger in the milk for about 10 seconds.

Add this mixture to the warm milk and stir everything together to ensure even distribution of the starter.

Replace the lid on the jar. Remove the towel from the saucepan and wring out water. Use the warm towel to wrap the jar and place the yoghurt in a pre-warmed oven.

In about 6 - 8 hours yoghurt should be set. Check on it in 6 hours and if the textures and taste are to your liking you can put your yoghurt in the fridge. If it's not to your liking at this point leave it to set up longer.

Before you eat your yoghurt put aside 1/2 cup in a small sterilized jar to make your next batch.


Photobucket

35 comments:

  1. Oh yay!!!!! How exciting! I'm so happy to see my name there by the way... How fun! And kudos on the goat's milk yogurt! I'd put it on my menu when we first moved back but no one wanted it... I feel your raw source is the same guy I'd spoken to... He's awesome! I love, love, LOVE this entry :) As usual, your photos are GORGEOUS darling!

    Carla
    (daily cookie)

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  2. very adventurous :-)
    I took until my adult years to try and like yoghurt and now I can't stand the overly-sweet, fake-fruit filled things and a good Turkish or Greek yoghurt with a splash of honey is just lovely. Thick. Just don't get it that often.

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  3. You are right cause my 4 year old loves the plain yoghurt we make just like yours. She has it with fruit and even though she loves the packaging of all the kiddie and adult sweetened yoghurts, she actually will never finish one. Yay for natural-full-fat-homemade stuff! Lovely pics as usual... you are up there with the best foodie blogs! Well done!

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  4. I passed on a few awards to you!!! View and get them here
    http://cajunlicious.com/2011/06/new-awards-2.html

    - Jessica

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  5. Im a big fan of lychees, and glad to be following you!
    Thanks

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  6. I'd never made yoghurt until recently and I can't believe how much better I like my own than store bought. Should be the same but maybe it's just the way I look at it. :)

    Beautiful photos.

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  7. Hehe I'm so with you! If it sounds like dessert then it's already a great start to the morning! :P

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  8. Wow! you had me at rose syrup! seriously i know you say this is good and i totally believe you but its just too darn gorgeous in my book to eat. it would kill me to mess with a masterpiece like that! Thanks for stopping by my site the other day. I am so glad you did because i love finding new foodies to share recipes and our love for cooking. Your site is unbelievable and I just got through reading post after post of amazing recipes (most of which I must try right this moment:). I am your newest follower and I can't wait to see what else you have in store! XO
    Jessica

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  9. I would indulge this for breakfast this morning. Looks delish.

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  10. that is SO pretty. ethereal. i'm rather unfamiliar with goat's milk, but i sure like the cheese that comes from that particular critter! :)

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  11. OMG- look at that!! I tried lychee pannacotta few weeks back & abs loved the combo- this is another recipe I need to try! Beautiful pictures :) Addition of rose- GENIUS!

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  12. First of all thank you for stopping by my blog so that I can discover your wonderful blog..
    You are truely talanted with pictures...and I love your recipes..
    I totally agree with you on the morning being better is it starts with a dessert...I usually mix my yogurt with some honey and a few nuts but this seems like a heavenly combination..I must try it

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  13. I eat a ton of yogurt, but I never thought to make my own. What a neat process.

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  14. Sounds like heaven, love goat milk and you've taken it to the next level with the addition of lychees and rose syrup - I am in your debt

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  15. oh, that's beautiful! Desserts for breakfast makes me happy too!

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  16. Gosh that sounds delicoius. I rarely experiment with goats milk but this is tempting me too. The idea of lychees and rose syrup I am more experienced with - and that is delicious I just know it!!

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  17. I sooo want to try the Rose Syrup on ANYTHING!! Your photos are absolutely stunning.

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  18. This is such an amazing recipe to try. I have this bottle of rose flavored syrup which I was using only in cocktail. This is brilliant .. and looks delicious.

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  19. you make goat milk yoghurt? omo this is really really wonderful.

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  20. Gorgeous is right!

    ....and an understatement.

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  21. Oh yum!!!!! I'm totally drooling over your photos, especially that one with the rose flavoring swirled in the yogurt! I love anything rose flavored. I gotta try this! :)

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  22. "Any day that starts with something that is more like a dessert than breakfast makes me extremely happy" - I couldn't agree more, I love to start my day with a bowl of fruit and yoghurt, although your combination of rose syrup and lychees is far more exotic than my breakfasts!

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  23. Gorgeous yogurt !!!
    I made a yogurt and fresh litchi dessert yesterday with mint and it was great...will try with a rose syrup next time.

    The goat's milk sounds interesting . That must be a new taste .

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  24. It looks gorgeous - like you I love natural yogurt - especially thick Turkish or Greek yogurt. A topping of sweet and flavoured fruit I find a great delight for breakfast

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  25. Lovely photos and what an elegant treat! Can I stop by to have a taste? =p

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  26. I really want to try making my own yogurt. I don't have a source for goat's milk, so cow's milk will have to do! Yours is GORGEOUS with the rose syrup swirled in. :)

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  27. This is beautiful!! I made a lychee sorbet recently, but I'd never thought of lychee as a yogurt flavor. Sounds wonderful.

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  28. I like that you allow your children to develop a taste for a variety of textures and flavors!I go for plain yogurt now and if I find it too tangy - I just add my own honey. :)

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  29. A delicious and refined tasting treat! Very tempting and so refreshing.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  30. I do love tangy flavours. Need to try and make my own yoghurt some day but too lazy at the moment because it's is easy to find here. Your lychee and rose version looks incredibly stunning. And happy 2nd blog birthday, you have a fantastic blog, no wonder you have lots of readers :)

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  31. Tangy goat yogurt, that sounds like a winner. GREG

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  32. This sounds just divine. It reminds me of Pierre Herme's ispahan flavour. I've got to get my hands on some rose syrup asap!
    *kisses* HH

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  33. That looks amazingly delicious! YUM to all three major players in the recipe!

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  34. Such a delightful light meal or dessert.
    We are in our final week of Get Grillin' - Dessert is the theme and we would love if you submitted up to any 3 recipes (they don't have to be grilled) to our link up. This one would be perfect! This week we have a Rouxbe Cooking School giveaway. http://su.pr/2YaIiV

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