How to make Homemade Honey Vanilla Yogurt

I decided to take a diversion on my blog from writing this week and share with you a recipe I've developed over the past few months. Last September I realized I was buying vanilla yogurt almost every time I went into the supermarket. (I love to eat it for breakfast along with fresh fruit on my homemade whole wheat waffles). So I  tried a few recipes that I found on line, added some things and subtracted other things, coming up with a recipe that I liked. I gave homemade yogurt away for Christmas, along with my recipe. All of the recipients loved it.

Since I like and value you, my readers, I think it's fitting that I share my recipe with you and encourage you to make some for your self. It's healthy, tasty, and easy. You just need a candy thermometer, a good sauce pan, an oven that can maintain a temperature of 100 degrees, and the following ingredients:

4 cups of fresh milk
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch.
Mix together in a heavy sauce pan with a wire whisk.
Turn the burner to low-medium low and let the milk slowly rise in temperature up to 170 degrees, but DO NOT let the milk come to a boil. Stir occasionally to prevent a film sticking to the bottom of the pan.

When the milk mixture reaches 170, remove from heat and stir in:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Let the mixture cool down to between 130 and 120 degrees and add:
1 teaspoon instant pectin (for making freezer jams)
2 tablespoons sugar
(mix the two above ingredients together first to aid in the distribution of the pectin).

When the mixture reaches a temperature between 112 and 108, add:
1/2 cup of yogurt starter. (Use plain or vanilla. You can reserve a 1/2 cup from your previous batch of yogurt).

Mix well with wire whisk. Strain and pour into containers. I like to use Pyrex bowls that come with lids, but I have found that used yogurt containers work, as long as they have snap on lids.

Put the lids on the containers and place in a pre-heated 100 degree oven for 6 to 8 hours. Turn off the heat and let remain in the oven for another 2 to 6 hours, depending on how strong you want the yogurt flavor.

Refrigerate and enjoy.