Back to Baking!

If anyone out there has been reading my blog, I know, I've been slacking. So with that, what better way to stage a mini-comeback than with a delicious new treat! During my short disappearance, I had the great pleasure of hearing from the folks at Sun Valley Dairy, makers of Voskos Greek Yogurt.

As I may have mentioned before, I'm interested in making some healthier choices for the restaurant menu, even for some of the baked goods. As healthy as I will be, however, I won't skimp on quality and freshness. Voskos greek yogurt is just that. I hope to serve Voskos regularly on the menu, particularly for breakfast. In the meantime, I like to substitute greek yogurt in pastry recipes that call for sour cream or buttermilk. Its just, well, healthier! Besides, there is enough other stuff :)

Here is the delicious recipe I put together today. Before you try it, remember to buy the Voskos greek yogurts!

Currant Almond Cupcakes with a Cointreau Glaze    
1.25 cups  unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh orange zest1/2 cup Voskos greek yogurt (non-fat plain is the best for this recipe)
1/2 cup dried currants
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking tin with paper liners; I used the minis here, but you can choose larger cakes, if desired.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy (about 1 minute or so). Mix in the oil, orange zest, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the yogurt until combined. Blend the flour mixture until completely incorporated and the batter is smooth. Add the currants and almonds.

Add about 2 tablespoons of the batter to each lined mini-cup. The batter should come to about 1/8 of an inch from the top for the cakes to fluff up. Bake for about 13-16 minutes (depending on your oven!)

For the glaze: 1.5 cups Voskos greek yogurt (non-fat plain is best, but you can use vanilla), one shot of Cointreau, one cup confectioners sugar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer on high until the mixture thickens slightly. The glaze will still be thin, but creamy.

Remove the paper liners before serving and coat the cakes with the glaze. Garnish with any leftover orange zest.