Yoghurt and Brown Sugar Whipped Caramel

I have always loved the rich, tangy flavour of good yoghurt. I'm not talking about the every-fruit-under-the-sun, sticky-sweet flavoured kind - growing up, I was all about the tart vanilla or cappuccino offerings in the dairy case. I would still rather pick one of those flavours for eating on its own, but when it comes to baking and cooking the plain, tangy "natural" container is where I turn to. Not only does it taste great, but it's a great swap for sour cream in most things... cake, muffins, mock sourdough bread, and most recently candy.

As complex as it can be, I have a soft spot for creating candy at home. Give me a quiet morning with a clean kitchen, my digital thermometer and a bag of sugar I'm happy to let my imagination go to work. This time, I took inspiration from the book 300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes, turning their old-fashioned brown sugar fudge into a tablet of tangy, melt in your mouth confectionery. Not quite fudge, caramel or nougat, it's full of molassess-y brown and Muscovado sugar, with a pat of salted butter for decadence and just the right amount of creamy, plain Balkan yoghurt to temper the works. Once cooked and cooled, it's whipped into a thick mixture you'd be hard pressed to avoid licking off the beaters right away (or nibbling out of the pan at midnight). If it lasts that long in your house, a slice or chunk of the tawny caramel is a great visiting gift or sweet table offering too!

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays and Waste Not Want Not Wednesday

Yoghurt and Brown Sugar Whipped Caramel
Makes one 9x5" pan, 12 pieces
½ cup full fat Balkan or Greek style yoghurt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup Muscavado sugar (or more dark brown sugar)
2 tbsp salted butter (bonus if you can find cultured salted butter)
2 tsp vanilla
pinch Kosher salt, to taste

1. Line a 9x5” pan with parchment and set aside.
2. In a heavy pot, bring the yoghurt and sugars to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring often to prevent burning, to 236F - 340F (soft ball stage).
4. Remove from the heat and add the butter without stirring.
5. Cool to 110F (this takes about 45 mins).
6. Add vanilla and salt to taste.
7. Beat with a hand mixer until the candy loses it’s gloss and begins to hold it’s shape.
8. Pour into the pan and cool completely.
9. Cut into squares and serve.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 163.7
Total Fat: 2.5 g
Cholesterol: 6.8 mg
Sodium: 33.3 mg
Total Carbs: 49.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g
Protein: 0.4 g