Brownies with Frozen Homemade Yogurt

I hadn't made brownies for a while so I whipped up a batch.  

Walmart Brownies

6 tbsp butter (less than 1/4 cup)
4 rows or 8 ounces Waterbridge Extra Dark (or Dark) Chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/4 cup flour
1 cup toasted chopped nuts

Melt butter and chocolate.  Whisk in sugar and vanilla.  Beat eggs in one at a time. Add flour and beat 2 minutes or until batter loses it's grainy texture and smooths out. Mix in the nuts. Pour into parchment lined 9x9 pan and bake 35 minutes at 350ºF. If the brownie sticks to the knife when it's cut, it wasn't quite done. Give it a few more minutes next time. If it's dry, it's over done.

Homemade yogurt is so much better than store bought and so easy it's a shame not to make it. Plug in yogurt maker so it warms up. Put 1/4 cup water in glass yogurt container and microwave 2 minutes.  In a double boiler (pot and bowl works too) heat milk to 180ºF. When milk reaches 180º, put boiler in cold water and cool milk down to 110ºF.  Stir a spoonful of yogurt into the warm milk.  Empty and shake excess hot water from glass container and pour warm yogurt mixture into it. Put in yogurt container for 4-8 hours. Short method: heat milk to 110 ºF, stir in spoonful of yogurt, put in yogurt machine. If using yogurt starter, follow directions on starter package. Usually that means just add starter to warm milk.

Now to turn that fresh yogurt into a mouthwatering dessert.  

Orange Frozen Yogurt

2 cups yogurt

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 orange zest chopped (all way around orange with zester)  

1/4 tsp orange oil (optional, zest only works fine)

1 package gelatin (gives better texture)

Reserve half cup of milk, put remaining ingredients in ice cream bucket and mix with immersion blender. Put 1/4 cup reserved milk in glass container and microwave to boiling.  Put gelatin in 1/4 cup reserved cold milk and stir to mix.  Pour hot milk into cold and stir till all is dissolved. Pour into ice cream bucket. Mix and put in ice cream maker. When  it's done put it in the freezer for a couple of hours to finish firming before serving. Otherwise it melts really fast.

Chocolate Butter Cream Icing

Soften 1/2 cup butter and cream in stand mixer (it looks whiter when it's done).  Sift 1 cup icing sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder into butter. Cream together. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp milk and cream. If it's too thick it will tear the brownie while spreading, too thin and it runs off the brownie. Lift parchment and brownie from 9x9 pan and set on cutting board.  Apply frosting and cut into 9 pieces, 16 if everyone's on a diet.

Put 2 scoops frozen yogurt into a bowl, a piece of brownie on top and serve. Enjoy euphoric exclamations from one and all.