Remember when cranberries started to weasel their way into everything? Started all innocent with crangrape and slowly metastasized into other aspects of food. It even started taking over other food’s jobs. Craisins are ridiculous and that’s a fact. Then it was pomegranate. Even more aggressive than the cranberry. But it’s a super fruit. Whatever. If I can’t fly or lift a car after eating it then it’s false advertising. That little sucker broke through the glass ceiling and ended up in body wash, chap stick, and face cleaner. Whoever the salesmen is for pomegranate deserves a raise.
Food is no stranger to fads. Atkins, South Beach, one of who knows how many shake things, but I have to give some props to this diary ninja, greek yogurt. So you’re on a diet, like so many other people (including yours truly) and you think yogurt is a smart choice, right? WRONG. Is it plain, reliable yogurt chuck full of protein? No? Well then. All it took was “it has more protein” and like half the nation was sold. Who didn’t hear that and perk up? So it got its foot in the door and slowly worked its way into our hearts, grocery stores, and mouths. What started as a couple weird titled brands with like one flavor all hidden in that overwhelmingly large yogurt section exploded into its own little segregated yogurt subdivision. In my head, greek yogurt is like a gated, fancy pants neighborhood. It was awhile before I got on the greek yogurt train and only because of one almighty factor… chocolate. Chobani makes a vanilla chocolate chunk yogurt. It only comes in a big tub, which is smart cause they know we’re going to buy it. It says chocolate for cryin’ out loud! Also, tubs make great little bowls for other things like finger paint and ingredient prep bowls when you don’t want your 4-year-old to “help” scoop flour. Just when I thought greek yogurt was taking over that whole section of the dairy department, it turned out the dairy section was only the Trojan horse for the real plan of total food domination. Turkey pot pie, pancakes, mac n’ cheese, stuffed shells, corn bread, oven fried chicken. It found its way into fried chicken! Is nothing sacred?! That’s crazy talk. Chobani’s website, search if you dare.
Don’t mistake my passion of dislike. I was skeptical until I noticed something on the back of one of my many tubs of chocolate chunk yogurt. (No kidding, I have like 25 of these containers floating around) Someone had the audacity to take butter and sugar out of a perfectly good muffin recipe and put in greek yogurt, like we wouldn’t notice. Poor Paula Dean’s stocks just went down. She owns stock in butter, right? I just assumed. I can’t lie though, I tried the recipe. Traitor! I know, I love butter and sugar too, but my curiosity got the best of me. They’re good. I said it and I don’t care who knows it! Don’t believe me? Still on the yogurt fence (that’s a horrible image)? Try them!
What you’ll need:
1¼ cup Chobani Vanilla Chocolate Chunk Greek Yogurt
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 TBSP baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp kosher salt
⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar
6 TBSP canola oil
2 large eggs
1 TBSP vanilla extract
Preheat your oven to 375. This is pretty easy… mix together the yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla. In a bigger bowl (or the all powerful Kitchenaid) combine all the dry stuff. Now make a well in the dry stuff and pour in the wet stuff. Mix till it’s just combined. You don’t want to over mix or it gets all dense in not a good way.
Pick your muffin size! I did mini muffins for Cory’s class snack. Took 12 minutes for these little ones, but it could be 15-18 for standard. Like I always say, you know your oven. I always start 5 minutes less than a recipe calls for. You can always leave them in longer, you can’t undo burnt.
Now enjoy tasty muffins!
Walking in the Word 