Lemon Thyme Yogurt Cake....

Here is another Ina recipe.  I did change a few things.  I used non-fat plain Greek yogurt instead of whole milk and where the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, I used 1/4 cup canola and 1/4 cup coconut oil.  Because I have so much lemon thyme and I just love the flavor, I added a few teaspoons into the batter and the glaze.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

 As usual I'm impatient.  You can see I didn't let the glaze dry.  I should have waited at least 10 more minutes.  Still delicious!  You can't beat an Ina recipe.

Giada Knock Off

This dessert was an unexpected success.  I was watching Giada one day and she made this delicious strawberry parfait.  Her recipe called for a cup of heavy cream, whipped,  mashed up strawberries with sugar and vanilla meringue cookies.  I loved the look of Giada's dessert, but knew whipped cream was not going to be an ingredients in my reduced calorie version.
Here is my recipe.

• 1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries ( I didn't add sugar to mine)
• 6 oz. non fat vanilla bean yogurt (Trader Joe's) you can see the vanilla beans in it!
• 1 tsp.Mascarpone cheese
• 2 fat free vanilla meringue cookies

 Mix the Mascarpone into the vanilla bean yogurt, crumble one meringue cookie into the yogurt as well. Spoon half of the strawberries in a glass, top with yogurt , more strawberries  and so on.  Crumble the last cookie on top.  Soooo good!