Saying Thank You to Stonyfield Farm® with Yogurt Cream Honey Pound Cake

Imagine my surprise when I received an email from Kristina from Stonyfield Farm® asking if I would like to try Oikos Organic Greek yogurt in my baking or cooking! Of course the answer was "YES!" The partnership was perfect (a match made in yogurt heaven) because I am a self declared yogurt lover.

I have to admit that I have not eaten much Greek yogurt up until now. Being a creature of habit, I have always bought the same old yogurt. I know what you are thinking, boring. AND, I had never really given yogurt consideration beyond eating it out of the container. Everything changed when Kristina introduced me to Oikos.

It's hard to believe something so good for you can taste so good! But believe me, Oikos Organic Greek yogurt from Stonyfield Farm® is loaded with remarkable flavor. So what makes this yogurt different from all the others you see around? It is thick, creamy, tart and a pleasant change from the ho-hum other yogurts.

Kristina sent me five coupons for five (FREE) 5.3 OZ containers of Oikos Greek yogurt. I also received four miscellaneous coupons, AND a reusable grocery shopping bag! I have started collecting these shopping bags and this big bright yellow one makes a great addition. Oikos comes in the flavors of plain, vanilla, honey and blueberry.

I had decided that I would use my coupons to bake one sweet recipe and cook one savory recipe. I choose two honey and three plain Oikos yogurts. The first recipe I came up with is a Yogurt Cream Honey Pound Cake. When the summer months come, I make several different flavors of pound cake and freeze them in small slices to serve with fresh fruits of the season for a special treat. Pound cake freezes wonderfully and imagine the surprise of "unexpected" guests when you serve them a slice of pound cake with fresh fruit and whipped topping in no time flat.

Yogurt Cream Honey Pound Cake

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

6 eggs

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon corn starch

2 containers of Oikos Honey Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

powdered sugar for dusting

(1) Separate the egg white from one egg and save yolk. Whip egg white until soft peaks appear. Add whipped egg white, yogurt and corn starch to pan and heat but do not boil. Cool. (2) Cream together butter and sugar. Add remaining egg yolk and eggs, one at a time, beating will after each addition. (3) Add flour and baking soda and continue to mix well. (4) Add yogurt mixture and extract. (5) Pour into greased and floured 1o-inch tube pan and bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until slightly browned. (6) Cool and dust with poweder sugar. ENJOY!

I did run into one BIG problem when I was baking with the Oikos Honey Greek yogurt! I bought two containers of the honey yogurt and I needed two containers for the recipe that I had created. Of course when I opened the first container, I had to have a little bite to see what it tasted like. The honey sits on the bottom of the container, so I gave it a little stir and popped a bite in my mouth. YUM!! The fusion between the sweet honey and tart yogurt made my tastes buds dance. It's addictive, unique and a great way to get your calcium, protein and a ton of other good things for you. And believe me, it's 10 times better than the yogurt I have been eating. Hence, my problem was that I ate the entire container right there on the spot and out to the store I had to go.

The Yogurt Cream Honey Pound Cake is extraordinary. It is moist, full of flavor and it's an irresistibly stupendous treat! The brown sugar in the recipe creates a mild crunchy crust on the outside of the cake. You'll love it, trust me! This is the first time I have baked with yogurt, but it won't be the last. A big thanks to Kristina and the kind folks at Stonyfield Farm® for expanding my yogurt repertoire.

Stay tuned for my savory creation using the plain Oikos Greek yogurt . Have a wonderful day.