Vanilla yogurt gives Bavarians a sturdy base
This lovely and light dessert or breakfast dish is a modern take on the Bavarian, a classical preparation of a gelatin-thickened pudding with a lot of cream, sometimes eggs and just as often a shot of liqueur.
Here, less cream is used, and it's cut with low-fat milk. Vanilla yogurt forms the base of the Bavarian, and a strawberry sauce provides a kick of acid and lots of bright fruity flavor. The individual Bavarians take minutes to make and can be formed in any small custard cups. Best of all, everything can be made in advance.
If you have vanilla beans on hand, add the scraped seeds of half of a bean to the milk-and-cream mixture before you heat it to give the custard a deeper vanilla flavor.
You'll need 6 small custard cups (4-ounce or larger). Note that the Bavarians need to set up in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. They can be made up to 2 days in advance; the sauce up to 3 or 4 days in advance.
Frozen strawberries are preferable for the sauce; use fresh berries as a garnish.