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three-year-old kitchen helper used the attachments from the hand mixer. Add the sugar and pectin and smash some more. Cover and cook on low for a hundred million years (10 to 12 hours). Let cool to room temperature, then pour into plastic or glass containers to store in the fridge or freezer.

 
     
    YOGURT
    serves 12
    The Ingredients
    8 cups (half-gallon) of whole milk (pasteurized and homogenized is fine, but do not use ultra-pasteurized)
    ½ cup store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt
    thick bath towel
    1(0.3-ounce) packet unflavored gelatin (optional)
    ½ cup nonfat dry milk (optional)
    2 coffee filters
    colander
    frozen/fresh fruit for flavoring (optional)
    1 (1.4-ounce) box instant pudding mix (optional)
    The Directions
    Use a 4-quart slow cooker. This takes a while, so make the yogurt on a day when you are home to monitor. Plug in your slow cooker and turn it to low. Add the milk. Cover and cook on low for 2½ hours. Unplug the cooker, leave the cover on, and let the yogurt sit for 3 hours.
    When the time has passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in ½ cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt. If desired, stir a packet of unflavored gelatin or some nonfat dry milk into your yogurt to help it thicken. Then dump the contents of the bowl back into the stoneware. Stir to combine. Put the lid back on the slow cooker. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the cooker for insulation. Go to bed, or let it sit for 8 hours.
    In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened—it’s not as thick as store-bought yogurt, but has the consistency of lowfat plain yogurt. Line colander with coffee filters, and pour in yogurt.After a few hours, the whey will have separated (save the whey to use in other recipes!) and you’ll be left with lovely yogurt. Stir in fresh or frozen fruit, if desired, or a packet of pudding mix.
    Chill in a plastic container in the refrigerator. Your fresh yogurt will last 7 to 10 days. Save ½ cup as a starter to make a new batch.
    The Verdict
    Wowsers! This is awesome! I was completely astonished the next morning that the yogurt had thickened. I was so excited to feel the drag on the spoon—I scared the kids with my squealing. This recipe has been tried hundreds of times by readers of my Web site, and many like the thickness provided by the gelatin and/or nonfat dry milk. If your house gets rather chilly at nighttime, your yogurt will not set as well. My house was about 65°F.

 
     
    I was not aware of the ease of baking with the slow cooker before this challenge, and am annoyed at myself for not figuring it out earlier. I love that I can throw together a coffee cake or banana bread and leave for an hour or two to run errands instead of baby-sitting the oven. Although things can still burn in a slow cooker, the amount of wiggle room is much larger. It’s okay to take a shower, answer the phone, or attend to a leaky diaper without worrying that your baked goods will be charred by the time you return to the kitchen. Do not try to bake on the low setting—stick to high.
    FIVE-LAYER BROWNIES
    BANANA BREAD
    BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE
    COCONUT CAKE
    CORNBREAD
    HONEY CAKE
    PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES
    PERFECT GLUTEN-FREE BREAD
    POUND CAKE

 
     
    FIVE-LAYER BROWNIES
    serves 6
    The Ingredients
    4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted
    ¼ cup water
    1 large egg
    1 (16-ounce) package brownie mix (I used a gluten-free mix)
    1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
    ¼ cup rolled (not instant) oats (make sure oats are certified gluten-free)
    ¼ cup sweetened flaked coconut
    ¼ cup chopped walnuts
    The Directions
    Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Put the melted butter into your crock, and add water, egg, and the package of brownie mix. Mix until none of the brownie powder is left dry; the batter will be quite thick. Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over the top. Add the oats, then the coconut, then the walnuts. Cover, but prop the lid open