I didn’t really need anyone to tell me yogurt is popular these days. All I had to do was walk past the yogurt aisle in any supermarket and see what’s doing there. Big cartons and tiny ones, some plain and some with interesting fruit (like pomegranate and passion fruit), some thick and some more drinkable.

There are brands geared to grownups and, much to my personal annoyance, some meant for kids, topped with M&Ms and stuff like that so that you might actually be fooled into thinking that you should push candy all in the name of a few spoonsful of yogurt. This is supposed to be healthy?

Anyway, it’s hard to miss that yogurt is a big part of the dairy landscape. But I sure was surprised by HOW MUCH. I read in this article that the yogurt market is the fastest growing in the United States — more than 15% up from prior sales in 2010.

That is quite a killing.

I have already mentioned, several times, that I am a big big yogurt fan and always have been, since back in the day before most people ever heard about yogurt, or, if they did, didn’t like the name (once spelled yoghurt) and wouldn’t touch the stuff.

Things have really turned around. I’m still eating yogurt, every day now.

But did you know how good it is to cook and bake with? Like to add to soup instead of cream? Or to mix into a dip or even use as a dip (like for instance for potato pancakes — especially thick, plain Greek style yogurt)?

And to bake with? So many good little quickbreads and cakes are even better with yogurt in the batter. And you can generally substitute yogurt in place of buttermilk in a baked goods recipe (stir it to thin it a little).

This chocolate bread is a rich-tasting snack, which you could make into dessert by serving it with fresh berries. Leave out the chips if you prefer something plainer. It’s the yogurt that makes this bread so silky and tender.

Chocolate Yogurt Bread

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5” loaf pan. Melt the chocolate and set it aside to cool. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together and set it aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium, cream the sugar and shortening together. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat the mixture until it is smooth and creamy. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the yogurt. Stir in the chocolate and mix until ingredients are well blended. Stir in the chips, if used. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.

Makes one bread