Creamy Stirred Maple Yogurt with Toasted Almonds

Steps

1. Wash a heavy pot, a whisk, a spoon, a thermometer, a small bowl and a lidded glass container with hot soapy water, then rinse with boiling water and let them air-dry on a clean rack.
2. Pour the commercially pasteurized whole milk into the pot and heat over medium-low, stirring often so it doesn't scorch, until it reaches 180°F (82°C).
3. Hold the milk at 180–185°F (82–85°C) for 15 minutes, stirring now and then and adjusting the heat to keep it steady; this thickens the finished yogurt.
4. Take the pot off the heat and cool the milk to 108–112°F (42–44°C), about 30–40 minutes on the counter or 10 minutes with the pot set in a sink of cold water, stirring and checking with the thermometer.
5. In the small sanitized bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt starter with a ladle of the warm milk until smooth, then stir this mixture back into the pot.
6. Pour the inoculated milk into the clean container, cover, and incubate at 108–112°F (42–44°C) for 6–8 hours, using an oven with only the light on or a cooler with warm water, without stirring, until set like soft custard.
7. Immediately refrigerate the yogurt at 40°F (4°C) or below for at least 3 hours until cold and firmer.
8. While the yogurt chills, stir the maple syrup and cardamom together in a small cup to make the maple-cardamom syrup.
9. Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until golden and fragrant, then cool.
10. Stir the chilled yogurt gently with a spoon until smooth and creamy; this makes about 1 kg, roughly 1 cup per serving.
11. Spoon the yogurt into 4 bowls, drizzle each with a quarter of the maple-cardamom syrup, and top each with a quarter of the banana and a quarter of the toasted almonds. Keep leftover plain yogurt refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below for up to 1 week.