Thursday, September 13, 2012

Fruity Frozen Yogurt

I love using my ice cream maker.  A lot.  It's so easy to whip up a quick batch of vanilla and then add whatever flavours I like to it, especially since I tend to like flavours that aren't common in most brands (well, except Marble Slab, which costs an arm and a leg).  When I make it at home, I get the added bonus of knowing exactly what whole and natural ingredients I'm putting into my ice cream, too.

The Smiler happens to know that I like making ice cream and also has a very special talent for recognizing ice cream, regardless of what sort of container it comes in.  As of late, he's developed a rather annoying habit of asking to have ice cream for breakfast, then having a total shit fit when I inevitably deny said request.  I was venting about this very problem to my mother who said, "Oh, he's probably waking up with sore gums and wants something cold."  I was gobsmacked.  Of COURSE that was the problem.  He's been working on those two year molars like crazy (hellish beasts that they are) and obviously something cold would be nice after a long, difficult night of trying to sleep through pain.  My mom suggested I have frozen yogurt on hand to offer him instead and that sounded like a helluva good idea.

So, last night, as The Carpenter and I sat around after a very nice, early bedtime for The Smiler, I decided I would go whip up a batch of granola.  As I started getting the stuff out, it struck me that there couldn't be a better time to try my hand at a batch of frozen yogurt, as well.  I've never made it before, nor did I have a recipe, but I knew I didn't have enough straight up yogurt to make a whole quart so I figured I'd add some cream and/or milk and fruit and see what happened.

Here's what I came up with and, honestly, I wouldn't change a thing except that maybe I didn't need any sugar at all since the berries I used were fresh and very sweet:

1 650 g container iÖGO
1/2 cup 10% cream
1/4 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup blackberries
1 cup strawberries

Put all ingredients in your blender, blend well (I like the fruit to be basically pulverized) and pour into the ice cream maker, churn to desired thickness and enjoy.