June 12, 2013 Strawberry Frozen Yogurt with Strawberry Sauce

 

Our Sunday cookouts are taking on an international flavor this year and a craving for lamb (mine!) gave rise to a Greek theme for this past week. I like to contribute a frozen dessert of some type so the first ripe red strawberries at the local farmers market inspired me to make strawberry frozen yogurt.

It’s hard to believe it but frozen yogurt has only been part of the dessert scene for less than forty years. It appeared first in New England in the late seventies as a healthier alternative to ice cream. At first consumers complained about the too tart flavor. Manufacturers retooled their recipes and frozen yogurt started to catch on in the health conscious eighties.

Making your own frozen yogurt is hands down better than anything you might find at the local “froyo” shop. When I have made frozen yogurt in the past, step one was to strain the yogurt through cheesecloth to give the finished product a denser texture and prevent the finished product from becoming too icy. Now that Greek yogurt is readily available I can skip that step.

What is the difference between regular and Greek yogurt? The watery whey is strained off several more times than regular yogurt resulting in a thicker product. Greek yogurt is more expensive than regular yogurt but it has almost twice the protein content and half the amount of sodium. The term “Greek” yogurt is not regulated at this point, so some manufacturers achieve thickness with cornstarch and milk protein concentrate. If that is important to you, look for Greek yogurt that contains only milk and live active cultures.

I turned to the always reliable recipes of David Lebovitz for my frozen strawberry yogurt recipe. David prefers a full-fat yogurt for his base, I went cross eyed looking over the very large display of yogurt at the local market. First, it was hard to find any plain varieties and most were labeled zero fat. I settled on a Greek plain 2% fat version and the results were great. A creamy and smooth frozen yogurt with just the right amount of tartness with early summer’s best fruit, sweet flavorful strawberries. I topped my frozen strawberry yogurt with even more berries in a simple sauce made from strawberries, sugar, a dash of lemon juice with a little pomegranate molasses.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

from David Lebovitz’s book The Perfect Scoop

 Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

• 1 pound strawberries, rinsed and hulled
• 2/3 c sugar
• Optional but good, he suggests  2 teaspoons vodka or kirsch, I used Chambord
• 1 c  plain 2% Greek yogurt
• 1 t fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Slice the strawberries into small pieces. Toss in a bowl with the sugar and liquor of your choice until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring every now and then.
2. Transfer the strawberries and their juice to a blender or food processor. Add the yogurt and fresh lemon juice. Pulse the machine until the mixture is smooth. If you wish, press mixture through a mesh strainer to remove any seeds. (I did..)
3. Chill for 1 hour, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Strawberry Pomegranate Sauce

Makes about a cup

Ingredients

• 1 c fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and cut into quarters
• 2/3c granulated sugar
• 1t fresh lemon juice
• 2T pomegranate molasses

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat  until the strawberries cook down and begin to look syrupy.
2. Serve at room temperature.