I really like frozen yogurt, but only if it’s homemade. So don’t expect this to taste like the frozen yogurt that squirts out of the machine at the mall. That kind is loaded with so much other stuff that any similarity to real yogurt is purely coincidental. Homemade frozen yogurt has a delightful tanginess and is a bit lighter than traditional ice cream. I choose to keep mine pure, relying on good whole-milk yogurt to provide much of the flavor. If you do want to make a dense, richer frozen yogurt, see the variation below.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 1 quart (1 liter)
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Mix together the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 2
Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Variation
Step 3
To make Rich Vanilla Frozen Yogurt, substitute 3 cups (720 g) of strained yogurt (see below) or Greek-style yogurt for the plain whole-milk yogurt and reduce the amount of sugar to 3/4 cup (150 g).
Perfect Pairing
Step 4
Yes, you can have yogurt and granola for dessert. Just top a scoop of Vanilla Frozen Yogurt with Honey-Crunch Granola (page 186).
strained yogurt
Step 5
Draining yogurt allows the whey to run off, leaving you with very thick yogurt with a higher concentration of butterfat, which makes a smoother, creamier frozen yogurt that’s naturally more tangy. I like both, and my choice on any given day depends on my mood and what I’m serving alongside.
Step 6
So when a little extra richness is called for, use these instructions to make strained yogurt, which you can substitute cup for cup for the yogurt called for in any of the frozen yogurt recipes in this book. (I do give two different recipes for vanilla frozen yogurt, one using strained yogurt and one using unstrained yogurt.)
Step 7
To make 1 cup (240 g) of strained yogurt, line a mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth. Then scrape 16 ounces or 2 cups (480 g) of plain whole-milk yogurt into the cheesecloth. Gather the ends and fold them over the yogurt, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Step 8
You can also use Greek-style yogurt, which is much higher in fat than plain yogurt, in place of strained yogurt in all of the frozen yogurt recipes.
