Strawberry Frozen Yoghurt

I had a basket of strawberries that needed to be used up and no one around to partake in their yumminess. So instead of heading the jam route, I decided to whip out my ice cream / frozen yoghurt maker for the first time this season. Actually I think it's been a few years since I last used it. This, come to think of it, is strange since this unit is ridiculously easy to use and clean.  I even store the bowl in the deep freeze so it’s ready to go at a moment’s notice.  Really no excuse for lack of use.  In any event, I digress.

I originally wanted to make strawberry ice cream; however, with not a drop of cream in the house, I had to explore other options. Not a huge fan of ices and Granitas, yoghurt was a natural second choice. But I still wanted to get as much creaminess as possible. Enter plain Greek yoghurt!

I wasn't entirely sure how the recipe was going to turn out with the Greek yoghurt, but the end result was frozen yoghurt with a very distinct creaminess to it.  I added extra sugar to compensate for using plain yoghurt, but if you prefer frozen yoghurt on the sweeter side, you will want to up the sugar from what is recommended below.

All in all there wasn't a huge time commitment or complex step. The only pain was straining the strawberry purée (simply a matter of patience) and the subsequent clean-up (again requiring patience to get all those seeds off). 

There are so many uses for the strawberry frozen yoghurt - plain, with strawberries and Chantilly cream, in profiteroles, served with hot strawberry rhubarb pie - oh yum!

I think I might give peach a whirl next :)

Enjoy!

Strawberry Frozen Yoghurt

Serves 6 – 8  

Preparation Time – 35 to 40 Minutes (10 Minutes Active)

Freezing Time – 1 Hour

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Plain Greek Yoghurt
• ½ Cup 2% Milk
• ½ Cup Sugar
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla
• 12 oz. Fresh Strawberries

Preparation

1. In a food processor, purée the strawberries.  Pass through a fine sieve to remove all the seeds.  Set aside. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine the yoghurt, milk, and sugar using a hand mixer until the sugar is dissolved.  Approximately 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the puréed strawberries and continue mixing until just combined.
3. Turn on the frozen yoghurt maker and add the yoghurt mixture.  Allow the mixture to churn for 25 to 30 minutes, or until thickened.
4. Chill at least an hour before serving.

* Notes

•  Adapted from Cuisinart’s^® Very Berry Frozen Yoghurt recipe.