Greek yogurt combines with just enough cane sugar and real vanilla bean for a homemade frozen yogurt that’s simple yet satisfying.
Are You Here for the Recipe? Let’s Talk Homemade Frozen Yogurt!
This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, Alternative Baker by Alanna Taylor-Tobin. Alanna has such a knack for balancing wholesome ingredients with just enough sweetness to make them indulgent. In the case of this homemade frozen yogurt, tangy Greek yogurt combines with just enough cane sugar and real vanilla bean for a dessert that’s simple yet satisfying.
Are You Here to Connect? Let’s Talk Seasons of Change.
I stepped outside recently and instead of a wall of humidity, the air was gentle, pleasant, and almost cool, and I panicked! Summer was leaving me in its dust!
Whether it’s the slightest hint of a chill in the air, the fall decor popping up in stores, or a mystifying look at the calendar, there comes a time when we must choose to dive deeply into the summer bucket list, prioritize fun, and enjoy the season.
One of my favorite ways to be present in summer is by making homemade frozen yogurt. It’s an act of patience, magic, and a sweet reward, and it goes so well with pie. (Did you see my house pie?)
Homemade frozen yogurt can be a delicious pause button. There are also times when the best “pause” is a reminder that you’re in a very different season of life. Sometimes the tried-and-true pause buttons aren’t available at the moment. Simply acknowledging that change can help.
I’m grateful to my partner, Dylan, for being my reminder. This summer has not been a bucket list of pool days and beach trips. The ice cream maker has been stationed in its new cupboard. I don’t even know where my hiking shoes are, and as we drove by one of my favorite parks, I lamented, “I haven’t even walked there once this summer.”
“We bought a house, babe,” is what Dylan reminded me. Of course, life has looked differently this summer.
I have hauled and planted many a discounted perennial and am finally understanding why people become “plant people.” I felt the satisfaction of turning stone debris on our property into garden edges, of being outside instead of staring at a screen. I explored estate sales and flea markets and combed the internet to find my dream table.
So if you can, make a quart of homemade frozen yogurt because it is quite magical. But if you’re in a different sort of season, like me, let’s try to be gentle with ourselves, and maybe just hit up our favorite ice cream shops and acknowledge the new forms of fun we’re exploring, shall we?
Are You Here for the Dogs?
Even if you’re not, they’re here for you. That’s one amazing characteristic of dogs. Here’s Maple Le, in her muscle tank, offering quite the pose on our new porch.
VANILLA BEAN FROZEN YOGURT RECIPE
Equipment
- an ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 ounces / 235 mL) heavy cream
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
- 1/2 cup (100 g) organic granulated cane sugar
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 2 cups (475 mL) plain, whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsps (30 mL) whiskey or vodka (optional for a softer freeze)
Directions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream, vanilla pod and scrapings, sugar, and salt until hot and steamy, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cover and let steep for 20 - 60 minutes to infuse with the vanilla.
- Place the yogurt in a medium-sized bowl and whisk smooth.
- Strain the cream into the yogurt, whisking to combine. Whisk in the whiskey. Chill the mixture until cold, 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Churn the yogurt mixture according to the ice cream maker’s manufacturer instructions, then scrape into a container, cover, and chill until firm, at least 2 hours and up to several weeks.
