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You’ve Never Made Frozen Yogurt? What are you waiting for?!

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Coconut Banana Frozen YogurtWarm summer days of my childhood found us dining on fresh fruit salad topped with sherbet.  It was such a treat – dessert for dinner!  While I still enjoy sherbet, it  is something I rarely purchase – and being that it can be a bit time consuming to make, I opt for frozen yogurt…… homemade.

If you have ever tried making frozen yogurt, you know that it is not as simple as opening a container and pouring it into your ice cream freezer – but the technique, once understood, is a very simple one – and one you will use over and over again.

Using a whole-milk yogurt yields the best product.  Frozen yogurt purchased at the store – or at your local frozen yogurt shop – is “low-fat” – but contains so many stabilizers that the health benefits of “low-fat” are somehow lost along the way.

For those who are lactose intolerant  – or need to avoid dairy all together, fear not! So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt makes a fabulous frozen treat!

For those who are interested in knowing more about the process of making frozen yogurt and what types of yogurt work best,  click here.

The recipe calls for using an uncooked egg. For those who are uneasy with the use of raw eggs, or may have health concerns , click here for info on how to pasteurize eggs at home.

But for now, here is one of our favorites.  A frozen yogurt, made with Coconut Milk Yogurt, Bananas – and a secret ingredient.

Enjoy,

Kathy

Coconut Banana Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt is such an easy thing to make at home – and so much better than anything you buy at the store. This recipe calls for a coconut milk yogurt - making it dairy-free – unless you add the cream cheese…….which, if dairy is not an issue for you – you are going to want to use it. The cream cheese makes this such a creamy, smooth, rich, decadent thing – you have to try it – at least once! (You are welcome.)
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk "Yogurt" Vanilla flavor
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces softened cream cheese optional
  • 1 ripe banana – mashed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Combine the egg, sugar, salt and vanilla extract, whisking until combined.
  • Mash the banana til thoroughly pureed. Set aside.
  • Soften the cream cheese by stirring, whipping, or mashing. Set aside
  • Put the yogurt into a mixing bowl.
  • Add the egg/sugar mixture and whisk to combine.
  • Add the cream cheese, if using, and blend well.
  • Add the mashed banana.
  • Taste the mixture to adjust the sweetness to your taste.
  • Pour into the bowl of your ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
  • Pack into an air-tight container and freeze for several hours.
  • Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

I have used 2 cups of yogurt in this recipe for several reasons:
This recipe fits my ice cream freezer (Cuisinart)
This yogurt comes in a 24 oz container
It can easily be doubled.
The recipe calls for a raw egg.  If you have concerns about using raw eggs and would like to find out how to pasteurize eggs at home, click here

 

Making Frozen Yogurt at Home

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Making frozen yogurt at home is not, unfortunately, as simple as opening a carton of your favorite yogurt and putting it into your ice cream maker.

Yogurt contains a great deal of water – and simply freezing it as is will yield  – in the beginning – a very slushy soft serve. . . and ultimately a frozen chunk of yogurt flavored ice.

There are a few basic tricks that will allow you to make homemade frozen yogurt that is creamy, delicious, and customizable to your liking. . . for pennies on the dollar.

You can use plain, unflavored yogurt (whole milk is best but lowfat will do).

If you choose to use this, you will need to do one of several things:

1)  Drain it overnight by placing it in a cheesecloth bag and allowing the excess water to drain out (save the liquid and freeze it for using in smoothies, baking, . . . . it is whey)

2)  Add eggs as a binder.  (If you are concerned about using raw eggs, find out how to pasteurize raw eggs at home by clicking here.)

You can use Greek Yogurt (no need to drain – and again whole yields a superior product.

If you are lactose intolerant or trying to be dairy free, your yogurt does not need to be from cow’s milk.  Coconut milk yogurt yields a fantastic finished product.  Goat’s milk does as well.

You will need to add sweetener and flavorings.

As making frozen yogurt is similar to making a sorbet or ice cream, the more sugar you add, the softer the finished product will be. . . (it’s a chemistry thing – the sugar molecules get in the way of the formation of ice crystals and keep the finished product smoother and creamier)

The basic rule of thumb is 1 cup of sugar for every 4 cups of yogurt – but you can experiment.

Fruit can be added, – sweetened or not.

Flavorings – almond, vanilla, lemon – choose your favorite. . .

And a pinch of salt.

And, my favorite add-in . . . softened cream cheese – about 4 ounces per 2 cups of yogurt.

A wonderful tangy frozen yogurt can be made with only 3 ingredients –

1 quart whole milk plain yogurt, 1 cup granulated sugar and a pinch of salt . . . it’s that simple!

Churn in your ice cream freezer as you would ice cream.  Pack it into an air tight container, and freeze for several hours (if you have the will-power).

 

Making Frozen Yogurt at Home

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Homemade Coconut Banana Frozen Yogurt

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Coconut Banana Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt is such an easy thing to make at home – and so much better than anything you buy at the store. This recipe calls for a coconut milk yogurt - making it dairy-free – unless you add the cream cheese…….which, if dairy is not an issue for you – you are going to want to use it. The cream cheese makes this such a creamy, smooth, rich, decadent thing – you have to try it – at least once! (You are welcome.)
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk "Yogurt" Vanilla flavor
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces softened cream cheese optional
  • 1 ripe banana – mashed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Combine the egg, sugar, salt and vanilla extract, whisking until combined.
  • Mash the banana til thoroughly pureed. Set aside.
  • Soften the cream cheese by stirring, whipping, or mashing. Set aside
  • Put the yogurt into a mixing bowl.
  • Add the egg/sugar mixture and whisk to combine.
  • Add the cream cheese, if using, and blend well.
  • Add the mashed banana.
  • Taste the mixture to adjust the sweetness to your taste.
  • Pour into the bowl of your ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
  • Pack into an air-tight container and freeze for several hours.
  • Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

I have used 2 cups of yogurt in this recipe for several reasons:
This recipe fits my ice cream freezer (Cuisinart)
This yogurt comes in a 24 oz container
It can easily be doubled.
The recipe calls for a raw egg.  If you have concerns about using raw eggs and would like to find out how to pasteurize eggs at home, click here

Gluten Free Cottage Pudding

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image

Gluten- Free Cottage Pudding

This recipe has been my go-to for Strawberry Shortcake ( or peach short cake, or mixed fruit short cake. . . ) for 40 years. This gluten free version of it is so moist and delicious, it is hard to believe that it is gluten free! Serve it with sweetened fresh fruit and mounds of whipped cream for an over the top dessert, or breakfast, or mid-day snack. . . .
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 9 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose gluten free flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/3 cup softened butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup milk or milk substitute

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease an 8-inch square pan and set aside.
  • Sift together flours, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
  • Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  • Add egg and vanilla.
  • Add half of the flour mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Mix until just combined. Add half of the milk, mixing until just combined. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
  • Pour into a prepared 8 inch square pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Notes

Recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Great for strawberry shortcake.

Cottage Pudding

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image

Cottage Pudding

This has been my go-to recipe for shortcake for nearly 40 years. Moist, dense, sweet - it's just plain yummy. Topped with strawberries, peaches, and a mountain of whipped cream. . . . mmmmm. For a gluten-free version - that is beyond yummy, click here
.
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/3 cup softened butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup milk

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease an 8-inch square pan.
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.
  • Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  • Add the egg and vanilla to the butter/sugar mixture, mixing until just combined.
  • Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients, followed by 1/2 of the milk - mixing just until combined. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
  • Pour into the prepared 8 inch square pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Notes

This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Here’s what’s Happening on the Homestead

Spring.  Just the word congers up images of blossoms and bunnies, eggs and chicks. . . . and catalogs filled with tableware, linens and all the fresh spring color imaginable. . . . so when my spring edition of the Pier1 catalog arrived – I was immediately drawn to devour every page.  The dinnerware, table settings, linens were, in typical Pier1 form, a wonderful feast for the eyes. pier1-catalog-page

But, there was one thing that especially drew my attention. . .their adorable folded napkins – especially the little bunnies in the upper right corner of the page. The catalog directed readers to log on to their website for instructions  – which I immediately did.

Upon arriving at the page, I  searched for the Bunny Fold pier-one-bunny-ears-directionsand found this.   I grabbed some cloth napkins (which happened to be from Pier1) and, following their directions, began folding.  It only took me to the 4th step to figure out that there was a real problem with the directions – they were rolling from the wrong side of the napkin. . . and by the final step – it was unmistakable.

wrong-way-bunny-napkinI had created this.  I took an unfolded napkin and the directions to my husband – who, as a builder, reads instructions for a living  . . . and his response was immediate – these are not right.  They have rolled from the long side and not the point – and used directions for a granny knot.  It needs to be an ‘overhand’ knot.  (50 plus years of scouting – he should know his knots!)

After making a few simple changes – rolling from the point and using an overhand knot – the finished product looked like the one in the Pier1 picture.  Success!    folded-bunny-napkin-perfection

 And so, as much as I LOVE Pier1, no one is infallible.  I have done my own set of instructions, including pictorials, for your use should you be wanting to try these little treasures.  Such a simple way to dress up a spring  or Easter table.

Just Click Here to go to the instructions.  Happy Spring!

Enjoy,

Kathy

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