Cherry Frozen Yogurt with Dark Chocolate Chunks

Summer is in full swing, time for some frozen treats!

I was feeling a little nostalgic for Italy so the original plan was pistachio gelato. Well this called for thickening a custard slowly over the stove. I thought I had time to go into my room put on shoes and come back, but unfortunately I came back to a pot of pistachio scrambled eggs. It was a great disappointment, even more so because I had already invited friends over to hang out and eat gelato...
On to plan B. I always have yogurt so why not frozen yogurt? I used the basic vanilla recipe that came with my ice cream maker but modified it to make a cherry chocolate version and through my experiences I bestow onto you my best tip.

Don't skimp on the fat.

Don't use skim milk and don't use fat free yogurt. I've tried in the past and it never turns out right. It may be good straight from the machine but after its spent 2 hours in the frezzer its not longer creamy and just icy. No one wants an ice cube like chunk of ice cream.

So here is the recipe
1-2/3 cups whole milk
3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 cups fat-free vanilla yogurt (I used cherry but experiment with whatever flavors you have around)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (I used almond extract because I thought it complimented the cherry better)
1 cup chopped dark chocolate chunks (my addition but add fruit or nuts if you prefer)

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the yogurt, heavy cream, and vanilla. Turn the machine on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. The frozen yogurt will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the frozen yogurt to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours.
Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy the treat and experiment!

Art Show: Pretzels

My best friend is having her final studio art show tomorrow and she asked me to "cater" for her. I would do it for her no matter what but I'm also just excited to do an actual "event." (I use quotes because I don't feel legit yet) Well the first thing I made was the easiest and simplest, chocolate covered pretzels. Just melt different chocolates and drizzle over pretzel rods. I let them dry part way up right and then laid them on a tray to finish. I accidentally left them all tempting my roommate. She didn't see the note that she could eat some... oops

 I'll upload the rest of the food later!

First (real) Meal

Last night was the first night of actual cooking in the apt this semester. I wanted to make risotto and like most times i kinda read a couple of recipes and then combined them and did it my way. Surprisingly, it was actually very good. It took a little longer than i thought it would, but i"m afraid i put in too much Parmesan in the end. My makeshift recipe was rice: broth 1:4 parts (we didnt have any white wine so it was just broth but wine would make a great contribution, i can sense it) and added zucchini, onions, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. The last touch was mixing in some cheese and that was it.This is a progress shot because I didn't get a very good picture of the end result.

For dessert I broke out the ice cream maker. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I now have an ice cream maker. Let the experiments begin!
Although I am planning to make basil ice cream at some point, for the first go, I decided to make a classic. Espresso chocolate chip. Fortunately, Kelley has an ice cream maker at home so it went on without a hitch. It was creamy, intense, and oh so good.
I know this looks weird, but that why I like the photo. Just a giant bowl of ice cream