Cherry Frozen Yogurt

I was provided with a product sample of Zulka Morena® Pure Cane Sugar at no cost to me. I did not accept monetary compensation for writing about the product or about my experiences while using it. All opinions expressed are my own.

You may or may not have noticed, but for the past year or so, I've been making subtle changes to the blog. Reformatting recipes, fixing broken links, experimenting with larger photos... all in the name of making everything look nicer. There's still a lot of work to do, but I enjoy doing it. Because, after nearly five years of doing this "food blogging thing," I still find happiness in it all.

I plan on writing a more formal blogiversary post next week, but for now, as always, thank you for continuing to read, for sharing your comments, and for expressing your thoughts of encouragement. I honestly can't imagine where I'd be today without this blog!



While I don't doubt my love for cooking would still be strong without the existence of Taste As You Go, I have often wondered whether I'd be as motivated to experiment with new recipes and new dishes as often as I do. I don't know why, but having a place to share my culinary discoveries has really increased my desire to find new and interesting ways to use ingredients that I'm already familiar with, to push the boundaries of my cooking comfort zone.


I guess you can say all of that was involved in the creation of my Summer Peach and Lavender Sorbet. Regular, old peach sorbet would have been perfectly fine, but my kitchen curiosity tempted me to add lavender, and the whole dish was transformed into something I hadn't expected. And after Stephen tried it, he seemed to be impressed with my ability to create homemade frozen desserts. So much so that he immediately requested that Cherry Frozen Yogurt be my next project.


Not wanting to disappoint my dear, sweet husband, I agreed. It would give me a chance to take advantage of the fresh cherries that were still available at the market and to experiment with the sample of Zulka Morena® Pure Cane Sugar that I received in the mail a couple of weeks ago. This cane sugar is a more natural, non-GMO cup-to-cup replacement for white sugar that tastes so much better than the other sugar substitutes that are out there.


The Zulka simple syrup helped balance the tartness of the cherries, and I almost just stopped at this point so we could use the cherry mixture as a topping for some homemade vanilla ice cream. But I had gone this far, I just had to see the frozen yogurt through to the end. The cherry topping for vanilla ice cream would have to wait for another day.


While I wasn't fully satisfied with the final texture of the frozen yogurt (there were still small chunks of cherry in there, which means I have to puree the fruit longer to get a smoother feel), I loved the flavor of it. Unmistakably cherry with just a hint of vanilla in the background. I'm hoping to make another batch or two before cherries are no longer in season so I can get the consistency right.

I'm sure Stephen would be perfectly okay with that.

Cherry Frozen Yogurt

Yield: about 1 quart | Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups pitted fresh cherries
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup Zulka Morena® Pure Cane Sugar (or white sugar)
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups full-fat, plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the pitted cherries, lemon juice, and Zulka Morena® Pure Cane Sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring until the cane sugar has completely dissolved. While the mixture is heating, mash some of the cherries with the back of a wooden spoon to release some of their juice.
2. Once all of the cane sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender and puree until smooth.
3. In a large bowl, gently combine the cherry puree, milk, yogurt, and vanilla. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
4. Remove the chilled mixture from the refrigerator and pour into the freezer bowl of your ice cream machine. (Make sure you've prepped the bowl according to the manufacturer's instructions beforehand!)
5. Turn your ice cream machine on and allow the mixture to churn for 25 minutes.
6. Once it has thickened, scoop the cherry mixture into a freezer-safe, air-tight container and place in the freeze for 2 hours.
7. Remove the frozen yogurt from the freezer 15 minutes prior to serving.

Recipe by Michelle Rittler | Taste As You Go

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