Over these hot days this week, and those in June and earlier in July, we have not had an ice cream van visiting our street, unlike in the summers in recent years. I wonder what happened to them? This morning I woke up with a “need” for a frozen treat. I even went to the kitchen in my PJs to check which fruits were in residence in the freezer and found about half a bag of mango chunks, a full bag of blueberries and a new bag of pineapple pieces. Frozen fruit makes a great standby, whether to add to porridge (on cooler mornings), or to granola or made into a compote, or a frozen yoghurt or into a warming crumble. I also like adding a few chunks of pineapple into a spicy curry.
My simple recipe of a frozen yoghurt only needs 4 ingredients: the zest of a lime, 3 tablespoons clear honey, 500g pot full fat Greek strained yoghurt, 200g frozen mango chunks. This homemade treat does not contain any additive or thickener, the result will be a bit looser than a shop bought variety, however it is also much better for you.
In a food processor, first blitz the fruit into smaller pieces, then add the yoghurt, honey and lime zest. Blitz again till they are evenly combined. Taste if it needs a little more honey to sweeten. Pour this into a freezer friendly container, cover and freeze for 1 hour. After this time, take it out of the freezer and use a fork to stir the mixture, focusing on the edges and corners where they would be frozen, stir these bits into the still-soft centre. The stir and freeze process should be repeated for 2 more hours, at 30 minute intervals, after the initial hour of setting in the freezer. After 3 hours, the frozen yoghurt should have a soft serve consistency and it is ready to enjoy, but if you’d like it a little firmer to scoop into balls, close cover the surface of the yoghurt with a piece of clingfim, cover freeze it for longer (about 1-2 hours more) before serving. I would recommend storage for no more than 3 months. It will harden over time, soften it in the fridge for 30 minutes before using.
I have come to find using full fat dairy yields the best result in making frozen yoghurt and ice creams. The fat actually gives a better texture in the finished product, otherwise the higher water contents in the base and the fruit can turn into ice. This is one of the reasons for using emulsifiers and stabilisers in the commercially produced low fat desserts. These additives make the product an ultra processed food (UPF). My recipe uses natural ingredients and does not require a fancy ice cream maker, all you need is a food processor and time.
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