Can someone please enlighten me: is the Pinkberry thing done yet? If any of you live in L.A., do tell whether this chain still has lines out the door, or whether the whole media implosion/lawsuit over the improper use of the words "frozen yogurt" has caused people to seek out non-powdered food instead.
I'm actually a big fan of real frozen yogurt. You know, yogurt that's made with what I quaintly refer to as... milk. And live, active cultures. I bounced around Silicon Valley earlier this year trying a few local froyo places for an article, and one shop in particular (called Fraiche) tickled my probiotic fancy.
But I'm not hemorrhaging gasoline to drive and get it again. Not when making it at home takes all of 20 minutes. With 4 ingredients and an ice cream maker, you can blend together a wincingly tart frozen yogurt that puts trendy imitations to shame.
Plus, and here's the kicker: I finally exchanged my cherry pitter. So the flavor of my yogurt was never up for discussion.
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Recipe for (Real) Tart Cherry Frozen Yogurt
Given the paucity of ingredients, be a sport and purchase whole milk organic yogurt for this recipe. The fat content is important for the proper mouthfeel, and going organic will make you feel like you're consuming health food instead of dessert. When you see what's in this, you're going to want to eat it for breakfast. It also, I must add, makes a lovely summer soup if you let it melt.
2 cups fresh dark (red) cherries, stemmed and pitted
2 cups plain whole milk yogurt, preferably organic (I used Trader Joe's European-style)
3 tablespoons of sugar (or more, if tart just isn't your thing)
a few drops of fresh lemon juice
Pulse cherries 12 times in a food processor until roughly minced. Turn out into a large bowl, and mix in remaining ingredients. Stir until well blended.
Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. If you want soft yogurt, eat right away. If you prefer a firmer texture, freeze it in a lidded container for a few hours, preferably with a piece of parchment pressed down onto the surface to prevent air from getting trapped between the yogurt and the lid.
If freezing overnight or for several days, which is fine, be prepared for the yogurt to completely solidify. To soften, microwave for about a minute (stirring once halfway through), then serve.
