Today is my ice cream anniversary! I have been making ice cream for one year now. Looking over all the months of making frozen desserts, there are some months which are better for making ice cream than others.
There is some debate on whether we experience all four seasons in the South. We might have four seasons of heat like today where it was a sweltering 105F. If you experience a similar hot environment, winter might be the best time to make ice cream. It can melt so quickly in this heat and kitchens are generally the warmest part of the home. My colleague pointed out to me that a group of people exist who don’t enjoy cold creams in the heat of the summer. There is also the argument that your body has to work harder to burn the fat and carbs in ice cream that it does not end up cooling you down.
Consuming ice cream, however, can still give you brain freeze and the illusion of feeling cooler. Holding a cold bowl of cream is the counterpart to a hot cup of caffeine on a blistery day. Making ice cream has the added benefit of a frozen ice cream maker which really bites the fingers as you scoop out the treat.
In the end, I stick to my gut. Ice cream is better in any cooler season that summer. It doesn’t melt as quickly, it doesn’t matter which fruits are in season (you can use frozen!), and it goes great with all those Christmas treats and holidays. Apple pie needs ice cream, any cobbler is incomplete without its chilly friend, and grandma’s brownies … need I say more?
Today, I helped move my sister-in-law in the heat and after 9 hours up and down from each third floor apartment, I could have eaten this whole 3 cups of FroYo. Before we headed over with our muscles (ha!) I whipped up this lemon infused strawberry yogurt. That is how quick it is to make FroYo. During our taste tests, we were surprised by how acidic and lemony the flavor was. I really wanted more of a strawberry, but this ended up being more unique and fun. Would have been great as an icy drink during lunch today.
To make my first frozen yogurt, I really wanted the strawberries to have an extra kick, and be more than they could be. I read through recipes I saw online and all the picture were very red. It did not look naturally red to me. Some did suggest using food dye. We can do without. I really like the pink color this one turned out to be naturally. Yay pink!
To start I cored the top of the fruit, diced them, and let them soak overnight (about 8 hours) in 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice and ½ tsp of honey. Maple syrup is another option, any liquid sugar solution. The next day I smashed them with a fork and stirred in the yogurt then the cream before adding it to the machine. Yum!
Take-Home Tips: I’m not sure the lemon extra is necessary. If you are concerned about the extra lemony delight, omit the extra, but keep the overnight soak. I really don’t think that contributed to the punch. Soaking the strawberries in sugar water over night helps preserve the color, sweetens them, keeps them vibrant longer, and helps provide a syrup for the ice cream.
Scoring: 7 of 10. If you want strawberry frozen yogurt, this is not going to make you smile. If you want a refreshing lemon-strawberry treat, then this the way to go. This might not be a crowd pleasure, as it is acidic. Excluding the lemon extract and adding sugar and water for the soak, would reduce the acidity.
Food of the Month 