Very Berry Frozen Yoghurt

Wow has it been HOT these past few days. You know the feeling when you open the oven door after its been on high, only to be blasted by a wall of hot air, well its felt a bit like that at times these past few days. I’m not complaining through as I love warm weather, plus its perfect ice cream eating conditions!

Sunday was particularly hot and I fancied something cool and refreshing. Ice cream is all well and good but it can be a little rich and over creamy when you’re melting in the heat. Something fresher and lighter was required and as I’d been meaning to try making frozen yoghurt, I decided now would be the ideal time to try it out.

This recipe couldn’t be simpler. It takes a matter of moments to put together and no heating or custard making is required, plus it uses only 3 simple ingredients (I also added a little blackcurrant liqueur, but this is optional). I had a bag of mixed frozen berries in the freezer which I allowed to thaw a little before using. I wanted to keep them partially frozen so they wouldn’t get completely broken down during churning, but I wanted them to defrost just enough to release some of their gorgeously vibrant juices.

A little sugar to sweeten and a tub of natural yoghurt and you’re all set. The softer blackberries broke down quite a lot, while the little blackcurrants remained relatively whole. This made them taste like little balls of sorbet suspended in the frozen yoghurt, giving an intense burst of flavour when one was bit into. They were quite sharp, but against the sweeter, creamier yoghurt base this was highly refreshing and perfect for a hot day.

The yoghurt itself was soft and creamy, yet a lot lighter and more refreshing than an ice cream. All the berry juice made it a sort of cross between an ice cream and a sorbet. Delicious, and I adore its moody purple colour. The crème de cassis wasn’t obvious (I only added a smidgen) but it seemed to give a depth of flavour to the fruitiness of the berries and meant it didn’t set quite so solid, great for scooping out ‘just one more spoonful’

Very Berry Frozen Yoghurt

Ingredients
400g mixed frozen berries (mine was a mixed bag of strawberries, blackberries, red & black currants)
500g thick natural yoghurt (not low fat or sweetened)
100g caster sugar
1 tbsp crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur – optional)

Method
Place the frozen berries in a large bowl and sprinkle over the caster sugar. Leave to stand for 1 hour to allow the berries to thaw slightly, releasing their juices and mixing with the sugar. Give them a stir ever so often. Don’t allow them to defrost completely, as you want them to remain some structure during freezing.
When the berries are slightly thawed, stir in the yoghurt and liqueur, if using.
Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker until thick and almost frozen, about 30 minutes.
The partially thawed berries should break down slightly, releasing their fabulous purple juices, while still allowing some berry texture to remain.
Scoop out and enjoy straight away or transfer to a tupperware box and freeze until required.
Makes about 1 litre frozen yoghurt