Can you believe this Friday is already the beginning of July? Doesn't that mean summer is halfway over? But, wait, didn't summer just begin? Either way, July does mean one deliciously major thing in our nation...ice cream! Aaahhhh, and you thought I was going to say FREEDOM (cue Mel Gibson in Braveheart). Yes, I'm entirely thankful for our ability to celebrate Independence Day on the 4th and will be sharing some holiday recipes with you later this week. But, today, I'm giving you a sneak peek into what you'll be seeing on here for most of the month of July. And that, my friends, is a variation of ice cream recipes.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as the National Ice Cream Month. (Thank you, dear President, for such a lovely proclamation that my family will forever celebrate and cherish.) So, naturally, I'll be focusing on some delightful ice cream recipes all month. I'll add in some other recipes to the mix, as well, but don't be surprised if you see a few extra posts next month just so I can fit in all the frozen goodness.
Since I'll be sharing a 4th of July recipe this Friday (the first day of the month), I thought I'd go ahead and give you my first National Ice Cream Month post today. We have a favorite frozen yogurt place just 2 miles down the road from our house <uh-oh!>. Even more dangerous, during the winter we received numerous coupons for buy one get one free <score!>. During this period of getting cheap frozen yogurt, we got hooked. Now that summer is here, those coupons are no longer sent out because they obviously get enough regular business now. So, since we can't get it cheap anymore, I went to my favorite source, David Lebovitz, and found a frozen yogurt recipe to make at home.
In his book, The Perfect Scoop, Mr. Lebovitz gives instructions for two types of vanilla frozen yogurt. One is more on the rich side using Greek yogurt and less sugar while the other is made of plain whole-milk yogurt with more sugar. I chose the richer option because I had Greek yogurt on hand, and I like it much better anyway. The frozen yogurt is creamy, thick and tangy, creating a perfect base for a variety of toppings, especially fruit. Save your money from the frozen yogurt store and make yours at home. And, load it up, because no one is weighing your bowl on a scale!
Rich Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
Yield: About 1 quart
3 cups Greek-style yogurt
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, sugar and vanilla until the sugar is completely dissolved. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Source: The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz
