Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

I had a pint of strawberries left over from making Strawberry Cupcakes for my office. Since the strawberries were perfectly ripe and M and I would have made ourselves sick to eat them all before they got mushy, I turned these beauties into a delicious frozen yogurt. Fro-Yo has gained a following here in California beginning with Pink Berry in LA, and moving into every San Fran neighborhood with names like Tuttimelon and Yocup. It's tangy, and topped with your choice of fresh fruit or candy pieces. My yogurt didn't come out of a machine in a cute little twist, and the fresh fruit was incorporated into the mix, but it was just as good (and maybe a little more sweet than its corporate counterpart).

Have you bought your ice cream machine yet? Good, then you will be able to enjoy this low fat ice cream with me. I took a chance and changed the full fat yogurt requirement to the thickest, creamiest fat free yogurt I know, Mountain High Yoghurt. It's what I eat for breakfast most days, and thick enough to make a tasty yogurt. When you make your own, be sure to get Plain yogurt, preferably with no added mystery ingredients or sugars. Then, find some strawberries, slice them, and macerate them with sugar and vodka for one hour. Go have a huge slice of pizza from your local pizzeria. Come back and add in some lemon juice and yogurt and give it all a whirl in the food processor until smooth. Refrigerate until it's chilled and freeze in your ice cream maker. Freeze for at least 4 hours and enjoy.

It's that simple, and delicious. It makes me happy for spring and all of the fruits that will soon be back in season. I heard the strawberries at the Farmers Market looked fabulous, and I can't wait to see what my CSA will deliver soon.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

adapted from The Perfect Scoop, David Lebovits

1 pint fresh strawberries

2 tsp Vodka

2/3 C sugar

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 C fat free thick yogurt (if it is not thick enough, strain through some cheesecloth over a wire mesh strainer and drain until it is thick enough to scoop and leave a spoon mark)

Hull Strawberries and slice them in quarters. Add them to the bowl of a food processor with the Vodka and sugar. Pulse to coarsely chop, cover and rest for one hour. Add the yogurt and lemon juice and process until smooth. Chill in your fridge (or your freezer if you are impatient) and freeze in your ice cream machine about 25 minutes. Place in a plastic container and freeze for at least 4 hours before you eat it. Enjoy! And feel less guilty since you used fat free yogurt!