Fudgsicles & Frozen Fudgsicle Yogurt w/ Roasted Hazelnuts

When I got home last night, I wanted to kick off the long holiday weekend by making some special treats to enjoy. I've also been anxious to try out the new pop molds I picked up on clearance at Kohl's (for $5.00) not long ago. These molds are a little smaller than my other set and they are smooth and rounded instead of grooved like the other pop molds I have. I decided that the new molds looked like the perfect shape for making fudgsicles! So, I decided to go ahead and make them.

I made a big batch of beautiful chocolate Frozen Fudgsicle Yogurt...and you are about to find out how to make "Greek Fudgsicles." I made the large batch because I had a "two ideas" for using it. I used two 17-ounce containers of full fat Fage Greek yogurt and mixed it with heavy cream, Swerve confectioners sweetener, unsweetened deep dark Valrhona cocoa powder, vanilla extract as well as pure chocolate extract. I added the pure chocolate extract to intensify the chocolate flavor without adding more dry cocoa powder to the mixture so it would stay nice and creamy. If you don't have any, you don't have to use it. I added 1/4 teaspoon of xanthum gum because it helps reduce ice crystals as well as gives frozen yogurt and ice cream a creamier texture; it's optional and you don't have to add it if you don't want to. This recipe can easily be halved if you like.

The first item I made with the Frozen Fudgsicle Yogurt, was a batch of fudgsicles using my pop molds. It used about 1-1/2 cups of the fudgsicle mixture. With the remaining 3 cups of fudgsicle mixture, I made Frozen Fudgsicle Yogurt w/ Roasted Hazelnuts by stirring in about 1/4 cup of chopped roasted hazelnuts (if you don't like or have hazelnuts, you can omit them OR substitute your favorite nut or chocolate chips, etc....I'm thinking chopped salted almonds would be great). This mixture is like the most decadent thick custard you can imagine before freezing. It would actually be great to simply eat it "as is" unfrozen. This recipe does not require an ice cream maker. I simply place it in a bowl in my freezer and stir it around several times at regular intervals and then stir in the nuts and let it complete freezing (I froze it overnight). To serve, I remove it from the freezer and let soften a bit for 15-20 minutes on the counter or a couple of minutes on 50% power in the microwave...then just scoop into a bowl. 

One little bit of advice to pass along after testing out my new pop molds. While these molds are cute and inexpensive, I quickly appreciated the difference between them and my other pop molds. These are all attached which makes it more challenging (also known as difficult) to remove one at a time. So, in the future, when purchasing pop molds, I will make sure they are separate to make removing them one at a time less challenging (also known as easy). I enjoyed one of my fudgsicles this afternoon as a snack instead of lunch and it was so good. I tried a couple spoonfuls of the Fudgsicle Hazelnut frozen yogurt, too. It is VERY good -- I look forward to have a little for dessert tonight. Since it was frozen solid this morning after freezing it overnight, I popped the container into the microwave on low for a minute or 2 (I actually have a "soften ice cream" button on my new microwave)...just enough to very slightly soften, but not melt. It made it easy to scoop out with my retractable scooper. Using the full fat yogurt as well as the heavy cream and a tiny bit of xanthum gum helped keep this frozen concoction super creamy and rich. I snapped a few photos below as well as the recipe. Enjoy! 

Stirring in roasted hazelnuts to partially frozen yogurt

Frozen Fudgsicle Yogurt

Ingredients:

4 cups plain full fat Greek yogurt, (2 17-ounce containers) or use unsweetened cultured coconut milk yogurt for a dairy free option
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup heavy cream (or use canned coconut milk for a dairy free option)
1/4 teaspoon xanthum gum, optional (helps prevent ice crystals and gives a creamier texture)
1 cup Swerve confectioners style sweetener
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pure chocolate extract
2 teaspoons liquid stevia, or to taste (optional)

Directions:

Blend yogurt and cocoa powder together, adding cocoa half at a time. Mix until evenly blended. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, add cream and slowly whisk xanthum gum in, a little at a time until thoroughly blended. Mix cream into yogurt mixture. Add Swerve confectioners half at a time, stirring well after each addition.

Stir in vanilla and chocolate extracts. Add liquid stevia, to taste, making any necessary adjustments. Slightly over sweeten mixture because freezing slightly decreases sweetness. Pour mixture into a shallow bowl or container and place in freezer. Partially freeze for about 30-45 minutes, then stir and fold mixture with a rubber spatula and continue to stir approximately every 20 minutes until soft serve consistency. If add-ins are desired (nuts, chocolate chips, etc.), stir into partially frozen mixture. Spoon mixture into pop molds and freeze until firm to make fudgsicles or freeze in a container and serve scooped into bowls as Frozen Fudgsicle Yogurt.

*Note: If confectioners sweetener is not available, simply grind granular sweetener in a small Magic Bullet type blender or grinder.