While I was making this next batch, I contemplated what to do with the current batch of brownies I had sitting on the counter. Now, don't get me wrong, hubby and I have eaten several of them...they are good but probably too deep, dark and intense for "mainstream" palates. They are super dark like ice cream sandwich cookie exteriors are...which gave me an idea! This afternoon, I made a couple of things with the leftover super dark brownies. I sliced a few brownies into thin slices (about 1/4" thick) and whipped up a quick and easy Frozen Vanilla Greek Yogurt to use as the ice cream sandwich/frozen whoopie pie filling. I partially froze the "frozen Greek yogurt mixture" before scooping it onto my little brownie bases and then placed a slice of fresh strawberry on top, a bit more frozen vanilla yogurt and then a brownie lid. I pressed them down so the frozen yogurt sort of oozed out the sides (like little mini Neopolitan whoopie pies) and then popped them into the freezer to freeze. After making a few of those, I broke up the remaining brownies and folded them into the rest of the partially frozen yogurt and then scooped them into little 3-ounce mini cups and froze them. Voila...I had nice little mini "frozen brownie yogurt" cups in small individual portions! No ice cream maker or special ice cream molds required!
When I made my Frozen Lemon-Coconut-Blueberry Greek Yogurt Pops recently, I froze about 7 little mini cups with the leftover yogurt mixture. I've really enjoyed pulling one of those little individual mini servings out and eating it for dessert. Sometimes you don't really want or need a larger dessert but just a little something sweet. So, I decided to do the same with this. I think I actually prefer the mini cups to the larger pops believe it or not! I snapped some photos of my little Frozen Brownie Yogurt Mini-Cups and my little Frozen Neopolitan Whoopie Pies below as well as included the simple recipe for Vanilla Frozen Yogurt. This frozen yogurt would also be great with broken up chocolate chip cookies or fresh fruit stirred in as well! Enjoy!
Simple Frozen Vanilla Yogurt
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt, preferably full fat (or unsweetened cultured coconut milk yogurt for a dairy free option)
1/2 cup heavy cream (or canned coconut milk for a dairy free option)
1/2 cup Swerve confectioners style sweetener
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon liquid stevia, optional
1/4 teaspoon xanthum gum, optional (helps prevent ice crystals and gives a creamier consistency)
Add-ins: (Broken chunks of brownies, cookies, fruit, or nuts), optional
Directions:
Blend all ingredients together in a bowl (except for add-ins). Taste for sweetness and make any necessary adjustments. Pour mixture into a shallow bowl or container and place in freezer. Partially freeze for about 45 minutes; stirring and folding with a rubber spatula about every 15 minutes. When partially frozen and thickened, fold in add-ins (brownies, cookies, fruit, nuts, etc.), if desired. Scoop into small 3-ounce disposable paper or plastic cups and freeze until set.
*Note: If confectioners sweetener is not available, simply grind granular sweetener in a small Magic Bullet type blender or grinder.
Hi GGC,
ReplyDeleteWow, these look sensational! And what a great way to "re-purpose" your "rejects." Way to go! :-)
Hi CyberSis,
ReplyDeleteThanks! They really turned out great (just goes to show that even "so-so" can be re-purposed into something amazing). I had one of each for dessert tonight and thoroughly enjoyed them! :-)
Hi GGC,
ReplyDeleteMade the frozen yogurt tonight and it was great! So easy to put together, too, and no ice cream freezer needed! :-) I used the small can of Thai Kitchen coconut milk (about 1/2 cup) and it worked beautifully (I love those small cans!) We had the frozen yogurt plain with the left-over brownies. That little bit of xanthan gum really makes it creamy and "spoonable." I can see this recipe as a great backdrop for all kinds of add-ins and flavorings (they're dancing in my head right now, like sugar-plums!)
As for the Hubby Factor, he sort of recoils at the very mention of "yogurt." I haven't figured out why, though ... it seems to me that someone who likes buttermilk and sour cream would also like Greek yogurt, doesn't it? Go figure! He hasn't quite "decided" about this recipe yet, although he was willing to do his "research" by bravely eating up his entire serving! He tried hard to find something wrong with it, but couldn't come up with anything ... except that it has "yogurt" in it, of course! Same thing happened a while back when I made the Lemon-Coconut-Blueberry Pops, but that time he actually ended up admitting that he liked those. Maybe the yogurt is more "camouflaged" in the pops, although he still realized it was in there!
Next time I make this recipe I'll add some cool tidbits and/or change up the flavorings. Since I served this with the sweet brownies, I didn't add the optional stevia to the yogurt. It was sweet enough for me, but maybe I'll try that next time, as well (freezing seems to blunt the sweetness of stuff somewhat.) Meanwhile, there are two little cups left in the freezer, so we'll see what happens to them tomorrow. :-)
Hi CyberSis,
ReplyDeleteAs I read your comment...I was literally sitting by myself laughing out loud!!! Hubby was working nearby and came to ask me what I was laughing about! Oh, one suggestion that "might" help your hubby with the frozen yogurt. I made another batch of the frozen yogurt...and as an experiment, added the full can of coconut milk (the larger can)...and bumped the xanthum gum up a tad to make up for the extra liquid (between 1/4 - 1/2 tsp). It turned out super thick and creamy and delicious. So, I am wondering if that combination might help your hubby because you are diluting the yogurt further with the extra coconut milk? Also, maybe a tad bit sweeter for him might cut the tartness of the yogurt (if that is what turns him off to yogurt as it does some people). Freezing definitely does reduce the sweetness so I tend to slightly over-sweeten when I make it to compensate for freezing it. I really enjoyed having the small cups of it frozen and just pulling one of those out as a treat. I don't know what my problem is...I have a nice ice cream maker...but I just don't like using it for some reason. I actually prefer making these small batches this way. I just stir it around on and off as it's freezing and when it begins thickening and freezing a bit, scoop it into the little cups. Hope you have fun tossing things in...and maybe hubby will surprise you and start asking for frozen yogurt one day! ;-)
Hi GGC,
ReplyDeleteI love your suggestions ... a full can of coconut milk sounds good to me! :-) I may use Fage next time too. It might be a little milder than Greek Gods, although I do think that GG is *very* mild. I'll add the stevia next time and of course some "add-ins." I'd like to figure out an alternative to ice cream for my hubby that he'll really enjoy. He's been pretty good lately at not indulging, but once in a while ... well, you know! Meanwhile, it's time for more "Lemon, etc." pops. He liked those even though he knew they were "Yogurt"! He's having a hard time remembering that he said that ... so I'll just have to refresh his memory! :-)
I love the small cups, too. Every once in a while I think about getting an ice cream maker, but my poor kitchen is so jammed that it just can't hold one more item, large or small! So it's a real delight to have an ice cream/frozen yogurt recipe that doesn't require any additional equipment! :-)
Hi CyberSis,
ReplyDeleteI, too, think Greek Gods is one of the milder tasting Greek yogurts. I wish I could get my hubby to switch over to the frozen yogurt. He tries it and likes it...but he just "has" to have his nightly bowl of ice cream! Sometimes I think the more I *suggest*...the more he resists. I'm hoping to make another batch in the next day or so...and maybe throw (mix) something else in this time! :-)
Hi CyberSis,
ReplyDeleteJust made another batch of this frozen yogurt when I got home -- and I doubled the recipe. When I did...I realized that I told you that I added a FULL regular sized can of the coconut milk to this recipe -- I actually added a full can to the "doubled version" of this recipe when I made it. So, I added 1 full regular sized can to 3 cups of Greek yogurt. The ratio is still higher for the coconut milk -- BUT, not as high as using half the amount of yogurt to the full can. Does that make sense or am I typing gibberish? LOL I didn't want you to end up with "frozen yogurt soup"... :-)
Hi GGC,
ReplyDeleteLOL! I know what you mean about "suggestions!"
Thanks for the update on the coconut milk to yogurt ratio ... although "frozen yogurt soup" actually sounds pretty good! :-)
Here's a "progress report" ... we skipped a day and didn't have frozen yogurt yesterday. So after dinner tonight *my hubby asked* if we were going to finish the two remaining cups tonight! So I took him up on it and he pronounced it "better than the first time." Well, as you can imagine, that was high praise! I mentioned some of the ways I could change it up next time, including adding more sweetener. So he said it was sweet enough as is and didn't need more. What he *didn't* say was "no, no, never again!" So there you go! :-)
Hi CyberSis,
ReplyDeleteYay! There you go...maybe you don't need to make any kind of changes now that hubby likes it! That makes it easier for you! I do think that it is sometimes harder for them (hubbies) to adjust because they go back and forth with the *real* stuff (ice cream, etc) and to the no sugar versions. It's like a comparison contest on a regular basis. I think its easier when you are totally away from it...then you just accept and enjoy it for what it is. Congrats for you! Now, maybe we could get YOUR hubby to convince MINE! ;-)
Hi
ReplyDeleteI made your Frozen Vanilla Greek Yogurt tonight and it was delicious! So good! I was wondering if you have tried using other extracts in place of the vanilla. I was thinking maybe maple extract with pecans or peppermint extract with chocolate chips? Would the 'frozen yogurt' ingredients stay the same or would i have to make some adjustments? I'm making the brownies tomorrow! Thank-you so much for your amazing recipes!
Cat
Hi Cat,
ReplyDeleteHaven't tried other extracts yet...but have also thought about them. I have quite a few different extract flavors -- probably more than a dozen! LOL Your combinations sound great! I don't think you'd need to make any other adjustment for swapping those ingredients out! So glad you like it! :-)
I had really difficult time finding full fat greek yogurt. finally found 7oz size FAGE at natural mkt at TWICE price of low/no fat elsewhere! wonder if others are having challenge finding it…seems yogurt and low fat go together. added in the crispy brownie pieces. was great soon after freezing, but the remaining cups that stayed in freezer became hard as a rock…had to put them in microwave for almost a minute before i could get a spoon in it. is that to be expected? outside part was too soft by the time the middle was edible.
ReplyDeletei may try w/coconut milk next time but not clear on amount. cyber sis said 1/2cup..you said full can for dbl recipe. the can i have here is 14oz…is that the amt you used for dbl recipe? also, does it matter whether coco milk is 'light' or does it need to be full fat as well?
thanks
PS i just looked at recipe again, and see that the coco milk was instead of cream, NOT instead of yogurt!! so i still need to find more available source for the full fat yogurt. still interested in whether light coco milk ok, and what others' experience is in getting yogurt out of freezer softened enough to eat.
ReplyDeleteHi Samudra,
ReplyDeleteIt isn't just you -- full fat Greek yogurt is more difficult to find. I have found it at: Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Sprouts and Ingles. I typically pay $3.49 for the 17-oz larger container of Fage full fat yogurt. Here in Georgia, they also sell Greek Gods full fat yogurt and that is good too. If you can't find the full fat, 2% Fage is what I use and that is much easier to find and honestly, I don't really notice a significant difference. If possible though...I'd stick with either heavy cream or full fat canned coconut milk for the liquid.
As far as the cups freezing hard. Yes, they do eventually freeze solid -- I sit one out on the counter 15-20 minutes before I plan to eat it and it begins softening again. Hope that helps. Maybe the others will chime in too. And yes, I have added a full can of full fat coconut milk to the double batch before. It's really personal preference. If you want it more thick, just leave out the extra coconut milk OR add an extra pinch of xanthum gum to thicken it up a bit. :-)
This frozen yogurt is awesome. I added some stevia powder and it was too sweet, so I added more yogurt, cream and another sprinkle of xanthan. I didn't do the add ins so popped it into the IC-21 and it is perfect. I am so happy that I don't need to worry about what to make with leftover egg whites!! The xanthan makes a huge difference in texture. Yum.
ReplyDeleteyay…got some full fat yogurt at farmers market today!! glad i found it, now that you have posted that fabulous sounding recipe for fudgsicles and hazelnut fudgsicle yogurt!! glad to know about trader joe's also, i'll check next time i'm there. we don't have a sprouts here in VA…sounds like a great place.
ReplyDeleteas always, thanks for your response.
Glad you found it Samudra. You can easily halve the fudgsicle recipe too if you want to test it out first! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Judith,
ReplyDeleteSo glad you like it. It really is amazing how much difference a little xanthum makes isn't it! :-)