Winter is coming.
It will officially be winter next month (in Australia), and yet the weather has been rather erratic of late. We had a few warm almost-summer-like days which came as a nice surprise. It kind of makes you think that winter won't be that bad after all. I suppose I shouldn't be complaining. Winter in Sydney is relatively mild. I remember this one time, in college, I was with a group of International students and we were all waiting at the bus-stop (can't remember where we were going) and it was smack in the middle of winter. For many of us, it was our first winter experience. I had my el cheapo Lowes jacket on (such is the life of a poor student) which wasn't much help in keeping out the cold. One of the students was from Canada, and there we were shivering our butts off while she was looking comfortable (though a bit out of place) in shorts and a tank top, oblivious to the cold. Most of us were probably thinking, is this girl mad? Someone asked if she felt cold, and her cool response was "No, this is like summer back home."
Whether it's winter or summer, you can't go past eating ice-cream and other frozen sweets. I've gotten a lot of use out of the Cuisinart ice-cream maker that I bought last year. One of my favourites is Blueberry Cheesecake ice-cream. Creamy and indulgent. Didn't momma ever tell you that eating cheese helps build strong bones and teeth?
I know it's a little late, but I've just jumped on the froyo bandwagon. The concept of frozen yogurt was introduced a long time ago, but it was only recently that it was rejuvenated. There are now heaps of places selling frozen yogurt in Sydney, and I reckon it's the novelty of adding your own toppings and the variety of exotic flavours available that draws in the crowd. My kids love the strawberry yogurt from Yogurberry, and so I decided to make something similar using my ice-cream machine. As strawberry season had ended, I resorted to using frozen strawberries instead and it turned out really good! Creamy, sweet, fresh-tasting with a bit of tang from the yogurt. The best part is how incredibly easy it is to make compared to a custard-based ice-cream. Try experimenting with different flavours and you might surprise yourself with a new delicious creation.
Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients
500g (1 lb) full-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup fresh/frozen strawberries, pureed
Method
Combine everything in a bowl and mix until sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust the sweetness to your preference. Churn in an ice-cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for a few hours until firm. Serve plain or with your favourite toppings.
