October 28, 2008
Chocolate Frozen Yogurt
An estimated 62% of my cooking begins with me lying in bed, thinking about some ingredient that needs using, and not being able to sleep because my mind is awhir, trying to devise rewarding ways to do so.
These closed-eye sessions usually yield satisfactory results and, every once in a while, a plain fantastic one. I am counting this ice cream among the latter.
The challenge was this: I had a bit of a dairy glut in the fridge, and in particular, a scant half tub of organic crème fraîche that had been open for three or four days, and which I was determined to use before it got any crazy idea like turning rancid or growing a beard. I also had real Greek yogurt* in there, which I know for a fact makes the best glace au yaourt (yogurt ice cream).
And because I hadn't made a chocolate-based frozen treat in a while (not since the dark chocolate sorbet and the nutella ice cream) I decided I'd make a chocolate frozen yogurt. Then I fell asleep.
I had no basic recipe to build upon and merely played it by ear: I melted a few ounces of good dark chocolate, whisked it into the cream, added raw cane sugar, a little cocoa powder, salt and vanilla, added yogurt until the mixture looked and tasted right**, chilled and churned.
The first taste of my improvised concoction, straight from the paddle of the ice cream maker, gave me pause: could it really have turned out so shockingly well? A second sample was collected, and the report was confirmed by the official authorities: I had really made a shockingly good chocolate frozen yogurt, so much so that I felt compelled to twitter it.
Why so elated? Here's why: the chocolate flavor is ardent enough to satisfy the die-hard cacao worshipper, but the smooth tang of the yogurt makes it pleasing to those who prefer (gasp!) milk chocolate -- a rare conciliation, to which the raw sugar adds undertones of malt and caramel. And the cherry on the cake*** is this: once packed into an airtight container and placed in the freezer to set, this frozen yogurt remains blissfully scoopable -- for as long as supplies last.
~~~asterisk fest begins~~~
* I buy real, Greek-made Greek yogurt from a Greek deli near me; if you can't find it, all-natural Greek-style yogurt from the grocery store will do.
** The trick to preparing an ice cream or sorbet without a recipe is to keep in mind that, once the mixture is frozen, the taste buds will perceive it to be a little less sweet, and a little less vividly flavored. So when you're tasting it at room temperature, you should aim for something that's a little sweeter and a little more boldly flavored than you'd like the finished product to be.
*** This edible idiom was adopted into the French language as a straightforward translation: la cerise sur le gâteau.
Chocolate Frozen Yogurt
- 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) good-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 100 grams (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon) crème fraîche or heavy cream
- 120 grams (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) raw cane sugar, preferably one that's finely ground (you can run it in the food processor if it's not)
- 2 tablespoons good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
- a good pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- 300 grams (10 1/2 ounces) plain Greek yogurt
Makes about 3/4 liter (3 cups).
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring frequently to ensure even melting.
In the meantime, place the cream in a medium mixing-bowl (preferably one with a pouring spout; it will make your life easier). In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until no lump remains.
When the chocolate is melted, whisk it into the cream. Whisk the sugar mixture into the chocolate cream. Add the vanilla and yogurt, and whisk until well blended.
Cover and refrigerate for an hour, until chilled. Whisk again, and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
[Don't have an ice cream maker (yet)? You can still make this recipe on a day when you're home most of the time. Prepare the mixture in the morning. Pour it into a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer. An hour later, remove the container from the freezer, draw the sides in with a fork (the ice cream will set from the sides in), stir vigorously, and return to the freezer. Repeat every hour. The ice cream will be ready by dinnertime.]
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this looks delicious and so easy to make! My husband will love it!
You've just given me a great idea. Thanks Clotilde. I'll let you know if it turns out.
This reminds me of your chocolate sorbet, which I've made twice already. I will try this next.
My mouth is now watering!
And I am now following you on Twitter, to which I recently succumbed!
Oh my Gawd!!!!! I am a committed chocoholic (so much so that I'm at the 85% cocoa solids stage) and this had me absolutely flummoxed. For starters, the raw sugar - do you refer to plain old raw sugar that we buy in much the same format as palm sugar in this country? Secondly, does it matter what dark chocolate it is or does it need something with a highish fat content and lastly, you've outdone yourself this time!
I just had a similar experience with reduced cider that accidentally caramelized. I added creme fraiche, agave syrup, and a touch of Maldon sea salt. It cam out amazing and scoopable like you said. It was a bit rich though so next time I'll swap out some of the cream for yogurt.
(I put in the URL of my flickr page where I describe what I did in the comments if you want to look.)
Jacoba - I used chocolate that's 70% cocoa solids, sold in some countries under the name bittersweet chocolate.
As for the raw cane sugar, you don't specify what country you're writing from, but I'm referring to unrefined cane sugar sold in powdered form. If you have access to a natural foods store, you should be able to find it there.
Lee - It does look great; three cheers for serendipity!
Chocolate and Greek yogurt two of my favorite things, thanks for the idea, I can't wait to try it. So many products are sold as frozen yogurt now but don't resemble the real think in anyway.
Bonjour Clothilde,
This looks amazing, and in a rare instance of kizmet (sp?) I actually have all the ingredients in my fridge and cupboard. There will be choclate frozen yogurt made in Burgundy tonight!
Laura
I hate it when the creme fraiche grows a beard... This chocolate yogurt looks rich and velvety -- no doubt in part due to the Greek Yogurt. The stuff is the basis for many of my favorite desserts.
Will definitely churn this recipe soon! For some reason it sounds like it would taste good with a topping of figs steeped in a balsamic vinegar reduction. Maybe a few raspberries or currant berries, too. Hmmm.
Hopefully one reader, Lee, will share the recipe for her salted carmel cider ice cream, (if she can nail down the quantities for her stroke of luck!) I would much prefer her ingredients to David Lebovitz similar recipe.
Clotilde, keep up your cheerful, inspiring, humorous, well-written posts. I am so happy for the great path you have carved out for yourself. (P.S. I have to say, your command of the English language is better than most native-born English speakers.)
Clotilde,
YOu are making me really anxious to get an ice cream maker. I think I will give in next summer. I don't crave ice cream as much in winter, so I can probably survive the temptation until May. This looks like just my kind of recipe!
Dory
Clotidle,
I'm absolutely with you on thinking about how best to use up ingredients before they go bad. Every week, I stockpile fresh produce into my fridge and often come up with the best, most unexpected results when laying in bed thinking, "what SHALL I do with that huge squash before Thursday?" Thanks for this recipe.
I do the same thing in bed! Sometimes I can't hardly go to sleep because I am thinking of so many food ideas, etc. The frozen yogurt looks wonderful!
Frozen yogurt made with real Greek yogurt mmmmmm.... This recipe looks so good! I love coming up with new recipes using only those ingredients I have on hand. It's fun, keeps the grocery bill low, and best of all, encourages me to think outside the box!
Hi, I adore your posts and recipes.
I have awarded you with The Friendship Around The World Award. Please visit my blog to receive it and see what its all about.
I would really love to try this one especially with goats yoghurt ..
Thank you
Bonjour Clotilde !
The English equivalent for the French idiom "la cerise sur le gâteau" is, I believe, the icing on the cake, not the cherry on the cake :)
I too am manical when it comes to not wasting ingredients - from expiring oranges to chocolate that just 'really' needs to be used that day! I also found myself with a big tub of Greek yoghurt recently, and was so delighted with this Persian Love Cake I made with nutmeg and cardamom, I set out to make another straight after! There's certainly no disappointment - it's a great cake to keep on hand, but your recipe for frozen yoghurt sounds divine... and I'm pretty sure I've got some chocolate soon to expire :)
Ooh..authentic greek yogurt sounds really good. I like the Chobani and Fage brands but I bet they don't even compare to the "real stuff." I want to try making my own some day to compare!
yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Kristen - Both expressions exist in English, and I have checked several sources that all state that the French cerise is indeed borrowed from the English.
This looks divine, Clotilde! I can see how the tang of the yoghurt would enhance the chocolate beautifully.
La fondue de chocolat que je suis te dit Merci!
I read somewhere that Greek Yogurt is supposed to be less harsh on the system if you have problems with lactose.
thanks for the tip! i've never realized that about frozen sweeties...lovely looking frozen yoghurt..x
To be so facile a writer in a language you didn't grow up speaking is nothing short of phenomenal. I'm a copywriter myself, and sometimes it freaks me out to think that, should I ever move to a foreign country in which English is not spoken, I'd be well-nigh unemployable! Clotilde can conquer both the Anglophone and Francophone worlds!
Is this what I think it is? Chocolate! Another dessert recipe. Merci.
Oh god, I'm addicted to Fage Greek yogurt, but only the full fat kind. Luckily you don't need to eat much of it to satisfy the jones. I was thrilled to find it on the shelf at my local Champion last year but it was gone the next time I searched for it and I have never since then seen it in Paris. You'll have to give me the address of your local Greek deli.
If I had an ice cream maker I'd no doubt be mainlining it.
I am a huge Greek yogurt fan; thanks for this recipe! And I included your idiom post from last week in my weekly "From My Plate to Yours." Thanks Clotilde for always giving us surprising and tasty content.
Wow, that pic looks absolutely yummy. I wish I could try this.
Bute ven though resources dont allow that right riht now, whenever I do get time adn sai resources, I'll know exactly where to come. Thanks for this!
I'm reading this frozen chocolate yogurt recipe at 10:40 p.m. If I had all of the ingredients and it weren't so late, I'd make it right now. It sounds fabulous!
Clotilde, I can't thank you enough for this recipe, it is absolutely delicious! I have also made your mango and chocolate sorbets and both of them are dreamy. Thanks for sharing!
Clotilde,
The fro-yo sounds delicious, but I have a tangential question: I read your Twitter post about seitan; how do you prepare it?
Thanks!
This looks simply divine. So rich and creamy. You have given me a great idea for a dessert I need to make for a dinner party we're having--thanks!
Can the chocolate frozen yogurt be made without an icecream maker?
Beth - At the risk of disappointing you, I did not prepare the seitan that prompted that Twitter comment; it was served to me at a restaurant. But I intend to try and reproduce it, so stay tuned!
Shom - The texture won't be quite as smooth, but it's possible. I've added instructions to do so at the end of the recipe.
Hi - I am just wondering....
Is there a way to make this frozen yogurt with the Greek Yogurt like this recipe with Green Tea or Vanilla? I don't really know a lot about making things like this...could anyone give me tips?
Dana - You can certainly make a frozen yogurt flavored with green tea or vanilla or some other flavoring. I wouldn't necessarily start with this recipe though, as chocolate is a flavoring that has very different properties from the ones you suggest.
Sorry Clotilde,
I made the chocolate frozen yogurt,
followed the recipe to the letter, used
expesnsive, thick, real Greek yogurt,
Guiredelli bittersweet chocolate, and
Hershey's coco.
My husband and I thought it was awful!
Too bitter and sour (yes, I used enough sugar too).
I have made many recipes from your website and cookbook. All were excellent. But this chocolate frozen yogurt was the exception.
Thought you should know.
Deidre
Deidre
Deirdre - Thank you for reporting back, and sorry this recipe didn't work out for you. I have made it as written several times and it has always turned out well -- never too bitter nor too sour --, so I am at a loss to explain what could have gone wrong. Perhaps it is simply a matter of taste? Also, the flavor of most chocolate-based ice creams mellows over time, so it may be worth tasting it again in a couple of days, see what you think.
Clotilde - you are right. The chocolate frozen yogurt did improve after a couple of days. If I made this again, I would use a different brand
chocolate.
Deidre
I made this recipe and found it was grainy bec. of the sugar. I bought raw cane sugar, which I thought was really grainy, so I ground it in my processor until I could smell the plastic getting hot. It seemed to be powdery when I stopped but still the finished product was grainy.
Would this recipe work as well with plain old white powdered sugar? What about melting it in the chocolate?
Pam - The raw cane sugar I use is finely ground, so I didn't have a problem with graininess, but you could certainly melt your sugar along with the chocolate as you suggest. Plain white sugar would, of course, work fine for this, but I prefer to use raw sugar for its flavor and slightly higher nutritional value.
I made this with 0% greek yoghurt and milk in place of the creme fraiche with a tablespoon of rum to make sure it wasn't too hard after freezing. It was absolutely gorgeous (and received the seal of approval from my gelato-obsessed Italian boyf). Thanks Clodilde!
Oh! Yes please!!! if only we were neighbours! Fortunately I happen to have all of these ingredients in my fridge- so thanks for saving ME from hours lying awake tonight trying to figure out what to make with what needs using up!
Oh YUm!!! This sounds amazing! I do agree, most of my cooking is visualized often times in bed!
I do a similar recipe using Greek yogurt and whole milk. I've never added sea salt though. I'm sure that would bring out the flavor of the chocolate, especially if it's a rich bittersweet.
If you don't have an ice cream maker, you always can use the Scout method of making ice cream.
Thank you for this lovely recipe. I was looking for just such a thing for a dinner party tonight, just because I wasn't able to make an ice cream base last night. After looking through the posts, I decided I should use the ganache approach (heat the cream and pour it over the chopped chocolate) only because I use large-grained cane sugar and I need to make sure it's properly dissolved. Since you use equal parts cream and chocolate, this should work just fine. Thought you might like to know... and I'll definitely post once it's made to let you know how it worked out. THANK YOU for posting a lower sweetness recipe - I'm always reducing the sugar in others' recipes. But I'll make yours as is. :)
That's wonderful to hear, thank you Susan!
Thank you for an absolutely delicious recipe! And so simple compared to "the custard method" of ordinary ice cream. Both the taste and texture was beautiful. I found your recipe through the website www.klikk.no so soon all of Norway will be making your fabulous ice cream ;)