Makes 1 quart
Cook’s notes: This is the simplest ingredient list for frozen yogurt. To gussy it up, you have all sorts of options. Flavor variations are at the end of the recipe; you can also try adding 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of cream to make the yogurt smoother (though with Greek whole-milk yogurt you’re less likely to need this); a tablespoon or two of something alcoholic to make a softer set (such as Kahlua, kirsch or rum); or a tablespoon or two of corn syrup to make it smoother. If you don’t have an ice-cream maker, pour the mixture into popsicle molds or cups.
3 cups cold whole-milk Greek yogurt*
2/3 cup to 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Tiny pinch of salt
*I like Trader Joe’s, and yes, you can use 2 percent, but it won’t be as luscious. I fear sugar more than fat in my food (though really, in moderation, I don’t fear anything). I wouldn’t use fat-free yogurt unless the store stocked nothing else, and then I’d add cream.
Whiz yogurt, 2/3 cup sugar, vanilla and salt in a blender until very smooth (or whisk very thoroughly, if you don’t have a blender). Taste and add more sugar if desired, remembering that food tastes less sweet when frozen than when just cold. If your mixture isn’t good and cold, chill it for an hour or so. Freeze according to your ice-cream maker’s instructions.
Endless variations, or nearly so; I haven’t tested all of these yet (I will!), so taste as you go:
Almost-creamsicle: Up the vanilla to 1 tablespoon and add the zest and juice of one large orange (you may also want a bit of orange extract), or try the vanilla with about 1/2 cup thawed orange juice concentrate, or to taste.
Key lime: Add the zest of one lime and the juice of 2 limes; for authenticity, you could also add about a half-can of sweetened condensed milk.
Chocolate chip: Add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips just before the yogurt is finished churning. I like the “pound plus” bars of dark chocolate from Trader Joe’s; I just shave chocolate from one corner of the block with a large chef’s knife, and periodically rotate the bar to shave from another corner. These are more pleasant when frozen than the chocolate chips.
Caramel swirl: Swirl in about 1/2 cup caramel sauce just before the yogurt is finished churning.
Cinnamon-sugar: You can add it with the other ingredients in the blender, but I like to add a few tablespoons of cinnamon-sugar, or more to taste, just before the ice cream is finished churning. (Cinnamon-sugar is nothing more than ground cinnamon mixed with granulated sugar to taste; I make mine heavy on the cinnamon.)
Peanut butter: Either add about 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter to the blender with the other ingredients, and taste after blending to adjust flavors (this may need a bit more salt), or gradually add small dollops of peanut butter just before the ice cream is finished churning to get little chunks in there.
Berry: Puree about 1 cup of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries or blackberries in the blender before adding the remaining ingredients; adjust the sugar as needed. (You can add the berries after blending the rest, but I don’t care for hard chunks of frozen berry in my yogurt.)
Coffee: Add either 1/4 cup cold, brewed espresso or 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder to the ingredients in the blender. Add 1 tablespoon Kahlua, if desired. Adjust sugar as needed.
Mint Julep: Add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and 1 tablespoon bourbon to the ingredients in the blender; leave the bourbon our and add chocolate shavings for chips for mint chip yogurt. Adjust sugar as needed.
Grasshopper: Add 4 teaspoons creme de menthe and 1 tablespoon creme de cacao liqueurs to the ingredients in the blender, adjusting sugar as needed. For true grasshopper pie authenticity, you could swirl in a big spoonful of marshmallow creme.
