The Easiest Frozen Yogurt Ever (No Ice Cream Maker Involved!)

My Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker makes glorious ice cream and tangy frozen yogurt. Since my oldest has a peanut allergy, making ice cream means that I can give it to him safely. I also love being able to use organic milk and fruit when making gelato. However, now I have also discovered a plethora of recipes for making frozen desserts without an ice cream machine. I was inspired by the peach gelato recipe from Wednesday Chef and had berries galore care of our excursion to Tougas Farms. Using Luisa's proportions, I threw yogurt, sugar and frozen berries into my Cuisinart.

I whipped it around for a few minutes (the yogurt, not the Cuisinart!). And the result: luscious and creamy frozen yogurt in shades of pink and rose. The best part? To my surprise, the berries and sugar muted the harsh tangy taste of the yogurt. I put it in the freezer in plastic bowls to thicken and served it later to happy friends. Finally, I took a cue from ice cream (and dessert) expert David Leibovitz who regularly uses alcohol to maintain creaminess in frozen desserts (otherwise they can freeze solid.) But, no...I was too chicken to give that version to my children. Instead I just left their virgin yogurt defrost for a few extra minutes. You can even throw it back in a Cuisinart or blender to get it creamy again. Finally, Elise at Simply Recipes has another trick. She adds another few steps, such as straining the berry sauce first, but it may work for those of you that find berry seeds irritating.

Easiest Frozen Yogurt

1 cup yogurt (I used Total whole milk yogurt which is incredibly thick, and I rationalized still lower fat than ice cream)

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups fruit (I used blackberries one time and strawberries another. You can use fresh or frozen, but the better the berry, the yummier the result.)

1 Tbs rum (optional)

Throw in a Cuisinart (or a blender) and mix until smooth. Put in a freezer-safe container to thicken slightly for about 30 minutes.