Summer, Sweet

Summer Berry & Rose Fro-Yo

This is so refreshing: it's perfectly tart, not too sweet, creamy, and lightly fragrant. I've used mixed frozen berries here – the bags you can buy in the supermarket usually include raspberries, blackberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants.

These berries are quite tart, which I love, plus redcurrants and blackcurrants can be hard to come by fresh – most aren't in season until late summer, but frozen fruits are always picked at their best and frozen within hours, which means you can enjoy them any time of year.

Of course, if you're lucky enough to have a pick-your-own farm near you, that's a great option – I recommend making a day of it and picking way more than you can eat, so you can freeze your bounty to use later in the year.

Alongside the berries, I've used dairy-free unsweetened yogurt – soya yogurt works particularly well with this flavour combination, as would almond or cashew. Coconut would be fine too, but I tend to save that to use with more tropical flavours, such as mango or passion fruit.

The rose water is optional, because while many people (including me!) love it, others are less keen. Rose water can vary in strength quite dramatically, so be sure to taste the mix as you gradually add it – you want to be able to taste it, but also to avoid the fro-yo smelling like your grandmother's perfume!

Do bear in mind that flavours are muted once frozen, so if you're a fan, err on the side of adding a little extra to make sure you can actually taste it once frozen.

Here, I've used an ice-cream churner, which I always keep frozen, but it's not essential. Instead, you can put the chilled mixture into a container, covered, and give it a vigorous mix with a fork once an hour. Then, as it starts properly freezing up, I'd start mixing it every 30 minutes if possible, to give it a lovely light, creamy texture.

It's also a good idea to take your tub of frozen yoghurt out of the freezer 10-15 minutes before you're ready to eat, to bring it to a good scooping temperature.

SERVES:
08-12

Ingredients


250g fresh or frozen mixed summer berries

2 tbsp maple syrup

600g unsweetened soya, almond or cashew yogurt

½ cup maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

Juice of 1 lemon

1-2 tbsp rose water (optional)

To serve

Extra handful of fresh or frozen berries (optional)

Instructions

1. Add the berries and maple syrup to a small saucepan over a medium heat and cook gently, until the juices are flowing and the berries have thawed through.

2. Continue to let them bubble for a few mins, until the liquid becomes a little syrupy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

3. Add the yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla extract and lemon juice to a large bowl. Whisk to combine, then gradually add the rose water, if using, tasting regularly. Add more rose water or maple syrup as required.

4. Once the berry mix has cooled down, stir it through the yogurt mix – it doesn't need to be completely incorporated. You could also add an extra handful of frozen berries at this stage, if you like.

5. Use your ice-cream maker to churn the mixture into frozen yogurt. Alternatively, pour it into a freezer-safe container, freeze for 1 hour, mix vigorously with a fork, and repeat every hour, increasing the frequency to every 30 mins once it starts to freeze up. Continue until you have a smoothie bowl or soft-serve consistency.

6. Empty the frozen yoghurt into a loaf tin or freezer-safe container of your choice, cover with a piece of greaseproof paper, and wrap in cling film (or put the lid on).

7. Remove from the freezer 10 mins before serving, topping with some extra berries, if you like.

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