Tuesday, July 16, 2013

So I'll just say this

Heat here in the Midwest is a sticky, unrelenting thing. It hangs heavy in the air and clings to you. It leaves you feeling muddled and slow, thick as the air around you. On some days, by early afternoon, it is hard to string together sentences. You are reduced to a hot, sticky puddle of yourself. Kind of like today.
Pitted Stewed
So I'll just say this. I am glad, so glad, that I churned out this batch of sour cherry frozen yogurt a few days ago (a rare moment of foresight on my part). A few spoons (or more!) snuck from the freezer at midday--clean, bright, and cold sliding down your throat--are utterly restorative. And best of all, the taste vividly recalls forkfuls of leftover sour cherry pie, eaten cold from the fridge for breakfast (an indulgent breakfast of the best kind, if you ask me).
And even if this finds you already a hot, sticky, muddled mess, not to worry. This frozen yogurt only calls for three ingredients, really--sour cherries, sugar, and yogurt. And the cherries, once pitted, need only a scant few minutes' cooking, just until they yield. Then, all you have to do is blend the cherries and yogurt together and get them a-churnin'. Relief--cold, sour, and electrically pink--is not far off.
Sour cherry frozen yogurt

Sour Cherry Frozen Yogurt
Adapted, just a little, from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop
Note: This frozen yogurt's consistency is best the day it's made, but that shouldn't stop you from having it around for a little longer.

450 g / 1 pound fresh sour cherries (about 3 cups before pitting)
150 g / 3/4 cup sugar
240 g / 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (Greek-style, if you'd like)
A splash of brandy or 2 drops almond extract (optional)

Stem and pit the cherries. Put them in a medium saucepan with the sugar and brandy, if using. Cover, bring to a boil, and then lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to encourage the juices to flow. The cherries are ready when tender and cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Purée the cooked cherries and any liquid with the yogurt and almond extract, if using, in a blender or food processor until smooth. 
Chill for 2 hours, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Makes about 3 cups.

7 comments:

  1. Love sour cherries. And it's the same weather in my parts so I would have a bowl and take cool bath in it.

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  2. Nice! I was hoping to see some use out of your ice cream maker. ;) I am a little blown away though that this only has three ingredients. Is the texture like a sorbet or ice cream, or somewhere imbetween the two?

    And gosh, that sour cherry pie! I forgot about how beautiful it was. Understandable that you opted for frozen yogurt though, this time around. I think what you said about Chicago summers is enough to inhibit me from moving to Chicago... ever! Haha, summer is my favorite season and I don't think I would be okay learning to hate it.

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    1. I'm hoping that this frozen yogurt is only the beginning of a very good ice cream season!

      The consistency is more like sorbet than ice cream, though there is a bit of milkiness to it from the yogurt. I'm sure that using Greek yogurt instead of regular full-fat would give it a richer feel.

      Chicago is a really great city otherwise! (The weather, admittedly, is not for everyone. But I don't think it's really all that bad on the whole. But hey, I quite like winter.) And part of the issue in my case is that I live in a really old building, and so we have to rely on window AC units, which are loud, not all that powerful, and a pain to put in and take out every summer . Luckily, the bedroom is now outfitted with one, so we can at least sleep comfortably!

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  3. Holy moley. This looks so delicious. So simple, too! Thanks for sharing with us. I hope you soon find relief from the heat.

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    1. Thanks, Sophie! The heat's supposed to break this weekend. I'm looking forward to maybe turning on my oven again.

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  4. I love sour cherries. This looks wonderful. I can pretty much taste that feeling in the hinges of your jaw that you get from the tang of the cherries and yogurt. Gorgeous.

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  5. This looks positively fantastic. I would have never thought to make a sorbet from sour cherries, I will have to change that! Here in Germany we're experiencing our own heat wave of sorts and being AC-less this would help cool us down.

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