Lemon Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

Yup, another lemon dessert recipe to add to my blog. I actually made this froze yogurt a while ago, but it somehow got lost in all of my other recipes that I love. This frozen yogurt is the perfect, refreshing treat on a hot day. It was eaten in about 3 days the first time I made it. I also loved the blueberry sauce that gets mixed into the ice cream. It would be great with all sorts of other desserts, like pound cake, plain vanilla ice cream, or spread between cake layers. The texture is also great and it doesn't get too hard in the freezer, as some frozen yogurts do.

When you make this ice cream, my tip is to make large strips when you peel the lemon and to count how many strips you have. You don't want someone finding a piece of lemon peel in their frozen yogurt, and they're not the easiest things to find, especially when you think you've fished them all out, but you aren't quite sure. Also, be patient with the blueberry sauce. When I was first cooking it I didn't think it was going to work out, but then suddenly everything mixes together perfectly.

Recipe from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

For the Yogurt Base:
2/3 quart (about 20 ounces) of plain low-fat yogurt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
zest from 1 lemon (peeled in large strips with a vegetable peeler)

For the Lemon Syrup:
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 or 3 lemons)
3 tablespoons sugar

For the Blueberry Sauce:
1 1/2 cups blueberries
3/4 cup sugar

To make the blueberry sauce, bring the blueberries and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for about 8 minutes, until the berries are tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Chill in the fridge before using.

For the yogurt, line a sieve with cheesecloth or 2 layers of paper towels. Place over a bowl. Put the yogurt in the sieve, cover with plastic wrap,place in the fridge and allow the liquid to drain out for 6 to 8 hours (or overnight). When ready, discard the liquid and measure out 1 1/4 cups of the yogurt. Set aside.

Make the lemon syrup by combining the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Prepare the yogurt base by mixing 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch to make a slurry. Set it aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese until smooth.

In a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, and lemon zest. Bring to a rolling boil and allow to boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring back to a boil and allow the mixture to thicken slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Slowly whisk the milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Add the 1 1/4 cups of yogurt and lemon syrup. Whisk until smooth.

Allow the ice cream mixture to cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until chilled.

Before churning, remove the zest from the yogurt (this is why the large pieces are helpful). Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and churn for 30 minutes, or until the ice cream has become thick and creamy.

Place the frozen yogurt into a container, alternating with layers of blueberry sauce. Start with the frozen yogurt and end with the blueberry sauce. Do not mix them together. Cover your container with an airtight lid. Place the container in your freezer for at least 4 hours, until the frozen yogurt is firm.


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