Fresh strawberries abound at this time of year, so you can actually justify making this frozen treat using sweet, juicy strawberries in their prime — rather than going straight for the bag of frozen berries you might use the rest of the year. This frozen yogurt is so worth sacrificing — nay, elevating to a higher purpose — the pound of strawberries you bought or picked at their peak. The result is so intensely strawberry-y, made somehow even more so with a peppering of cardamom and a swirl of sticky balsamic glaze that just totally works.
Balsamic glaze can be bought in squeeze bottles at most major grocery stores and delicatessens. Use the ripest, juiciest strawberries you can find, although you can substitute frozen strawberries, if you must.
Strawberry Cardamom Frozen Yogurt with Balsamic Swirl
Makes 1 quart
INGREDIENTS
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled
1¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup honey
¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic glaze
DIRECTIONS
Place the strawberries, yogurt, honey and cardamom in a blender. Blend on high for 1 minute until smooth.
Chill until very cold, about 2 hours, before pouring into an ice cream maker and freezing according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Spread half the frozen strawberry yogurt in a freezer-safe container and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze over the top. Use a toothpick to swirl it through the frozen yogurt a bit. Spread the remaining frozen yogurt over the top and drizzle with the remaining balsamic glaze, again using a toothpick to swirl it through. Place the container in the freezer for an hour to firm up the frozen yogurt before scooping. If freezing for longer, you may need to leave it out on the counter for 15 minutes to slightly soften before scooping.
Registered dietitian and food writer Laura McLively is the author of “The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook.” Follow her at @myberkeleybowl and www.lauramclively.com.