I hadn’t planned on seeing the New Year in. Unlike back in my teenage years I really can’t be arsed with the whole kerfuffle that goes with New Years Eve. Maybe it’s what happens when you get a little older, the whole pressure to ‘go out’ really doesn’t even come into play once you’re over 30 I reckon (or does it?), or maybe it’s just that the idea of being woken up at 5.30am from kids jumping on your bed is enough to make any sane person want to stay at home. I don’t know, either way I really had all intentions of being fast asleep as the fireworks went off ringing in the new year. But yeah well, the boy had other ideas didn’t he.
11.53pm I was awoken by his sobs in the room next door. It turns out he was in the midst of another one of his night terrors he’s becoming well known for. I heard the thud of fireworks in the distance as I lay next to him stroking his back trying to calm and reassure him that there really weren’t two balloons in the corner of his room, belonging to his sister that was requiring him to have a full melt-down in the middle of the night. He was beyond consolable the poor thing (and has no recollection of these terrors the following morning). By the time he finally settled after I promised him a hundred times that I would buy him some balloons in the morning it was nearly 1am. Happy New years!
Earlier in the evening we celebrated the end of 2012 the best way I know how by eating home made frozen yoghurt for dessert, that is after we had a banh xeo feast at my mother-in-laws for lunch. Much more my style these days, now that I am a Nana and all. This frozen yoghurt is a version of Sara Forte’s one from her book The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods. I’m not usually into anything peppermint and only recently acquired peppermint extract for the first time, ever, after I needed it to make some cookies for the kids teachers before Christmas. But it was the flavour that had the most votes in our house when I suggested making ice cream, so I went with it. I can’t tell you how surprised I was when it came to tasting this frozen treat, it’s minty but not in-your-face-so, it’s delicate and beautifully creamy with a gentle tang from the yoghurt. Sara suggests you could always use coconut milk/cream in place of the whipping cream if you prefer, but as I had a little carton of cream left in the fridge from Christmas (and now that we tolerate it occasionally) I went the whole hog and threw it in.
I’m really sorry as I don’t mean to always refer back to the weather here in Perth but after this past week I think it’s really all anyone is talking about over here. See, we had a little bit of a heat wave, the craziest one in years apparently. I felt like it was never going to end, but thankfully today was a little more bearable than the 40C+ (104F) we’ve had everyday since Christmas. There is hot and then there’s hot. This was the kind of heat that see’s sweat running down your back, your legs and arms, the kind of heat that makes a car bonnet hot enough to fry an egg on (seriously I wanted to give it a shot on Monday) and gives no reprieve at night time whatsoever. Eating has been of the what-can-I-throw-together-in-two-seconds-before-I-pass-out kind of nature; a lot of salads, loads of fruit, green smoothies, juices, rice paper rolls and ice-blocks (aka icy-poles/popsicles).
I made only a few changes to Sara’s recipe, using my full 300ml carton of cream instead of the 1 cup suggested so as not to waste any of it. And when I went to pull the chocolate from it’s spot in the pantry is was nearly fully melted already, chopping it into chunks was just not going to happen. Instead I gave it the smallest amount of heat in a bowl set over water, it barely needed any convincing to melt and was liquid before my water even began to boil. I liked the randomness of the flecks of chocolate, after being flicked into the churn in the final minutes.
I reckon 2013 is going to be a special one from where I’m looking from and I wish you all the happiness in the world for yours. xx Emm
fresh mint chocolate chip frozen yoghurt
As mentioned above, Sara suggests using coconut milk/cream in place of the whipping cream (aka heavy cream in the states) if you prefer. Also just a note on brown rice syrup; if you are really intolerant to any minute trace of gluten please make sure you source a certified gluten-free brown rice syrup as some brands can’t guarantee 100%. Lastly if you can’t source brown rice syrup or just don’t like using it, Heidi suggested using 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup in it’s place when she made Sara’s recipe a while back.
Makes approx 1 litre
300ml carton of (whipping) cream
1 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 cups thick plain yoghurt
115g dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
Combine cream and mint in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling remove from the heat, stir in brown rice syrup and set aside to infuse and cool. Once cool, strain mixture through a fine sieve set over a bowl, squeezing as much flavour as you can out of that mint. Discard mint and stir yoghurt into the cream mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Churn in an ice cream machine 15-20 minutes or until nearly done. Drizzle in melted chocolate and churn for a further 2-3 minutes. Serve straight away as soft-serve or transfer to a container and freeze for 1-2 hours until firm.
If you don’t have a ice cream machine pour the yoghurt mixture into a shallow freezer-proof container (a loaf tin is perfect), freeze for 1 hour until the edges are starting to freeze, beat with a hand mixer or whisk until smooth. Return to the freezer and repeat this another 2-3 times before drizzling in the chocolate, stirring well to incorporate and leaving to freeze for 2 hours. The results won’t be quite the same, but still delicious.
Adapted slightly from a recipe by Sara Forte in The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods. Published by 10 Speed Press August 2012.
28 Responses
What I would give for a little of your heat. I'm sitting in three layers here as wind batters around us. I love your ingenuity to make things work when I'd give up and make something easier. Happy 2013.
Same to you love! It's funny, I really love summer and the heat, but when it's that intense that you can't even go outside, well that's just plain yuk :-/ What I would do for just 1 day of cold right now…
oh my this looks delicious!
Poor little dude! Happier New Year Em. XXXOOO
Thanks Janet, same to you love xx
Isn't the heat just so tiring. This lovely ice cream would cure that. Oh for an icecream machine. Happy New Year
It may be winter here in the UK but my ice cream maker is still in full force and I'd love to give this a go! Mint chocolate chip will always remind me of being a little kid – I can see why yours loved it so much too 🙂
Chocolate & mint are my fav couple!
I know that heat well. When I was in Egypt they had a heat wave and it was 45° in the shade. It was so debilitating. This ice cream would work well with those temperatures. I wonder if the mint leaves would give enough flavour without the essence.
I don't think the flavour would be strong enough to really taste with just the fresh mint by itself. If you had access to fresh peppermint leaves I think that would work though. The small amount of extract in this isn't over powering like it sometimes can be.
Happy new year! I can't really fathom what it must be like to try and live and work in that kind of heat, I hope it breaks soon and you get some slightly more manageable weather. In the mean time though, I think it's a fabulous excuse for eating ice cream and frozen yoghurt. I've been meaning to give Sara's recipe a go for a while now and this has just given me even more encouragement to do so; it looks so delicious.
My littlej's favourite flavour is mint so she'll love this, especially asI got a new ice cream maker for Christmas!
I hope your little fellow grows out of his night terrors soon, poor thing. I always had terrible dreams after eating dairy before I found out I was InTolerant, and that was certainly unpleasant enough for me!
Hey that's funny, my daughter has nightmares if she eats dairy, especially if it's for dessert. I'd never heard of this happening to anyone else before and was starting to think that maybe I was just imagining it! Very good to know thanks love xx
You'll understand if I say thank goodness it's not just me 🙂 I thought I was the only weird one!
Haha, I totally understand love! It's nice to know we are not alone too. I used to notice I got them too after eating dairy sometimes, which is what lead me to think that's why Ada was having nightmares after eating it xx
I'm totally with you on seeing in the New Year now – completely over it!! I love making ice cream, and I must admit I always completely forget about making frozen yoghurt. Love the idea of a real mint chocolate chip – must try.
Happy New Year to you, Emma
xo
Fantastic recipe, I can't wait to give it a go with my new icecream maker (thanks briscoes sale)! I too had horrific nightmares after eating dairy at night, same after eating heavy and/or fatty/rich foods. It was only when I was diagnosed lactose intolerant in my 20s my naturopath linked the night terrors to dairy. I hope your wee dude grows out them soon!
Happy New Year Emma. I am very impressed with your stunning ice cream photography in the heat you describe. I remember the intensity of a heat wave while living in WA, I don't miss at all, give me mild NZ summer any day 🙂
Thanks Nicola, these photos were taken VERY quickly 🙂
This frozen yoghurt is delicious! Thank you! It was the first recipe I used in my new ice-cream maker and I am so happy with how it turned out. I used honey and it is so yummy that I don't know if I'll bother trying to make any other ice cream :)) I might just make Fresh mint choc chip frozen yoghurt every week!!
I am so delighted with the discovery of your blog. When visiting Raglan after new years I met a friend of yours who cooked for us with one of your recipes! A peanut noodle salad I believe 🙂 Delicious! And what a beautiful place!
Can't wait to try your quinoa Anzac cookies this weekend!
Thanks again my new friend,
And keep those recipes coming!! Especially ice cream!! It is very hot in Canberra too!
Becca
Hey Becca, so glad you loved this! So did we 🙂
And what a small, small world that you were just in Raglan eating with someone I know! xx
Hi Emma. I really love your blog!
You have an always interesting perspective on food & come up with great flavour combinations.
Donna
I just discovered your blog and I am delighted! I love chocolate, prepared in every possible way!! Since my two years old son must eat gluten-free foods, your gluten-free recipes are valuable to me. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!
Hi, i love the use of fresh mint rather than extract! so i was just wondering about a substitute for brown rice syrup?
I haven't tried anything else yet, but I'm thinking about 1/3 cup unrefined raw sugar or pure maple syrup would work great too.
Hi Emma,
So i have some over ripe strawberries begging to be use in my fridge, i was thinking of adapting this recipe to accommodate what i have. i was just wondering if the following substitutions would work… if not, is there a recipe you would recommend?
300ml carton of (whipping) cream – lite coconut cream
1 cup mint leaves, finely chopped – 500g strawberries (half mashed, half pureed with some lemon juice)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract – vanilla extract or omitted entirely
2 cups thick plain yoghurt
115g dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly – 60g dessicated coconut or not…? Thank you xx
I'd say just go for it! Your's might come out a little icier than mine due to the water content of the berries, but I'm sure it will still all get eaten and enjoyed 🙂 I'd just leave the chocolate out completely if you don't have any, unless you really like the idea of bits of coconut in there xx
thanks, ill let you know how it goes 🙂