chocolate frozen yogurt.

Imagine life without an oven.

Shudders. 

Well that's my life, temporarily. Obviously since I can't bake anything, the freezer has to stand in for a while. And I've always wanted to make chocolate frozen yogurt...

I made this recipe up with a little adaption from here and here. I still have a lot of tweaking to do. I used too much cornstarch to thicken the base and it created an unpleasant mouthfeel although it was very creamy and rich. If you didn't know it was frozen yogurt, you could have mistaken it for ice cream! I used a considerable amount of cocoa powder too, which made the froyo indulgent and chocolaty with just a tiny tiny bit of tang from the yogurt. It's just a hint of sourness- it's hard to tell that it's from yogurt, more like from lemon zest. If you are a chocolate freak, you will like this version. But personally, I would go easier on the cocoa next time. I prefer my chocolate froyo to still taste like yogurt.

Speaking of cornstarch, I have a burning question which I really hope to get answers to: Why do cornstarch-based ice creams melt so much more quickly? I gather that its the cornstarch which causes the quick melting because my previous batch of yogurt made without any cornstarch managed to stay frozen for much longer. However, this batch, along with my vanilla bean gelato, melted as soon as the scoop hit the bowl. It's frustrating because I don't like to use egg yolks in ice cream but cornstarch is the only way I know how to thicken ice cream bases. Can someone please provide an answer and hopefully another alternative to thicken the bases without cornstarch or egg yolks? I would very much appreciate it!

Until then, here is the recipe after my modifications.

Chocolate Frozen Yogurt
makes a small batch, about 2 servings

2 tbsp + 2 tsp sugar
4 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup lowfat milk2 tbsp chocolate chips, semisweet or bittersweet depending on your preference
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup plain yogurt

Stir together the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan and pour in the milk. Stir until no lumps remain. Heat over medium high heat until the mixture has come to a boil and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted, then stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a bowl before adding the yogurt. Allow the mixture to cool completely until placing it in the fridge to chill thoroughly.

If you're using an ice cream maker, make the frozen yogurt according to your manufacturer's instructions or do it by hand by placing the base in a shallow container in the freezer, whisking every half an hour or so until it has thickened and firmed up like soft serve, about 3 to 4 times in total. After the last whisking, allow it to freeze completely before consuming.