Chillin’ with Blackberries

Here in western Oregon it is blackberry picking time again, another bitter-sweet reminder that summer’s warmth is waning.  Nights are cooler and fall looms large on the horizon, but today the outdoor thermometer registers 90 degrees in the shade and rising.  Clearly, summer is not giving up without a fight and baking a blackberry cobbler or pie makes little sense.  

Something icy cold would be just the ticket right now.  Enter Annie, from Annie Eats, and thanks for the terrific idea for Black Raspberry Frozen Yogurt.   She credits a very popular recipe she has adapted from David Lebotvitz’s Perfect Scoop. 

I like Annie’s tips for alleviating the potential icy defects of sorbets with suggestions such as using well drained Greek yogurt.   The inclusion of 1 to 2 tablespoons vanilla extract with its small alcohol content also reduces graininess.  Plus, I include corn syrup, a handy stabilizer also known to increase the creaminess factor. 

I’ve also tweaked the recipe to meet my needs and enhance my blackberries―resulting in a deeply intense frozen yogurt―more like a complex sorbet.   Sorbet, frequently used as a palate cleanser between courses, is traditionally made with pureed fruit or fruit juice.  Of course it’s similar to a sherbet as well, the old fashioned ice made from fruit juice frozen with dairy or egg whites. Or, is it closer to gelato, that divinely dense Italian ice cream―made with yogurt instead?  

The composition, flavors and textures blur the line such that I have settled on a compromise and choose to refer to this yummy sweet-tart concoction with amazingly creamy mouth feel as Blackberry Yogurt Sorbet.  

 It is so richly satisfying  a small bowlful will suffice, but if you are looking to kick it up a notch you might want to add a few juicy slices of fresh peach.   You be the judge. 

Blackberry Yogurt Sorbet

2 cups whole milk Greek yogurt or other low fat yogurt such as Nancy’s

2 cups fresh blackberries

¾ cups sugar

2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp corn syrup

1.       Place the yogurt in a lined sieve inset in a bowl and drain it in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes.

2.       Meanwhile, in a blender or food process, process the berries, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and corn syrup.  Blend until smooth.  Press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.  Chill until needed.

3.       Whisk to incorporate the yogurt and berry puree and pour into ice cream maker.   Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.