I've really missed soft-serve frozen yogurt. You can never really be sure the stuff they serve at yogurt places is gluten-free, and you can be pretty sure there's cross-contamination. I tried the obvious first: put some store-bought yogurt into the ice cream maker. Not only did it work, it only took a few more tweaks to make something so tasty, rich and creamy that you'll never be tempted by TCBY again.
I use the Publix store brand fruit on the bottom lowfat yogurt. While it is fantastic straight out of the ice-cream maker, after a few hours it gets pretty hard. I would need to thaw it out for a while (20 minutes or so) before serving once it has frozen overnight. I could make it creamier straight from the freezer by reducing liquid and increasing fat. That can mean using full-fat yogurt (or greek-style) or using all cream instead of cream and milk. Added sugar will help (to a point), as will a small amount of guar gum. Since we tend to finish it off pretty quickly, this isn't a problem.
Homemade Frozen Yogurt
Freeze the bucket of your ice-cream maker according to directions (usually for at least 24 hours). Leave it in the freezer until ready to process.
Combine the following in a separate bowl:
12 ounces of sweetened/flavored yogurt (I use fruit on the bottom)
OR
12 ounces of plain yogurt plus jam, honey, or other sweetener to taste
AND
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar (optional, depending on flavor desired)
1 cup fresh berries or fruit, chopped small (optional) or nuts
Mix everything together
Process in ice cream freezer until slightly thicker than soft-serve
Serve immediately, or freeze up to two hours first. After two hours, let thaw on counter for 20 minutes before serving to soften up.
Serves 4 at 1-2 scoops each, or 2 at NOMNOMNOMNOM size servings.
