Rich Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

Ben is a rock star gift giver.  Now I know that Christmas and birthdays aren't all about gifts and that there shouldn't be a contest between who gives the best gift, yada, yada, yada.  Whatever.  The point is, the last few years the boy has beaten me on every occasion, managing to give the best gift I never knew I always wanted. It's incredibly frustrating.

This year I gave him a wireless router.  In return I got an ice cream making attachment for my KitchenAid.  And, here is the best part, he made me a cookbook stand with his own two hands.  You know, he may be a goofball most of the time, but he can also be handy.  It's fantastic, with a nice splatter guard cover and everything.  (You see it in the back of that picture there?  Doesn't it look nice and professional?  I am spoiled, I know)  The boy even thought to make grooves small enough to hold up my magazines and the countless recipes I print out on single sheets of paper.  So, I think it goes without saying that Ben knocked it out of the park on this one.  He wins Christmas.  Lucky for me, his birthday is coming up so I can redeem myself.  Now all I need is a killer idea.... anyone?

Needless to say, we wasted very little time getting the ice cream maker frozen and frozen yogurt into our tummies.  We picked this recipe out because, surprise of all surprises, Ben had all the ingredients on hand.  Yes, there are only three ingredients, but this is a boy apartment we are talking about here.  The sugar dissolves into the yogurt quickly and makes a pre-ice cream batter that taste delicious.  After about 20 minutes of turning, this soft, sweet fro-yo stuff comes out and it's truly delicious.  After freezing a few more hours in the freezer, it firmed up quite a bit, the sweetness mellowed out and we could actually scoop balls out of it.  We ate a few servings of it topped with strawberry rhubarb jam, but mostly we ate it standing up in his kitchen right out of the container.  2012 is going to be a good, ice cream-filled year...

I'm moving, again!!  I know, I haven't even unpacked all my boxes from the last move.  Ah well, there's not point now!  My Crock Pot and KitchenAid are already in Illinois, which makes me sad, because I just discovered this.  So get ready for an onslaught once I finally get to Rockford!

P.S.  Dear, please do not hate me for posting the picture of you.  I think it's cute and charming.  Thank you.

Rich Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
Adapted from David Lebovitz The Perfect Scoop, another amazing Christmas gift

4 c. plain Greek yogurt
1 c. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Stir all ingredients together well, until sugar dissolves completely (this will not take terribly long at all).  Doing this in a bowl with a pour spout is a very good idea.  Chill in fridge 30-60 minutes, depending on your patience.

Plug in ice cream maker and get it running.  Pour in yogurt mixture.  It will be thick and it will likely be a little messy.  Freeze according to your maker's instructions.  Enjoy immediately if you like it soft, or freeze in air tight container for a few hours, once again depending on your patience!