Hello, my name is… fresh ginger frozen yogurt

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Rising temperatures here in the Southland call for an ice cream report. For that, we turn to Dana Cree. While working as a pastry chef at the Publican in Chicago, she started selling her pints labeled with “Hello, my name is…” stickers. That led to a new cookbook on the science behind the frozen confection titled, “Hello, My Name Is Ice Cream.”

As the tender, young roots of early spring ginger are starting to show at our local farmers’ markets, we thought we’d try our hand at Cree’s recipe for fresh ginger frozen yogurt. Why frozen yogurt and not ice cream, you ask? Our frozen dessert expert tells us that the acidity of Greek yogurt makes it a natural flavor base for fruit and the warm, spicy taste of fresh ginger. Just be sure to use a full-fat yogurt when making this recipe to ensure a smooth, creamy texture. Fewer ice crystals will form during the churning process than if you use nonfat yogurt, which has a higher water content.

Since many of us probably don’t own commercial-grade frozen yogurt or ice cream-making equipment, Cree offers helpful tips in her book for texture agents to try like cornstarch, tapioca starch and xanthan gum to stabilize the moisture content. Master these tricks and you’re sure to end up with a creamy luscious dessert that’ll have everyone asking for more!