Soy I Giveaway…Magical Froyo & Biscotti

WHY is frozen yogurt so expensive?? (If you’re here for the giveaway, scroll to the bottom, but I highly suggest you don’t. Yup, that’s a warning…)

Speaking more specifically – frozen yogurt places in Chicago. (If only there was Yogurtland here. $0.30 an ounce of taro frozen yogurt = heaven)

At Chicago’s Berry Chill, you get a small cup of flavored froyo with NO toppings for $3.99 (not including tax). Add $1 and you get 3 toppings. $4.99 – what a steal. I think I’ll walk across to subway for a meal thank you very much. (Btw, you’re looking at an $8 fro yo)

At Red Mango, you can get a small green tea froyo (toppingless) for $3.50 or so. Add $0.50 PER topping.

Yet, when my frozen yogurt craving calls, there is no place to satisfy this yearning but at these overly-priced (albeit yummy) chain stores.

Say I ate froyo once a week for a year…A SMALL, naked frozen yogurt from any store in the neighborhood.

$3.50 x 52 weeks = $182 Holy Cow.

In 5 years, I’d have spent $910!!! Plus Chicago tax of $91 (at least) = $1001…plus gas money to get there, plus time spend waiting in line, plus an occasional TOPPING!! Dare I dream…

ENTER my savior – a Cuisinart ice-cream/froyo machine.

ENTER 1/2 a tub of vanilla yogurt + 2 tbs Green tea powder.

Simply mix the ingredients together, throw into ice-cream machine. Churn 20 minutes. Place in bowl. Top with mochi. (recipe to come – only if you want!)

Obviously, this is green tea flavored boba tea mix. To keep flavors more “pure”, go for a pure green tea powder and add honey (or any other sugar replacement) to sweeten. Ta Da!!

Review: This is a truly THICK and creamy frozen yogurt. Sweet, a little tart, and very green tea-ful! You can modify the amount of green tea powder to your liking, and VOILA, this is authentic, better-than-Red Mango green tea frozen yogurt. Promise!!

I churned it for 30 minutes, which is why it’s more solid and appears more ice-cream like. If you don’t like green tea, substitute the green tea powder for Espresso powder, taro powder, earl grey tea powder, whatever you want!!! I ate it all…nom nom.

You will be making frozen yogurt for the rest of your life, for <$182. Plus you get the freedom of making ANY flavor you want!!! Great steal, no?

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If you’re anything like me and you LOVE to eat your fro yo with something on the top, try this recipe! I swear, if smells and tastes could kill, this biscotti would be in jail.

Healthified Honey-Almond Biscotti

makes 2 logs of ~20 pieces of biscotti cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I like to double to 1 tsp)
1 large egg + 1 egg white
1/2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup crushed almonds
powdered sugar, for rolling

Part I:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parment paper

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, lemon zest, and honey together. Add to flour mixture with the almonds. Stir till stiff dough forms. (as seen below. I didn’t add any more liquid to it after the picture was taken.)

4. Scrape the dough onto a lightly sugared work surface and divide it into 2 chunks. Shape and roll each piece with the palms of your hands into a log slightly shorter than the length of your cookie sheet.

5. Place logs  several inches apart (the logs will double in width) on cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the logs feel set or firm to the touch. Set the cookie sheets on racks and let cool. Reset the oven to 300°F.

Part II:

6. When cool to the touch, place the logs on a cutting board. With a serrated knife, slice them into 1/2-inch pieces. (Check out the texture inside the biscotti!)

7. Lay the biscotti out on the prepared cookie sheets in a single layer and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until they are dry and lightly toasted. Cool completely. Store in an airtight tin or plastic container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Flavor & Texture: The flavors are complex. Before biting, you smell the fragrant lemon zest with a light touch of cinnamon. The crust crumbles gently in your mouth while the center of the biscotti is moist and crunchy from the almonds. Each bite is filled with the sweet combination of lemon, honey, almond, and cinnamon. Absolutely addictive.

Overall Review: This recipe is so worth the effort!!!! It’s oil/grease free, full of good fiber, nut protein, and a zesty, fresh flavor!

Now you have plenty of reason to STOP buying store-bought cookies and ice-cream…and move the production plant into your own kitchen!!!

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GIVEAWAY!

My next project? Using Pudding to make fro-pudding! (Stay tuned) Hence…The giveaway.

2 WINNERS will each receive:

1x 4-pack  Zensoy Puddings of YOUR choice

1x Zensoy soymilk/milk

A slew of coupons from:

MaraNatha, Arrowhead Mills, and Lightlife Tempeh!!

All you have to do is…

1. For 1 point, comment below with a suggestion of THE most creative frozen yogurt OR ice-cream recipe you’d make if you had an ice-cream machine. (An extra Brownie point if you actually give me a recipe!)

2. For 3 points, you gotta do #1 and link back to this post on your next post. OR add me to your blogroll. (If you do both, you get 5 points!)

Giveaway ends midnight, October 12th, my brothers 22nd Birthday!! 🙂

Just for Fun!

Biscotti, Frozen Yogurt, Giveaway, Green Tea, Recipe, Red Mango, Soy milk, Yogurtland

October 4, 2009

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