Frozen Yogurt For Ewe

There’s a sheep farmer in eastern Alberta who produces some of the finest varieties of sheep’s milk cheeses (pecorino, fresco, feta), and on occasion, makes an amazing yogurt with their sheep’s milk. It’s not quite as sharp as goat’s milk would be but has a distinct tanginess that distinguishes it from cow’s milk. The freshness of the “Ewegurt,” as The Cheesiry calls it, begged for it to be in a frozen yogurt (or would that be frozen Ewegurt? Ewe puns are awesome!) I recently got a new ice cream/frozen yogurt machine, so I decided to try out a couple of recipes using this wonderfully flavoured product.
Frozen yogurt generally requires either Greek yogurt or straining regular yogurt. Straining yogurt is easy. Simply place two layers of cheesecloth over a strainer that is subsequently placed on a bowl. Add the yogurt to the cheesecloth-lined strainer and allow to strain in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
The first place I go for any frozen yogurt/ice cream inspiration is David Lebovitz’s book The Perfect Scoop. And this time is no different. A basic recipe I decided to try was for Vanilla Frozen Ewegurt. It’s a simple recipe that can be whipped together in no time.

Vanilla Frozen Ewegurt

3 cups strained The Cheesiry Ewegurt (I achieved this by straining two of their 3 cup containers of regular Ewegurt)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla

In a large bowl, blend the strained Ewegurt, sugar and vanilla. Place in the fridge for an hour to allow the sugar to slowly dissolve and harmonize the vanilla flavour completely.
Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions which is usually around 20 minutes. Place in containers with a tight fitting lid and freeze for another 4 hours to make a firm frozen Ewegurt. Makes about 3-4 cups.

I also decided that I wanted a bolder flavour of frozen Ewegurt so I decided to do a classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter. I looked through many recipes and finally found one I liked by Martha Stewart. Her methodology can be needlessly complex at times and her measurements for some items required some adjustments but I came up with a wonderful version of my own.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frozen Ewegurt

1-10oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups strained The Cheesiry Ewegurt
3/4 cup 1% milk
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

In a large bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, peanut butter, vanilla and Ewegurt. Add the milk and cocoa powder and whisk slowly to combine completely. Pour into an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions (about 20 minutes). Transfer to containers with tight fitting lids and freeze for a further 4 hours. As an option this mixture can be poured into freezer-pop moulds for small treats for kids. Great for portion control too because the flavour of this frozen Ewegurt is incredibly addictive! Makes 3-4 cups