Strawberry Sherbet

Let me tell you a little story about how my husband, my friends, and I all became frozen yogurt addicts.

 

You know the kind - the shiny, modern little shops that have popped up all over the place in the last few years. They lure you in with their self-serve stations and their topping bars loaded with oodles of tempting bites, and before you know it, you've got yourself a problem. {And a $10 cup of yogurt.}

Anyway, it all started out quite innocently. A new fro-yo place opened up last year in our neighborhood, so we decided to check it out.

As much as I love food in general, I'm pretty boring when it comes to frozen treats - single flavor, no toppings, just plain ol' tart-yet-creamy frozen yogurt deliciousness. Steve, on the other hand, gets pretty interesting with his add-ons: Gummy Bears. Granola. Nuts. Sometimes independent of each other, and sometimes all in the same serving. {Shudder.}

But the beauty about this yogurt utopia was that there was something for everyone.

Soon, we discovered that our friends had stumbled upon the same shop and we all found that it was causing some strange new behaviors that we hadn't experienced before: Mid-week fro-yo runs, excuses to be in that area so we could stop in and see if there were any new flavors, signing up for annoying text messages just so we could receive 10% off. It was madness, I tell you.

To top it all off {ha! No pun intended.}, we were all developing signature approaches to designing our frozen creations. I started getting more adventurous and learned that by combining several flavor combos I could develop my very own "blend" - Vanilla, Pineapple, Coconut for a tropical treat. Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Salted Caramel for something that tasted like a liquid candy bar. Cookies & Cream, Mint, and Milk Chocolate for a faux Girl Scout Cookie. 

One friend would swirl the toppings into his yogurt for something similar to a Blizzard. Another would spend a good chunk of time determining the order, flavor combos, and proper yogurt-to-topping ratio for his own version of a parfait. We were all out of control.

Next thing I knew, we were self-proclaimed yogurt connoisseurs, scoffing at other shops we visited for their lack of toppings; acting like modern day Goldilocks with our, "This one's too tart/not creamy enough/too sweet/too icy/just right."

I knew enough was enough. I had to find something to replace the habit at home where we weren't paying nearly $5 a pop.

And then it happened -- Strawberry Sherbet. This is an easy {EASY} recipe that doesn't require cooking, includes fresh strawberries, and rounds out the sweetness with a nice tang from buttermilk. You can add your toppings in the comfort of your home however you like them without judgement from other fro-yo freaks.

We still love our frozen yogurt from time to time, but I had to stop the insanity. I'm still pretty sure that self-serve frozen yogurt is laced with addictive substances, but now that I've learned how to make this fresh Strawberry Sherbet, I can take the edge off when I need to.

Strawberry Sherbet
Adapted from Eating Well

2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen*
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup half & half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt

1. In a medium bowl, sprinkle strawberries with sugar and let sit for 10-15 minutes until sugar starts to form a syrup.

2. In a blender or food processor, combine strawberries and sugar and blend until smooth. {*I used frozen berries and I blended them with sugar to form an icy strawberry mixture, which I then allowed to sit at room temperature until it was a syrupy liquid.}

3. Using a fine mesh strainer,  strain strawberry mixture into a large bowl, pressing to retrieve juice, leaving pulp & seeds behind. Discard pulp.

3. Add buttermilk, half & half, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt to strawberry mixture, and whisk together to combine. {If the mixture is not cold, refrigerate for 2-3 hours until chilled. This will speed up the process once added to the ice cream maker.}

4. Pour the mixture into the canister of an ice cream maker, and use according to manufacturer's directions. {It took approximately 20-25 minutes to get a soft serve consistency.}

5. Scoop sherbet into a freezer-safe container and freeze until desired scooping consistency is achieved.

6. Top with your favorite add-ons! {Or not!}

*Note: This sherbet gets pretty hard to scoop once it's frozen. For easier scooping, leave on the countertop at room temp for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Honey Buttermilk Rolls

Fall is just around the corner.

It's true. All the signs are here: College football every Saturday, autumn scents at Bath & Body Works, and Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks. I always kid around and say that these are the only signs of Fall we Floridians get since the temperature barely falters.

Though I always feel like I tend to want to cling with all my might to the remaining summer days {and ice cream recipes, cold refreshing cocktails, bright and beautiful strawberries...etc.}, I am actually feeling ready for the beginning of the busiest time of year.

The start of a new season means that I've put away my summer cooking magazines, and have started to go through my fall collection in search of must-make recipes. My {insane} organization and labeling method worked so well at the start of the summer, that I decided to do the same thing all over again for fall.

After flipping through my first few Fall magazines, I already had a ton of recipes tagged. One in particular caught my eye and I decided that although the calendar has not officially proclaimed the beginning of autumn, I'd kick off the baking season by making these incredible looking Honey Buttermilk Rolls.

I know bread is an undertaking that most people aren't all-too-willing to take on, but in my opinion, it's one food that's worth all the effort to have homemade.

These rolls didn't rise all that much after the first rise and I thought maybe the recipe {or the yeast I used} was a dud, but in the end they still baked up into lovely little rolls with a hint of sweetness... and they made the house smell unbelievable.

In case you're up for the challenge and want to start off your Fall by making a batch of homemade rolls {start practicing now and impress the in-laws by Thanksgiving dinner! ;) }, here's the recipe adapted from Taste of Home Magazine.

In tomorrow's Tailgate Thursday post, you'll see how I put these babies to good use... stay tuned!

Honey Buttermilk Rolls

1 teaspoon sugar

1 package dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

3 3/4 cups bread flour, divided {I used all-purpose which could be why they were more dense}

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon salt

cooking spray

 

In the bowl of a stand mixer {or regular bowl}, combine sugar, yeast, and warm water. Let sit for 10-15 minutes or until yeast is foamy. {If it doesn't, you will need new yeast.}

 

Meanwhile, combine buttermilk and honey in a cup or bowl. Set aside.

 

Add 2 cups of flour and mix until mostly smooth. Pour buttermilk mixture gradually into flour mixture until incorporated. Mix in melted butter.

 

Mix in 1 1/4 cups more of flour and salt. Stir until it forms a soft dough.

 

{If you have a stand mixer, you will want to use the dough hook at this point. If not, your hands will do the trick.}

 

With a Stand Mixer: Using the dough hook attachment, knead dough, adding a few tablespoons of flour at a time about 6-7 minutes or until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and is able to be touched without sticking to hands.

 

By Hand: Turn out onto a floured board. Add a few tablespoons of flour at a time to dough until it is able to be handled without sticking. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes, continuing to add flour as needed. {Dough will still be slightly sticky, but won't stick to hands.}

Oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and allow to rise in a warm, dark place for about 45 minutes. {It should technically double in size, though mine didn't quite rise that much.}

Punch down dough, and allow to rest for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

Divide the dough into about 24 even pieces, rolling into a ball shape, and place on baking sheet. Cover with a clean, moistened kitchen towel and allow to rise another 20 minutes or so until they've about doubled in size. {Once again, they may not rise that much, but just go with it.}

Preheat oven to 350. Remove kitchen towel and, if desired, score the top of each roll with a sharp knife. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until the tops are slightly golden brown. {You may want to rotate to ensure even baking.}

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack, or serve warm with butter.