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Probiotic Matcha Green Tea Frozen Yogurt |
Introduction
Developing a high-end frozen yogurt made with matcha and Greek yogurt was a challenge for us. First of all, we had to create a formula that would remain frozen for a long time, without becoming too hard or developing large ice crystals. This goal required us to adjust the levels of water, fat, and sugar, and to avoid using a custard base that is cooked, in order to preserve the live and active cultures found in yogurt. Thus, our frozen yogurt hybrid is really a probiotic dessert.
A refined dessert offering of a sophisticated make up: very smooth, with a clean and glossy surface, and a long-lasting, semi-matt finish. Long-lasting bitter notes of the vegetal flavor of matcha are released to cut through creamy dairy, in a unique and refreshing taste experience – it makes for a fantastic palate cleanser or alternative to a conventional dessert in the middle of summer, to be served with a selection of delicate pastries, lightly glazed with a touch of sugar.
Ingredient Deep-Dive & Smart Substitutions
To make an extremely smooth frozen emulsion without cooking, you have to choose the right ingredients very carefully.
Matcha Green Tea Powder: We recommend using a high-grade culinary or premium ceremonial matcha from Uji or Nishio. High-end matcha can be quite pricey but is worth it for the bright electric-emerald color and lack of astringent bitter notes (prevalent in lower quality matcha contain). The matcha functions as a dry solid that pulls free water from the other ingredients, and it must be mixed with enough water to prevent it from becoming grainy.
Greek Yogurt (Whole Milk, 5% Fat): Using a strained, high protein containing yogurt with no additives such as pectin or gelatin to thicken and stabilize, provides a tangy flavor of lactic acid, and structures the mixture due to the high content of casein.
Heavy Cream (36% Milkfat): This is used to stop the product from becoming to hard when it’s frozen. It gives a coating to the palate and stops large ice crystals from being formed.
Honey or Inverted Sugar Syrup: This liquid sugar is the most hygroscopic form of sugar and is not added in granulated form. It lowers the freezing point greatly, allowing the emulsion to be scoop up straight from the freezer.
Volume and Mass Measurements
- 3 tbsp (18g) Premium Matcha Powder
- 2 cups (450g) Whole Milk Greek Yogurt (5% fat)
- 1 cup (240ml) Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2/3 cup (200g) Raw Honey or Light Agave Nectar
- 1 tsp (5ml) Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 tsp (1.5g) Fine Sea Salt
Dietary Adaptations
Vegan / Dairy-Free: We can make this recipe dairy-free by using an unsweetened strained cashew or coconut yogurt instead of the Greek yogurt. In addition, we can use the chilled full-fat coconut milk (having scooped out the solid part from the top of a can that has been chilled in the refrigerator) instead of the heavy cream. Lastly, we can substitute the honey with an organic agave or with an inverted sugar syrup.
Gluten-Free: The Matcha Ice Cream formulation is naturally gluten-free. We only request to verify that the matcha powder and the vanilla extract are processed in a dedicated gluten-free facility.
Lower-Sugar: We can lower the glycemic load of this dessert without losing its texture and turning it into a brick of ice by replacing half of the honey with allulose. Allulose is a sugar that has the same effect of lowering the freezing point of water as do regular sugars but it has very few calories and will not raise blood sugar levels. Erythritol, another sugar substitute is not recommended for this reason as it has a tendency to crystallize when frozen and will give a grainy texture to a frozen dessert.
Essential Equipment
Compressor-Driven Ice Cream Maker: The self-chilling feature of this type of maker is perfect for keeping a constant, fast freeze and therefore the smallest ice crystals possible. If using a removable freezer bowl maker, be sure to freeze the core for at least 24 hours before churning.
Traditional Bamboo Whisk (Chasen) or Fine-Mesh Sifter: Must be used to break down the powder in the matcha to prevent the formation of electrostatic clumps.
High-Shear Immersion Blender: to mix the base into a stable mixture of honey, cream and yogurt, which shouldn’t form too much air before it is mixed into the ice-cream base with the self-chilling compressor.
Step-by-Step Professional Method
1. Sifting and Hydration
Push through any compacted matcha balls in the matcha using a fine-mesh sieve and place in a small bowl. Using the ambient heavy cream, slowly pour 1/4 cup (60ml) over the matcha in the bowl. Use a bamboo whisk or a small milk frother to mix the matcha and heavy cream in a zigzag motion. Continue mixing until a smooth, glossy, and consistent green-colored paste is formed. There should be no dry spots or matcha specks visible in the finished paste.
2. Homologating the Base
Add the remaining heavy cream, whole milk Greek yogurt, honey, vanilla extract and fine sea salt to a large blending vessel. Add the concentrated matcha paste to the blending vessel and use an immersion blender to blend for 60 to 90 seconds on high speed until smooth and even.
Visual Checkpoint: The completed base should have the appearance of a uniform pale jade color and have completely uniform viscosity. The surface of the mixture should have minuscule tight bubbles as opposed to large frothy foam.
3. Thermal Stabilization (The Chill)
Chill the emulsified base in a glass container, covered with a tight fitting lid, in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 4°C (39°F) and below. Chilling the base to a solid cold prior to use, ensures that the mixture freezes as fast as possible when placed into the churn, resulting in a smooth mouth feel.
4. The Churn Cycle
Follow the manufacturers instructions to pour the matcha-yogurt mixture into your ice cream maker. Plug in the machine and allow to churn until the desired consistency is reached. This typically takes between 15 to 22 minutes for a machine of average compressor strength.
Sensory Benchmark: Watch for the texture to climb the paddle of the mixing apparatus in thick, matte sheets. Soft-serve like in texture and holds its form when pushed.
5. Curing and Stabilization
For making frozen yogurt use the spatula for scraping the mixture from the churning bowl into a chilled, insulated, shallow container, cover with parchment paper directly on the surface to prevent sublimation and growth of large, annoying, bad-tasting ice crystals. Then place in the coldest zone of your freezer at -18°C (0°F) for a minimum of 3 hours to fully cure and to get firm enough for eating as frozen yogurt.
The Science Behind the Recipe
Avoiding structure failures of home made frozen desserts by understanding the components of the dessert.
Unlike traditional frozen desserts, no cooking is required for our Homemade Frozen Yogurt, therefore the milk proteins have not been denatured by heat. The native casein proteins from the Greek yogurt in our Homemade Frozen Yogurt form a very tight molecular web which contains huge amounts of water within it. When this water freezes it forms crystals. The casein proteins mechanically restrict these crystals from growing into large, unpleasant, needle-like shards of ice.
Furthermore, the sugar used in our ‘ice-cream’ is the more scientific choice of sucrose compared to honey, which forms a fixed solid when frozen. As well as having a higher molecular weight, honey has a greater capacity for lowering the freezing point of water than sucrose. This means that in a typical home freezer at -18°C, a portion of the water in the honey/sugar mix will remain in a syrupy, unfrozen state. This makes for a smooth dessert that will never require to be pounded with a spoon.
The live cultures in natural yogurt (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) also remain alive because they are never put under risk of being killed by temperature. Even freezing will not have this effect on them as it puts them into a state of dormancy and all the ingredients in probiotic frozen yogurt retain their probiotic benefits.
Pro Tips for Success
The Alcohol Trick: This 1 tbsp (15ml) of high-proof spirit or neutral green tea liqueur is added to the ingredients during the blending phase. The spirit does not freeze at home temperatures, so helps to prevent the mixture becoming too hard.
Temper the Scrapes: Chill your storage container in the freezer for 30 minutes prior to filling it with your newly churned yogurt. The container storing your fresh yogurt should be chilled in the freezer. If it were to be at room temperature, the outer edges would instantly begin to melt resulting in the icy hardened exterior and collapsed interior upon subsequent freezing.
Tame the Bitter Edge: As matcha has an extremely bitter taste, adding more sugar is not the way to go. However a pinch of additional sea salt will have the effect of blocking the bitterness receptors on your tongue thus elevating the perceived sweetness and creaminess of the matcha even though the amount of sugar has not changed.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using Non-Fat or Low-Fat Yogurt: By removing the milkfat the water-to-fat ratio is dramatically altered. The mixture will consist of too much water which will freeze into coarse, crunchy sheets in your ice cream similar to how water can freeze into ice sheets when it has experienced freezer burn.
Over-Chirping or Over-Churning: This happens when the ice cream mixture is left in the ice cream maker for too long time. The fat globules in heavy cream will get over-churned and separate resulting in greasy buttery film in mouth.
Heating the Base to Dissolve Honey: NEVER in your life would you even DREAM of heating up the yogurt mixture in order to dissolve the honey and matcha. In order to dissolve them, you MUST blend them and never, EVER, go near with a microwave or heat up the mixture to blend ingredients in. Above 45°C (113°F) the probiotics are systematically destroyed and the volatile aromas of the matcha are altered greatly.
Culinary Safety & Hygiene
Sanitization: For mixing the homemade probiotic frozen yogurt recipe clean very thoroughly the churn bowl, the churner paddle as well as all containers in which you store this liquid base. As this is an unpasteurized homemade base (no pasteurization possible in the home kitchen) it is very important to prevent it from getting contaminated with unwanted bacteria. A thorough cleaning and drying of all utensils and storage containers has to be carried out.
Cold Chain Management: Keep all dairy products refrigerated at 4°C (39°F) or below until blending time.
Storage Parameters: Homemade probiotic frozen yogurt will typically last for two weeks. Without industrial preservatives, it will start to degrade after this time, in particular when it is opened and closed a number of times as it is stored in the freezer.
The Perfect Pairing
Pair the matcha frozen yogurt with warm black sesame brittle made in-house or with sweet and structured adzuki (red bean) paste to accentuate the complex umami of the matcha. The nutty and earthy fats of the black sesame pair beautifully with the acidity of the frozen yogurt. A chilled glass of sparkling premium jasmine green tea or a dry and crisp Junmai Ginjo sake can also be paired with this dessert as both mirror the clean botanicals and cut through the richness of the dairy in the frozen yogurt.
Storage & Reheating Excellence
Frozen desserts should be stored in shallow, wide containers and not deep tubs, as this aids in even temperature penetration and prevents the center from becoming too hard in the core.
It’s also a good idea to remove the container from the freezer about 10 minutes prior to serving. Store the frozen item in the refrigerator until ready to scoop. This allows the frozen item to temper from the outside in. This will allow the item to reach its optimal serving temperature of approximately -10°C. Never allow frozen items to sit on the counter at room temperature as this causes the edges to become too warm while the interior remains a solid frozen block.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do you need an ice cream maker to make this recipe?
Instead of an ice cream maker, you can make this recipe without it by using the “still-freeze” method. To do this, pour the mixture into a metal pan of average depth (about 1 1/2 inches) and place it in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, use an immersion blender or a hand mixer to mix the mixture vigorously and break up the crystals of ice that have begun to form. Repeat this process for 2 hours and then you will have a very, very, very creamy frozen yogurt that is slightly less airy than ice cream. It’s fantastic.
Why is my homemade frozen yogurt so hard and not as smooth as the ones that you buy in the store?
Commercial frozen yogurt contains all sorts of stabilizers and even added sugars such as high-fructose corn syrup in order to give their products the best possible texture and flavor while they are being manufactured with high-capacity industrial ice cream makers which also contain a lot of air (overrun). So, to replicate that at home in your freezer, make sure you are using full-fat yogurt and plenty of liquid sweetener, and try to allow your container to temper in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before scooping.
Does freezing kill the probiotics in the Greek yogurt?
There are many misconceptions when it comes to frozen yogurt and its effects on the probiotic in yogurt, first of all Freezing does not kill the probiotic in yogurt. The probiotic will enter a dormant state when it is frozen and will re activate when it comes into contact with the warmth of your digestive system. Therefore, the probiotic in frozen yogurt will have the same health benefits as in regular, non-frozen yogurt.
Nutrition Facts
How did your matcha emulsion turn out? Did you use a deep cooking Uji matcha or a lighter ceremonial grade green tea matcha? We’d love to hear about your experience with the project in the comments below. Also, we’d love to see your creations using different structures and also how your machine handled the very thick Greek yogurt base for the emulsions!
