I’m a big vanilla ice cream fan, so I had to create a great-tasting, low-fat alternative to enjoy guilt-free. Use a fresh vanilla bean and thick, Greek-style yogurt for best results.

Ingredients

　　1 cup (1 percent) low-fat milk

　　3/4 cup light agave nectar

　　1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped

　　1 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt

　　1/3 cup nonfat dry milk

　　1 teaspoon xanthan gum

　　Pinch of sea salt

　　In a small saucepan, combine the milk, agave nectar, vanilla bean, and vanilla seeds. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and let the vanilla bean steep for 1/2 hour in the milk mixture. Remove the vanilla bean from the cooled milk and reserve. In a food processor, blend together the milk mixture, yogurt, dry milk, xanthan gum, and salt until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Pour into a container, replace the vanilla bean, and allow it to infuse the mixture for several hours or overnight. When ready to freeze, discard the vanilla bean and freeze in the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

　　Reprinted with permission from Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano; photography © 2008 by Lara Hata. Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.Ania Catalano is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut.