Recipes aren’t written in stone, which is a good thing (literally speaking), because lifting a cookbook would be a Herculean chore, and because (figuratively speaking), I love to tinker with recipes and am always thinking of ways to improve them. Lemon has always been one of my favorite flavors of frozen yogurt, as I like things that are tart and tangy. But I often wondered how some commercial lemon ice creams and frozen yogurts got that extra zing that homemade batches lacked. The answer came to me when I was in an ethnic spice market and saw little bags of citric acid crystals. I brought some home and did a test, adding just a few granules to the frozen yogurt mix before churning. When I dug my spoon in, I realized with the first taste that I’d found exactly the flavor I was looking for.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 quart (1 liter)

　　3 cups (720 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, preferably Greek-style

　　Grated zest from 1 lemon, preferably organic

　　1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　2/3 cup (130 g) sugar

　　1 tablespoon agave nectar or mild-flavored honey

　　1/4 teaspoon citric acid (see Tip), or more to taste

　　Pinch of salt

　　

Step 1

In a blender, process the yogurt, lemon zest and juice, sugar, agave nectar or honey, citric acid, and the salt until smooth.

　　

Step 2

Pour the mixture in a medium bowl. Taste and add a little more citric acid to adjust the tanginess to your liking. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

　　

Step 3

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

　　

tip

Step 4

Citric acid crystals, sometimes called “sour salt,” are available in Middle Eastern markets, some pharmacies, and online (see Resources, page 270). Fruit Fresh, sold in supermarkets for use in canning and preserving, is mostly citric acid—in powder form—and can be used in place of citric acid crystals.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.