To no one’s surprise, given that we’re in the “dog days” of summer here in North Texas, it’s been hot as hades most days around our camp, prompting sunrise workouts, zealous hydration, and even a change in our normal summer menu rotation of late.
One of the treats or snacks we’ve been reaching for lately (you could even officially call this one a dessert too) has been this ridiculously simple Summer Berry and Ginger Frogurt Bark. Granted, this isn’t a novel concept, and you’ve no doubt seen something similar before.
For those of you who include full fat dairy in your weekly routine, it’s a great way to find some naturally sweet relief from summer’s pounding heat. We’ve tried it with all sorts of fresh summer fruit, though we keep coming back to this strawberry, blueberry, and ginger – yep, ginger – combination.
Strawberries and blueberries are at their prime these days, and somewhat surprisingly both fruits hold up very well to the (relatively) short window of time they spend in the freezer. The real surprise is how well the fresh ginger pairs with the blueberries – it’s amazing – though my lovely wife doesn’t so much care for it with the strawberries.
You can of course use any fruit that suits you here, though you’ll want to make sure you use fresh fruits and not frozen to finish your frogurt bark, and we like this topped with several tablespoons of unsweetened coconut flakes too (I was out when this batch came together).
This is a great project to do with kids (or grandkids) – the skills required amount to stirring, spreading, and sprinkling chopped fruit around, and whenever we serve this to families with kids (of all ages) it vanishes in a heartbeat.
3 cups unflavored/plain full-fat Greek yogurt
2-4 tbsp honey, maple syrup, your choice of sweetener (optional)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Small pinch of good salt
1/2 to 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced thin
1/2 to 1 cup fresh blueberries
1-2 inches fresh ginger, peeled, chopped small (see note)
Optional
Other fruits of course
3-4 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
Line a full sized (home full sized, it’s actually a half sheet in the restaurant world) baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Stir together the yogurt, sweetener of choice if using, and vanilla until well combined, then spread evenly over the parchment paper (you’re shooting for about 1/4-inch thick layer here).
Spread the fruit artfully atop the yogurt base; note that in the example I’ve imaged here, we chose to only add the ginger to the blueberries – ginger and blueberries play really well together. Sprinkle with the coconut flakes if using, the slide into the freezer for at least 3 hours until the yogurt is tight and firm.
Slice or break into pieces and serve promptly; will store in an airtight container or bag for up the 3 months so they say, ours never lasts more than a day or two.
Enjoy.
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