Frozen Mango Coconut Yogurt

I did not expect that frozen mango coconut yogurt would be the thing that would start me on a joyful path during quarantine. In fact, I did not expect that in July, I would be talking about making ice-cream. Like so many people, 2020 has been nothing like I planned for it to be. I have made peace with that fact. My home has now become a big part of my life. It is no longer the place that I am constantly passing through.

Frozen Mango Coconut Yogurt

I am lucky that I have always loved cooking. There was about a 100 day period where I cooked all my own food. Meals have been made mostly from scratch, except when I bought the occasional frozen tamale from Trader Joes as a break from cooking so much. Now that I am home 95 percent of my days, cooking is both a joy and a chore. Doing things like making frozen mango coconut yogurt breaks up the essential cooking I do with a bit of whimsy. These moments of whimsy are what give me the strength to face the endless days and weeks ahead in isolation while being hopeful.

Yogurt and I have always had a relationship in the kitchen. I have baked with it. I have made smoothies and sauces with it. Making yogurt from scratch has been an occasional event in my kitchen life. Frozen yogurt is one of my loves. I still tell stories about my days in New York going to Pinkberry. Although I was broke and struggling to figure my life, I would count my bills and my coins to go get some good frozen yogurt. Eating frozen yogurt with toppings was the thing that made me feel like better days were ahead. Perhaps, it is why this Frozen Mango Coconut yogurt is one of the joy projects from quarantine days.

Making frozen yogurt and ice cream is one of those things I dreamed about but never did but it just seemed like a lot of work.

At the beginning of the COVID isolation in March, I had a particularly bad day with my fibromyalgia. I woke up feeling fatigued and stiff. Combined with my anxiety at that time, I just did not feel like getting out of bed. My sister offered to buy me food. I agreed. And then I realized I really wanted an ice-cream maker instead of food. So my darling sister sent me the money she had earmarked for my food delivery. In short, my sister bought me an affordable ice cream maker as a gift to cheer me up.

You would think the first thing I would make with an ice-cream maker would be ice-cream but you would be wrong. With the arrival of the ice cream maker, I was suddenly excited about making my own frozen treats at home. I had time to experiment. Deciding on my first experiment was easy. Mangoes have been abundant this season with stores running sales almost weekly. So, I have been taking advantage of the mango glut and basically have a stash of mangoes at home. Since I have fresh mango on hand, making a frozen coconut mango yogurt treat with was an easy decision.

Mango and coconut is a classic combination.

It is one of the combinations I reach for the most often when I make a smoothie. Some frozen mango, a cup or so of whole coconut milk and an avocado with a drizzle of honey always makes me feel better. Perhaps it is because it reminds me of drinking mango lassi in Mumbai with my mother so many years ago.

My first experiment resulted in this frozen mango coconut yogurt. It is a simple recipe. The custard base for this mango coconut yogurt is really easy to make. I chose to use a custard base because I love rich frozen treats that have a bit of body. The egg yolks and corn starch in the base add that body and give the frozen mango coconut yogurt a smooth feel in the mouth.

If you don’t own an ice cream maker at the moment, you don’t have to buy one to enjoy this treat. The base for the frozen mango coconut yogurt can also be used in simple popsicle forms for a less intensive frozen treat. If you are looking for an affordable ice cream maker, I can recommend mine. It is a simple Hamilton Beach ice cream maker. This particular ice-cream maker is not the fanciest. However, I chose it because it does not need to be pre-frozen. I simply don’t have space in my freezer for a large bowl.