Make your own Red Mango (or Pinkberry)

I remember when Perez Hilton was gushing about Pinkberry years ago (okay, I'll shamefully admit...his blog was one I used to read with some frequency, but I gave it up for Lent one year and have never looked back!). Then I stumbled into a Red Mango (located just across the street from a Pinkberry in the Village) and after asking some questions and reading an article posted on the counter about the feud between the two*, I ordered a small cup of frozen yogurt. TCBY this was not. OMG. I loved it.


Fast forward to this May when I dug my Cuisinart ice cream maker out. I found an easy recipe for frozen yogurt on the Marcus Samuelsson blog and decided to try it.


OMG. After one taste I screamed for Bearden to come running to the kitchen. He took a taste. I took a second. Our heads exploded with sheer and utter excitement and disbelief. I'd made Red Mango. I MADE Red Mango!!! Holy mother of all that is good. We do not have to schlep to Manhattan to get Red Mango. Nor do we have to wait for a special occasion or call it a splurge. I can make it in my own kitchen. Welcome summer!

The basic recipe:
:: 3 cups of greek yogurt (whole or fat free, whatever your waistline calls for)
:: 1 cup of sugar (this can be lessened to 3/4 cup or I have read you can substitute agave, which is on my to do list).
:: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
:: optional: add 1 Tablespoon vodka to keep it from turning into a brick when stored in the freezer. The vodka will keep it a bit softened so you don't have to let it thaw for 10 mins before scooping.

+ Mix together until sugar dissolves, put it in the fridge for one hour (forgot to do this on my 2nd batch due to excitement and it did make a difference).
+ Slap in in your Cuisinart and let her rip for about 25 minutes.
+Taste, die and go to heaven.


We went a little crazy and added chopped up Kit Kat to the 2nd batch, pretending we were in the Red Mango store. If you have a Cuisinart, please make this. If you don't, they're not expensive and you'll have so much fun with it. I've since made pineapple sorbet & tonight strawberry gelato is on the menu. I just can't believe how easy it all is.

The cuisinart website has lots of great recipes and you should also check out David Lebovitz's site for some others.

(*note: supposedly Pinkberry is a rip off of Red Mango. Red Mango is said to be 100% natural, while Pinkberry is said to use powder mixes. I'm team Red Mango. Well, actually now I'm Team Cuisinart since I can make it myself!).