You could could this a grown-up breakfast, but I don’t want you to think I’m encouraging day drinking so I’m going to say this is an upscale after-dinner yogurt treat (boooring, but whatevs, rolls with it).

You know how in Europe they have yogurt with different toppings as dessert? I kinda love it and we don’t do it enough on this side of the world. Over here in North America we usually have lots of cake-y things, especially in fall and winter, but I do like me some cold treats here and there, maybe not with tropical fruits, but with plenty of seasonal flavours. We are just a few months away from having nothing left at the market but fucking apples and bananas (yawn city), so LOAD UP before fall’s bounty is gone.

This dessert sounds fanshy shmancy (and looooks so good on the table) but it’s actually quite easy to assemble. If you want to do a lactose-free version (which I did) simply get lactose-free yogurt from the store or use any other non-dairy yogurt, just be mindful that some of those dairy-free yogurts taste and look like concrete.

The nuts, red wine, and plums in this dish are a perfect match with the cooling/tangy kick of the whipped frozen yogurt (oh! and how cute are those baby crabapples I used as garnish!?!)So, shall we make a bowl?

Whipped Frozen Yogurt, Plums and Red Wine Syrup

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the whipped frozen yogurt:
– 1L lactose-free greek yogurt (or regular yogurt)
– 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the baked nut crumble
– 1/4 cup walnuts
– 1/4 cup almonds
– 1/4 cup cashews
– 10 dates, pitted and soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
– 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
– 2 tablespoons water
– Pinch of sea salt

For the red wine syrup:
– 1 cup red wine
– 1/2 cup granulated sugar
– 1 star anise and/or cinnamon stick (optional, depending on your liking)

– A few ripe plums, pitted and sliced
– Berries and mint to garnish

Instructions
1. Place the yogurt in a bowl, mix in the vanilla and place in the ice cream maker until frozen. Remove from ice cream maker and place in the freezer until ready to serve. If you don’t have an ice cream maker simply place the yogurt in a shallow dish (like a lasagna pan) and freeze for 20 minutes, stir, and freeze again.
2. Preheat the oven at 350F and line up a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place all the nut crumble ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until you get small crumbs that hold in a paste (paste, not butter). If needed add an extra touch of water to get it going, it should somewhat hold together when you squeeze it with your hands. Place the crumble on the baking sheet and press it down with a spatula so that it’s about 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until top gets golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool down
3. To make the syrup, place the ingredients in a heavy-bottom pan over medium heat, let the mix come to a simmer, then turn down the heat to low. Let it simmer and reduce for 15-20 minutes until it thickens and becomes syrup. When it’s almost ready you’ll see the bubbles become thicker and the mix will get darker. Don’t burn it tho! Once you get the desired consistency, remove from the heat and let it cool down.

To assemble:

Take the frozen yogurt out of the freezer and let it sit in your counter for 5 minutes. Then get a whisk and whip it good! (it might help to put it in a bowl). Don’t worry if it melts a bit, the goal here is to get a super cold but creamy yogurt, not a frozen ball. Once ready place about 1 cup in each serving dish. Break the baked crumble with your finger and sprinkle it all over, top with plums, and drizzle with wine syrup.

Voila!! You know look like a freakin’ pro at a 5 star restaurant…that or your friends will figure out you just love wine too much :P

Enjoy!