A healthier scoop: Make cottage cheese ice cream at home

It's the favourite summer dessert that everyone loves, regardless of age. The problem is that traditional ice cream usually hides a hefty dose of sugar and fat, which is unsuitable for our health. Fortunately, there is an exciting alternative. To prepare it, we will need... cottage cheese.

Though our ice cream consumption is far from the world record holders, New Zealanders, who consume over 28 kilograms of frozen specialties annually (Canadians about 5 kilograms), there is no doubt that it is one of the favourite summer desserts. This is confirmed by a study conducted by the ARC Market and Opinion Institute commissioned by the Koral brand. It shows that as many as 94% of our compatriots like ice cream, regardless of age, gender, or residence. According to respondents, frozen delicacies improve mood, facilitate conversations and family moments, and unite people.

The study also showed that we are traditionalists and often choose flavours we know well. Which ones? We mainly go for cream, vanilla, chocolate, and fruit flavours.

However, it is worth paying attention to the product's composition, which may not be very interesting. Ready-made ice creams usually contain a lot of sugar and fat, artificial colours, additives to maintain the desired colour and taste, and various stabilizers or emulsifiers.

A healthier alternative may be homemade ice cream, even those made with cottage cheese.

Of course, the most essential ingredient in ice cream is white cheese, preferably full-fat or semi-fat. This will ensure the dessert has the right consistency and provides a solid dose of valuable nutrients.

Milk fat is necessary for the building and functioning of every cell and serves as a carrier of many active compounds. It contains a wealth of easily digestible proteins, essential building blocks of tissues and bones and also necessary for producing enzymes, hormones, and immune bodies. It includes a lot of calcium, strengthens bones and teeth, helps maintain proper blood clotting and efficient muscles, improves well-being, and reduces stress.

Like any dairy product, cottage cheese contains many B vitamins, especially B2 (which plays a vital role in metabolic processes, is essential for the formation of red blood cells, and the production of antibodies by the immune system) and B12 (which increases resistance to stress, prevents anemia, improves appetite, and even reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease).

To prepare the most classic version of the ice cream, we need good-quality cottage cheese, full-fat or semi-fat (250 ml), which we first blend into a smooth mass with thick natural yogurt (250 ml). Then we add honey or another sweetener, e.g., maple syrup (3-4 tablespoons), vanilla extract (teaspoon), and juice squeezed from half a lemon. Mix again.

Transfer the ice cream to a mould and cool it in the freezer for at least four hours. It's best to use a particular ice cream machine to give our dessert the perfect consistency. If we don't have such a device, we blend the mixture every half hour to break up any forming ice crystals. Remove the ice cream from the freezer a few minutes before serving.

Of course, from such a base, you can prepare desserts of various flavours by adding blended fruits (strawberries, raspberries, mango, blueberries) or finely chopped chocolate or nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts) to the cottage cheese mixture (of course, before freezing).