Danoninho Caseiro

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small 1-liter saucepan
• •Blender
• •Measuring cups and spoons
• •8 small cups or ramekins

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the fruit

   Put the chopped strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the fruit softens, releases juice, and turns glossy, about 6 to 8 minutes. You want a loose jam, not a hard candy. This drives off extra water so the cream sets with real strawberry flavor instead of tasting pale and watery.

   If strawberries are out of season, wait for the cheap, fragrant ones if you can. A tired strawberry makes a tired dessert, and I won't let you blame yourself for fruit that had no flavor to begin with.
2. 2

   Cool it down

   Scrape the cooked strawberries into a bowl and let them cool until no longer warm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Warm fruit loosens yogurt and cream, and then you're chasing texture you could have kept by waiting. A Tuesday is a Tuesday, but fifteen minutes is not a tragedy.

3. 3

   Bloom the gelatin

   Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small cup and leave it alone for 5 minutes, until it looks swollen and matte. Then warm it for a few seconds in the microwave or over a bain-marie just until clear. Blooming gives every grain water before heat hits it, which keeps the cream smooth instead of full of little rubbery dots.

4. 4

   Blend the cream

   Add the cooled strawberries, condensed milk, yogurt, cream, and melted gelatin to a blender. Blend until smooth and evenly pink, about 30 to 45 seconds. Stop and scrape the sides once if you see streaks. The yogurt brings tang, the cream brings body, and the cooked fruit brings actual strawberry, which is the whole point.

5. 5

   Cup and chill

   Pour the mixture into 8 small cups, cover, and refrigerate until softly set, at least 3 hours. It should hold a spoon mark but still feel creamy when you scoop it. If you serve it too soon, it will taste fine and sit loose. Patience is doing some of the cooking here, quietly.

6. 6

   Serve cold

   Top each cup with a few fresh strawberry slices right before serving. Keep it cold, smooth, and simple. This is dessert after dinner, not a science project and not a powder wearing a strawberry hat.

Chef Tips

• •The shortcut I allow: use frozen strawberries when fresh ones are expensive or sad. Cook them from frozen and give them a few extra minutes so the water cooks off. The cost is texture, not honesty.
• •The shortcut I refuse: strawberry drink powder. It gives color and perfume, not fruit. That's not saving time, that's being sold the idea that a label can cook for you.
• •Use plain whole-milk yogurt, not sweetened yogurt. The condensed milk already brings sweetness, and the plain yogurt keeps the dessert from tasting flat.
• •For firmer party cups, use 1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin. For a softer spoon dessert at home, keep it at 1 teaspoon. More gelatin sets harder, and nobody asked for a pink eraser.
• •This keeps 3 days in the fridge, covered. Don't freeze it; yogurt and gelatin thaw grainy, and then you'll be annoyed at me and at the freezer.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the cups at least 3 hours ahead so they have time to set properly.
• •The cooked strawberry base can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
• •For lunch or a birthday table, portion into small covered cups the day before and add fresh strawberry slices just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 155g)