Maple Frango

Maple Frango is a frozen, creamy dessert, where the tanginess of Greek yogurt contrasts with the sweetness of real maple syrup, and toasted pecans round out the texture and flavors. If you’re lucky enough to have a good source of dark maple syrup, use it in Maple Frango. This simple frozen dessert takes minutes to make and is great served as an accompaniment to cookies or on its own as a weeknight treat. I grew up with this dessert. It was a staple in my mother’s freezer during the holidays, and as a kid I often thought it was a little too sweet, but I loved the rich, toasted maple syrup flavor. She served it in fancy cut crystal dessert cups, with her two-tiered cookie tray. It made for a spectacular display of desserts to finish a meal. I am lucky enough to have a friend with a bunch of maple trees in his backyard and a passion for tapping and producing syrup. I am on the receiving end of his liquid gold and don’t have to depend on store bought syrup, even though most of the time you can find high-quality maple syrup in grocery stores. It’s worth it to spend a little more for real maple syrup. Traditional Maple Frango is made with egg yolks, cream, and maple syrup. As I was researching this recipe, I came across an updated version from cookbook author Beth Dooley that utilizes yogurt instead of eggs. The yogurt tames the sweetness of the dessert and gives the Maple Frango a smoother texture. The following recipe is a variation on hers. You can check out some of Beth’s cookbooks in Umami’s market.