Joy is one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter since she moved to San Diego from Philadelphia. She has been sharing her new sunny lifestyle with her followers, in between launch parties (her own!), quick food adventures, and of course updates to her Oh Joy! blog. Joy brought us a fab recipe for little pizzas in the early days of the In the Kitchen With column. This week she’s back for a sweet recipe for one of her recent cravings in Southern California — Frozen yogurt and mochi! Even if it’s not warm and sunny where you are, I hope you’ll try this or be inspired to go find some frozen yogurt where you live. It’s never too cold for frozen yogurt is it? -Kristina

About Joy: Joy Deangdeelert Cho is a graphic designer and blogger who has worked with numerous fashion clients in New York before launching her own business, Oh Joy!, in 2006. She now designs textiles, packaging, and branding for clients in the fashion and food industries, sells her stationery line nationwide, and authors the popular Oh Joy blog. She recently launched a new food blog, Happy Lady Eats, chronicling her foodie adventures. Originally from Philadelphia, Joy now lives in San Diego, CA.

CLICK HERE for the full recipe after the jump!

Why Joy chose this recipe: Hello, my name is Joy – and I am a tart frozen yogurt addict. While I love desserts of every kind, I’ve found that tart frozen yogurt (like Pinkberry, Red Mango, and Yogurtland) satiates a different part of my sweet tooth. It’s refreshing and light and can be enjoyed post dinner as a guilt-free and all natural dessert. After I came across a recipe for homemade tart fro-yo in a recent issue of Sunset Magazine, I’ve been making it on almost a weekly basis. Add some mochi (chewy Japanese rice cake) and you’re ready for a sweet, tart, tangy, (and chewy) treat.

Tart Frozen Yogurt (adapted from a recipe by Sunset Magazine)

32 oz. container of Plain Nonfat Yogurt (I like Straus Family Creamery)

5/6 cup of Sugar (this is 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup)

1. Whisk together the yogurt and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add more if you prefer a sweeter taste.

2. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and churn for 25-30 minutes. Make sure your ice cream maker base has been in the freezer for at least 24 hours, as the colder it is, the more creamy (and less icy) the fro-yo will be.

3. After 25-30 minutes, the fro-yo should be creamy and thick – in between the texture of sorbet and ice cream.

4. Enjoy some immediately and transfer the rest into an airtight container and freeze for later.

Mochi

1 cup of Mochiko Rice Flour

1-1/2 cup of Water

1 cup of Sugar

extra 1/2 cup of Water

Cornstarch for dusting

Baking pan covered in a sheet of wax paper and sprinkled heavily with cornstarch

1. In a saucepan, add 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to the stovetop on low to medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves into a syrup and keep on low.

2. In a large microwavable bowl, mix flour & water until smooth – the mixture will look like a thick glue.

3. Cover flour/water mixture with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove and mix well with a wooden spoon. The mixture will look like it has solidified but you should be able to stir through its now thicker consistency.

4. Add the sugar mixture from the stovetop and continue to mix. After it’s all mixed together it should have a cloudy and thick consistency but still able to be poured.

5. Pour the mixture onto the wax papered & starched baking pan. Spread evenly with a wooden spoon.

6. Sprinkle the top heavily with cornstarch. Let mochi cool.

7. Once the mochi is firm, distribute the top layer of cornstarch evenly with your fingers to coat any shiny areas. Flip it over on a cutting board and make sure the back side is evenly coated as well.

8. Once the mochi is completely cool, cut into small 1/2″ squares and continue to coat with extra cornstarch while cutting to avoid letting the pieces stick together.

9. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for a few weeks.

Finally, serve up scoops of tart fro-yo with fruit or preserves (apricot shown here) and top with some mochi! Enjoy!