As this season’s temperature reaches scorching, we are exploring fresh ways to keep our cool with an old summertime favorite. Most of us who grew up with Popsicles probably had a de nite favorite among the seven original avors, but like homemade ice cream, the recipes for homemade Popsicles are wide open to available ingredients as well as imagination. In 1905, the Popsicle as we know it started out as a glass of powder - avored soda water with the stir stick absent mindedly left outside during a California cold snap by 11-year-old Frank Epperson. Perfecting the frozen treat he discovered that next morning, Epperson continued to serve his Epperson Icicles to friends and neighbors for 18 years. In 1925, he applied for and received a patent for the Popsicle. It has since been served in more than 100 avors, including Fudgsicle, Dreamsicle and Creamsicle.
Now, before I tell you how too-good-tobe-true easy it is to make these frozen treats, let’s tempt your taste buds.
Fresh strawberry with mint sprig Popsicles might be a refreshing pick-me-up for your next picnic. Blend fresh passion fruit juice and kernels or blackberries into a yogurt or cream base for a delightfully updated Creamsicle. For chocolate lovers, a basic chocolate pudding and fresh raspberry blend with or without a touch of Chambord might be the perfect dessert for a summer’s eve dinner.
For the adults dreaming of a tropical escape, try a coconut cream swirled with fresh pineapple and a touch of Caribbean rum.
The most basic “after-school” Popsicle recipes involve dissolving one packet of unsweetened avored drink mix such as Kool- Aid or Crystal Light, one 3-ounce package of avored gelatin such as Jell-O and one cup of white sugar in one cup of boiling water. Once the powders are dissolved, add cold water until the total liquid equals 2 quarts. Pour the mixture into pre-made molds or into small containers such as Solo or Dixie cups. Sitting small containers, such as loose cups, into a muf n tray may help keep everything steady while preparing and loading the Popsicles into the freezer.
We’ll talk sticks in a minute, then we will place these lled molds in the freezer until solid.
Fresh fruit frozen treats can be even easier! Fill your molds to 1/3 full with your choice of sliced fresh fruits then add white grape juice. The white grape juice freezes clear, making a rather fancy looking and fun-to-eat frozen treat. There are plenty of recipes out there that combine fresh fruit with fruit juices, coconut milk, evaporated milk or other ingredients. We could easily try a new recipe every day!
Although cream Popsicles can be created using rich custards, cooked pudding and other gourmet bases, there are also super easy versions made with yogurt. As you read the recipe, think of the many combinations that can be created using different fruits and yogurt avors. Lemon and fresh mint with vanilla yogurt might make a tasty frozen substitute for lemon meringue pie.
A good basic recipe starts with blending 2 cups of fresh fruit in a blender or processor to your desired texture. It can be anywhere from chunky to smooth puree. At this point we could get creative adding fresh spices or herbs, too. Next, place 2 cups of plain or vanilla yogurt into a bowl then stir in 1/4 cup of white sugar. Add the fruit blend to the yogurt base, and stir to your taste. Some will want to stir loosely leaving a marbled yogurt and fruit Popsicle, while others will want the avors thoroughly mixed. Now, place cream and fruit mixture into molds, lling about 3/4 full.
What about the sticks? For each of these recipes, unless you are using conventional Popsicle molds with built-in sticks, we’ve left a very important part of the instructions for last. Many recipes online suggest to rst place the molds lled with mixture in the freezer until partially frozen. Half way through the process, about two to three hours, they suggest that you gently insert your Popsicle sticks into the center of the partially frozen mix in the Popsicle molds and return the molds to the freezer until ready.
As a child when we made freezer pops without conventional molds, we would cover the open end of our molds or Dixie cups with plastic wrap or heavy-duty foil. Then it was easy to use a knife to put a small slit in the center of the wrap or foil and ease our sticks through. The covering holds the stick in the center of the mold as the mixture freezes. Try these recipes with your favorite avors, and let me know what exciting combinations you create!
Lynn Laird is a writer, fine artist and selfprofessed bon vivant living in Bossier. With “Flair for Cooking,” she seeks out interesting ingredients and techniques to help make everyday meals just a touch more fabulous. She can reached at flairforcooking@gmail. com.
