Popsicles

In keeping with the summer theme, this week we are going to explore popsicles! 

With July approaching, the weather is warming up quite quickly and having a cool treat is always nice. 

When I was little I always looked forward to having one of those original cherry, grape, or orange Popsicles. I remember my brother and me always picking different flavours so we could break them in half and share. Those are the first things that I think of when I think popsicle, but I've noticed so many different types of popsicles emerging especially in the last little while. There are Tea Pops (made from real tea), Sour Patch Popsicles, Jolly Rancher Popsicles, and Rockets; those are just a few.

Being the baker/cook that I am, I love to experiment with making my own popsicles. Jaime Oliver’s Yogurt Pops are a favourite of mine. I have included the recipe for you this week. I love Root Beer popsicles, so Nicole is sharing her mom’s method of making them this week also. I always love trying new things as well so I have found this really cool fresh fruit popsicle recipe that I’ll give a go some time this summer.

If you plan on making your own popsicles, it’s important to find some good molds to make them in. Check out this link to an article that helps you choose the best popsicle molds that give you the best results. 

http://thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-popsicle-molds/

Keep cool and enjoy the popsicles!

Jaime Oliver’s Yogurt Pops

JAMIE'S TOP TIP

• Feel free to mix things up a bit and use some different fruit along with the bananas – berries are especially good. Raspberries are really tasty and you can use them here, but I tend to stay away from them because of the seeds.
• This recipe uses frozen fruit which is great as it will have been picked while it’s at its best and frozen in time to keep in as many of the vitamins and minerals as possible. Have a search in your local store to see what frozen fruit you can get your hands on and experiment with different flavor combinations until you find your favorite.

METHOD

• Peel and slice your banana and put it into a food processor or blender with the
  frozen berries, yogurt and honey. Whiz it up on a low setting until really smooth.
• Divide the mixture between 6 paper cups or plastic molds – you want about 4
  ounces in each.
• Place the pops in the freezer for 10 minutes, then gently poke a popsicle stick into
  the center of each one. Place back in the freezer for at least 3 hours, or until frozen
  solid.

Fresh Fruit Popsicles

Ingredients

• 3 cups watermelon puree (about 1/4 to 1/2 a watermelon)
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
• 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
• 1 peach or nectarine, diced small
• handful fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
• 12 popsicle molds
• 12 popsicle sticks

Instructions

1. Cut the watermelon into chunks and then puree it in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
2. Set out about 1 dozen popsicle molds (amount needed will vary depending on size of molds).
3. Fill each one with the chopped fresh fruit.
4. Then pour in the watermelon puree until each mold is full to the top.
5. Place a popsicle stick into each one.
6. Place into your freezer and freeze for about 6 to 8 hours.

Notes

It will take a few hours for these popsicles to fully freeze as the sugar in the juice acts as a natural antifreeze. If you can lower the temp on your freezer this will help. You can raise it again once they are frozen.

Root Beer Popsicles

There isn't really a recipe for these, just one really important step to remember, unless you need an excuse to clean your freezer!
You need to make sure that the root beer is FLAT before you freeze it. The best way to do this is to pour it into a covered (but not sealed) jug or bowl, and leave it out at room temperature for a couple of days. Then you can pour it into your popsicle molds and freeze away.
*If you forget to let the root beer go flat, the carbonation will cause the popsicles to overflow and you will end up with a sticky frozen root beer mess in your freezer!