It seems every glossy food magazine I thumb through now – from Woman’s Day to Gourmet – is displaying ice pops in pastel shades of creamy yellow, orange and pink. With just a new hue, Popsicles suddenly seem new, which, of course, they aren’t.
Craving an adult ice pop even a kid could love, I bought a variety of molds (all $10 or less) and revved up the blender. It was so easy that, frankly, it really seems silly not to make your own ice pops. Here are two to start with:
Frozen yogurt pops
Ingredients:
Strawberry:
2 cups low-fat strawberry yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries, divided
Method:
Have ready eight 3- to 4-ounce ice-pop molds and wooden ice-pop sticks. Puree yogurt, lemon juice, corn syrup, sugar and 1 cup strawberries in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add remaining berries; pulse until mixture is pureed but still has tiny specks of strawberry. Pour into molds, cover with tops and insert ice-pop sticks. Freeze for 4 to 6 hours until hard. Makes 8 pops.
To serve: remove tops from molds. Dip molds briefly in warm, not hot, water. Gently pull pops out of the mold.
Mango pops: Substitute low-fat mango yogurt and fresh mango chunks.
Pineapple pops: Substitute low-fat pineapple yogurt and fresh pineapple chunks.
Source: Women’s Day Magazine (July 2006)
Vanilla pudding pops
Ingredients:
3 cups milk, divided
½ cup sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
Salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Method:
In a medium saucepan, heat 2½ cups milk and sugar over medium heat, whisking to dissolve sugar. Bring just to a simmer. You will see steam coming off the milk, but no bubbles. Meanwhile whisk together remaining ½ cup milk, cornstarch and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. When the milk/sugar mixture comes to a simmer, whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Whisking frequently, continue to cook for several minutes, until pudding comes to a simmer and begins to thicken. It should thickly coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat; stir in the vanilla extract. Pour mixture into ice-pop molds. Freeze for several hours or overnight. Makes 8 pops.
Source: bakingsheet.blogspot.com
Lickety Sip Ice Pop Makers: The flat, rounded molds produce a traditional homemade shape reminiscent of the Tupperware safety ring pops my mom used to use. Available at www.backtobasics products.com, $2.99.
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