Popsicles

[Anna N]

Damn, blue_dolphin, you're just too far away! But you do make it sound easy enough to make my own. Now to go on a hunt for my popsicle molds. I think I might try brewing some Vietnamese coffee and perhaps supplementing it with some instant espresso granules.

Too bad about your negroni popsicles because next to Vietnamese coffee I do like my negronis.

[blue_dolphin]

Those Vietnamese iced coffee pops are good and it would be easy to scale the recipe to make just a few.  I wanted to make a swirl or layer that would be milkier, like it is in a glass of the real thing but I had to run out to meet a friend and ended up just pouring it all in the molds.  I do have the rest of the can of condensed milk in the fridge so further experiments could happen.

 

And I think the leftover Negroni "marinade" will find its way into a popsicle some day  .

[MelissaH]

Not to go mixing threads here, but I wonder about using a cold-brewed coffee concentrate such as the one Trader Joe's sells to make the Vietnamese coffee popsicles.

[blue_dolphin]

Yes, a homemade or purchased (TJ's) cold-brewed coffee concentrate were options I considered and I think they'd be good.  I was sort of using up leftovers with my brewed coffee and instant packets……as my grandmother used to say, "trying to make a dollar out of 98 cents."  

 

 

Edited to fix grammar

Edited September 10, 2015 by blue_dolphin (log)

[blue_dolphin]

I'll call these Orange Negroni pops:

 

I juiced 2 cups worth of fresh oranges from my CSA box and added 4 oz of that Negroni "marinade" that was leftover from the orange slices I tried above.

I really like these.  They taste like I'd hoped the orange slices would.  With all the orange juice, they don't absolutely scream "Negroni!" but the flavor is there.

[Smithy]

Nice, blue_dolphin. It's also nice to see Valencia oranges making a comeback.

[blue_dolphin]

Thanks, Smithy!  I have a Valencia tree in my yard and I think they have great flavor. I haven't given it as much water as it would like and have only a few, very small green fruits so I'm appreciating the CSA box fruit we're getting.   I'm hoping my tree will recover if we get some decent rain this winter.  

 

Saticoy melon, lime and blackberry:

 

~ 3.5 cups melon, 2 oz fresh lime juice, 2 oz homemade lime cordial, 2 oz homemade limecello plus fresh blackberries

The Saticoy melon was very sweet so the lime cordial and limecello added enough sweetness.  I think a regular cantaloupe would call for a bit of simple syrup.  

 

 

Edited:  missing word

Edited September 14, 2015 by blue_dolphin (log)

[blue_dolphin]

That same LA Times article that featured the frozen orange slice negroni pops also had a recipe for Manhattan popsicles.  

 

The Manhattan is one of my favorite cocktails but not one I thought suited to popsicles.  I always think of it as a "warming" drink and it doesn't feature any flavorful mixer that could be used to dilute it enough to freeze.  The published version riffed off the cherry garnish and started off with a packet of cherry Kool-Aid       !  Maybe I shouldn't diss it until I try it but I really didn't want to start with Kool-Aid so I picked up some tart cherry juice and gave it a try:

 

There was a lot of sediment in the cherry juice so I filtered it first, added the components of a Manhattan and sliced up some Luxardo cherries to freeze in the pops.

They are nice.  They taste like a cocktail, for sure, but that much cherry does not equal Manhattan to my tastebuds.  

 

An interesting experiment but when I want a Manhattan, I'll serve it up, in a pretty glass!

[Thanks for the Crepes]

blue_dolphin,

 

I would gladly help you make some freezer space by enjoying some of your frozen creations. I too like less sugar than most recipes, and your natural ingredients in clever combinations are so appealing to me. They all are so lovely it would be hard to pick a favorite. I'd want to try them all.

[blue_dolphin]

Thanks for the Crepes, you are right that I could use some help to make room in the freezer!  It's another hot weekend here and last night, I had visions of packing up a cooler and peddling popsicles at the beach.  Of course, I'd probably eat half of them to stay cool myself!   I don't think I'll take this show on the road, but anyone passing through Ventura County would be most welcome to 'pop' in for some popsicles!  

[blue_dolphin]

Cherry lime pops:

 

Nothing terribly novel here.  I used a cup and a half of tart cherry juice leftover from the Manhattan pops above, 2/3 cup fresh lime juice, 2 oz homemade limecello and a bit of simple syrup to sweeten.  They are tart, sweet and refreshing.  And a pretty pink!

[blue_dolphin]

Popsicles in February?  Yesterday was the third day in a row that the local temp hit 90, so yes:  popsicles in February!  

 

Cherry lime pops, but a different take than my last post above:

 

This time around, I made the lime ice pops from Paletas and added frozen dark sweet cherries.  The sweet cherries are a nice contrast to the tart lime flavor.  I was surprised how much color diffused out of the cherries to tint the pops. 

[Anna N]

Damn.  Another project that I intended to try that got lost somewhere along the way.  

[blue_dolphin]

I'm absolutely guilty of forgetting things that I intended to try.  The other day, I spotted a comment I wrote about trying variations on the apple rosettes that Smithy made a while back.  I said I was going to try the same idea with squash and boursin.  Still sounds like a good idea !

 

And @Anna N, you have a much shorter window of time that calls for icy treats so you certainly get a free pass on this one!

[rotuts]

"" Another project that I intended to try that got lost somewhere along the way. ""

 

I have a special place.   it might be the local Back Hole, or a room in the 6th dimension near the Twilight Zone.

 

its packed full of projects Ive lost track of, and have not gotten to.

 

just saying.

 

projects Ive started   not gotten too far on, fill my basement  for sure.

[blue_dolphin]

I had some of the lime ice pop mix left over from those cherry lime pops so I added a little tequila and Cointreau and made some margarita pops.  

 

I added a few slivers of candied lime peel to each one.  No salt  but maybe I'll try a sprinkle or dip into sea salt flakes to see how it tastes.

 

Edited February 13, 2016 by blue_dolphin (log)

[rarerollingobject]

Ooh, a popiscle thread! I've been quite into popsicle making lately. Here are a few:

 

Key lime coated in gingersnap crumbs:

 

Sisters, not twins; one strawberry and black pepper, one strawberry and star anise:

 

Elderflower, cucumber and tequila, with a mint and sugar dip; strawberry, white rum and Sichuan pepper, with passionfruit popping candy dip; and purple grape and sake, with raspberry popping candy dip:

 

A baked Alaska/s'mores hybrid popsicle, with a frozen dark chocolate mousse, rolled in gingersnap crumbs, and then slathered in Italian meringue and blowtorched:

 

 

Yuzu marmalade, lychee, raspberry and sake, and watermelon, kiwi and rum.

 

 

Edited February 14, 2016 by rarerollingobject (log)

[blue_dolphin]

Wow, what fabulous popsicles and creative flavor combinations, @rarerollingobject!  You've given me some great ideas to save for the summer.  Love the idea of using kiwi - so pretty!  I made some lime-ginger marmalade that I should try turning into a pop like your yuzu version.  And the key lime pops are my favorite - I usually use graham crackers but the gingersnaps are a great idea.  Thanks for sharing!

[shain]

@rarerollingobject My jaw just dropped through the floor... Those look amazing!

[blue_dolphin]

I had some coconut milk leftover so I used it to make half a batch of these Mango Coconut Chia Frozen Pops from the TJ's website.

I added a couple of tablespoons of coconut rum.  Yum.  

[blue_dolphin]

I posted over in the gardening topic about the teeny tiny oranges my Valencia tree has produced this year.  

I squeezed some for juice and made these Orange Coconut Yogurt Pops:

I was intrigued by a Fany Gerson recipe from Paletas for Mezcal-Orange Ice Pops, dipped in a salt-ground chile mixture.  She describes them as reminiscent of Donaji, a traditional Oaxacan drink with mescal and OJ, served in salt and chile rimmed glasses.

However, I also had some yogurt to use up so I went in that direction but I used hot honey instead of the called-for maple syrup to get a little chile action going.  I also added a few tablespoons of Clement Creole Shrubb for some extra orange flavor.

I thought the yogurt might completely mask the chile flavor but it comes through nicely - a surprising little afterburn in the cool pop.

 

The mezcal version is on my list of coming attractions.

[paulraphael]

On February 14, 2016 at 1:24 AM, rarerollingobject said:

Key lime coated in gingersnap crumbs:

Sisters, not twins; one strawberry and black pepper, one strawberry and star anise:

Elderflower, cucumber and tequila, with a mint and sugar dip; strawberry, white rum and Sichuan pepper, with passionfruit popping candy dip; and purple grape and sake, with raspberry popping candy dip:

A baked Alaska/s'mores hybrid popsicle, with a frozen dark chocolate mousse, rolled in gingersnap crumbs, and then slathered in Italian meringue and blowtorched:

Yuzu marmalade, lychee, raspberry and sake, and watermelon, kiwi and rum.

 

 

I, for one, welcome our new popsicle overlord.

 

Can you school us a little on how you make these?

[Shelby]

I had SO much fun yesterday making my first popsicles.   I read this whole thread and then looked online for recipes.  I settled on a strawberry peach one that included vodka.  I read the recipe like three times and I still managed to do something entirely different than it said.  I guess I had it in my brain that I wanted a layered type sicle.  I made a puree out of strawberries to which I added a bit of raspberry vodka.  Then I opened a jar of peaches I canned last summer and pureed them then dumped them in a pan with a bit of sugar and water.  Boiled that until nice and thick.  Then I added some sparkling water (gave it a bit of a kick) and some more raspberry vodka.  The recipe called to mix the strawberry mixture into the peach mixture, but I kept them separate.  Also added a slice of kiwi.  I can't wait to make more.  I'm going to need help, though.  I want to make ones that include coffee and Bailey's but don't know quite how to do it.  

 

 

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

What fun popsicles, Shelby!  I love the kiwi in there, too!

 

1 hour ago, Shelby said:

 I want to make ones that include coffee and Bailey's but don't know quite how to do it.  

 

If you google Baileys coffee popsicles or just Baileys popsicles, you'll get some good ideas, including some two layer versions. Some used regular brewed coffee and some used instant coffee or espresso powder.  One of them mixed Bailey's, nutella and milk - no coffee, but sounds pretty decadent!

 

I read a guideline that recommended keeping the total alcohol content of the pops at or below the 8-10% range to avoid freezing issues. So for hard liquors in the 80-100 proof range (40-50% alcohol), you can add ~ 1/5 or 20% of those beverages to your mix.  Bailey's is 17% alcohol so you could add more and with wine, you can go up to 1/3 to 1/2 of your mix, depending on the alcohol content of the wine. 

I tend to stay below the maximum recommended amounts because not only do the high test versions take longer to freeze, they also melt very quickly so you have to eat them fast or risk wearing them on your shirt !

 

In lieu of making coffee this AM, I had a Vietnamese iced coffee pop.  I might have another......

[Shelby]

I wondered how much alcohol I could do.  I kind of winged it with todays.  We can taste the vodka, but it's not overwhelming or anything.  They were frozen, but not so hard as to break a tooth.  

 

I do have some Nutella......