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Popsicles

TAPrice

By TAPrice
in Pastry & Baking

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demiglace

demiglace

Posted
Posted (edited)
8 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Somehow I gave away all my popsicles.  It was 97°F here yesterday and it's currently 96°F.  Clearly, something had to be done.  

Out to the lime tree to pick some early specimens and turn them into these Lime Pie Pops:

IMG_1463.thumb.jpeg.3a786b121583ff3c5d28d3038f2bfd7e.jpeg

The recipe for these is from Fany Gerson's Paletas. They are supposed to be coated in graham cracker crumbs.  That may or may not happen before I bag them up. 

 

Even dipping 1/2 of the bar would be awesome. But why do things in halves. 

Edited by demiglace
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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
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On 10/23/2019 at 8:17 PM, demiglace said:

Even dipping 1/2 of the bar would be awesome. But why do things in halves. 

 

I followed your suggestion and dipped half of each lime pie pop into the crumbs. No graham crackers in the house so I used the TJ's version of speculoos cookies.  The crunch is really good with these tart, creamy pops.

IMG_1510.thumb.jpeg.fdb1948ab5c7c06c878b892410bf739d.jpeg

 

I also channeled one of my favorite summer desserts - fresh peaches sliced into Moscato and made these Peach & Moscato pops.  I didn't roast the peaches as I usually do and I peeled them so the red skin didn't make them too dark and just used a little honey to sweeten them. 

IMG_1495.thumb.jpeg.34a159178beba835bd044a7c84b87c6b.jpeg

They may not be quite as magical as the real thing on a summer evening but still refreshing on hot October days!

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demiglace

demiglace

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

I followed your suggestion and dipped half of each lime pie pop into the crumbs. No graham crackers in the house so I used the TJ's version of speculoos cookies.  The crunch is really good with these tart, creamy pops.

IMG_1510.thumb.jpeg.fdb1948ab5c7c06c878b892410bf739d.jpeg

 

I also channeled one of my favorite summer desserts - fresh peaches sliced into Moscato and made these Peach & Moscato pops.  I didn't roast the peaches as I usually do and I peeled them so the red skin didn't make them too dark and just used a little honey to sweeten them. 

IMG_1495.thumb.jpeg.34a159178beba835bd044a7c84b87c6b.jpeg

They may not be quite as magical as the real thing on a summer evening but still refreshing on hot October days!

 

Ohhh it looks so good with 1/2 coated. Great ideas using the Speculoos. I'm drooling here. Thanks for posting.

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
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While it's November, it's been over 90°F for the last couple of days so still popsicle weather here.  

Cranberry & Apple Pops from the People's Pops cookbook.  The fruit gets cooked together, with just 1/4 cup of water to help them steam, then puréed and sweetened with simple syrup. I used McIntosh apples which were tart enough that the recommended lemon juice wasn't really needed.  I used it anyway so these are quite tart pops. 

IMG_1536.thumb.jpeg.c9036d9da7fe783c87b1f47940dd992f.jpeg

 

IMG_1539.thumb.jpeg.c07977a1ac8a882a9c41805e61e3aa1b.jpeg

 

 

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

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Another apple pop, this time Apple & Salted Caramel.  Another recipe from People's Pops.  The book also has a recipe for Apricot & Salted Caramel which I made a while back and didn't care much for.  These are much better.  

First, make applesauce by cooking chopped apples in just enough water to get them steaming, then purée and strain.  I used McIntosh apples and was surprised at how much of the color from the skins transferred to the applesauce.

It was the prettiest shade of pink:

IMG_1537.thumb.jpeg.49bb4cab33773630635d3887c23c87f4.jpeg

I kind of hated to add the brown salted caramel and considered making cinnamon-apple pops instead but that will have to wait as I continued with the recipe.  

Not as pretty as before adding the caramel but still OK.  I think the book describes the texture of these as velvety and they are.  Very nice.  

IMG_1552.thumb.jpeg.b34df4f638ec2c60fccd9cb077d0f4cd.jpeg

The applesauce was pretty thick so I got some bubbles.   Should have whacked the molds a bit. 

 

I also made a batch of Coconut, Lime & Thai Basil pops with some of the bounty of basil I was recently gifted with.  Coconut milk, lime juice and Thai basil-infused simple syrup. 

IMG_1550.thumb.jpeg.cdd985c9100adab72ab439f97321c419.jpeg

These are a little icy but not bad.  Some of the coconut pop recipes I have use sweetened condensed milk, which makes for a creamier texture, but I thought that might mute the Thai basil flavor. 

The best herb pops I've made have been watermelon and parsley and cucumber and mint so I'll pair one of them with the basil for the next round. 

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MelissaH

MelissaH

Posted
Posted

I am looking at these popsicles when my area is under a winter storm warning, with 9 inches/22 cm of snow predicted before tomorrow morning. Are popsicles a year-round food for those of you who live in places where it doesn't snow?

MelissaH

Oswego, NY

Chemist, writer, hired gun

Say this five times fast: "A big blue bucket of blue blueberries."

foodblog1 | kitchen reno | foodblog2

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted (edited)
53 minutes ago, MelissaH said:

I am looking at these popsicles when my area is under a winter storm warning, with 9 inches/22 cm of snow predicted before tomorrow morning. Are popsicles a year-round food for those of you who live in places where it doesn't snow?

 

If I were shivering and wrapped in blankets like @heidih, I'm not sure I'd want one but I find them quite pleasant whenever it's over 85°F or so and I've noticed that kids seem to like them most anytime. 

Edited to add that last year, I made some eggnog popsicles and I'm kinda looking forward to having those again over the holidays!

Edited by blue_dolphin
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MelissaH

MelissaH

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1 hour ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

If I were shivering and wrapped in blankets like @heidih, I'm not sure I'd want one but I find them quite pleasant whenever it's over 85°F or so and I've noticed that kids seem to like them most anytime. 

Edited to add that last year, I made some eggnog popsicles and I'm kinda looking forward to having those again over the holidays!

 

I actually quite enjoy wrapping myself in a blanket with a bowl of ice cream or an ice cream sandwich. When the thermostat is set at 62 ºF, things don't melt as fast as when the room is hot during the summer.

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MelissaH

Oswego, NY

Chemist, writer, hired gun

Say this five times fast: "A big blue bucket of blue blueberries."

foodblog1 | kitchen reno | foodblog2

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Anna N

Anna N

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Somehow with temperatures at 2°C, snow flurries, possible freezing rain and other ugly winter things going on these lose some of their appeal!  Not much. But some. 

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

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1 minute ago, Anna N said:

Somehow with temperatures at 2°C, snow flurries, possible freezing rain and other ugly winter things going on these lose some of their appeal!  Not much. But some. 

 

Very understandable.  These especially seem very summery. But I had that bounty of basil from my friend and found cukes at the farmers market so I decided to go for it! 

Currently 84°F and sunny @ 9:22 AM

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted

Long time, no popsicles 🙃

We had a high temp in the mid '80s today, no doubt brought on by my investment of a king's ransom in a new furnace which was installed yesterday.

I had some very ripe, end of the season persimmons from the farmers market so...

IMG_1832.thumb.jpeg.20eb7c2f819bc9acec62c2da676370ae.jpeg

Persimmon & cream on the left, persimmon & yogurt in the bottom row and basic persimmon pops.  All are sweetened with honey and tarted up with a bit of lime juice. 

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

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After some recent warm weather, my popsicle supply was running low so I used elderflower cordial (the making of which I described over here) to make these Elderflower & Prosecco pops

IMG_2479.thumb.jpeg.6ed9cebaaf3de22721fe7c9834f95c24.jpeg

I added some lemon juice and a bit of honey to sweeten them.  I probably used too much prosecco as they are a bit melty but still refreshing. 

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pastrygirl

pastrygirl

Posted
Posted

@blue_dolphin can I ask what kind of molds you have? 

 

Has anyone used the more expensive metal ones?  I have some plastic ones but they're kind of small, can't decide if I want to go metal.

I have these:   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002IBJOG/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_SL.7EbS7CPEFK

Are these worth the upgrade, or does the mold not matter, it's the recipe and timing to get them out cleanly?   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07228L72B/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_nN.7EbCG1FNXT

 

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

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12 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

@blue_dolphin can I ask what kind of molds you have? 

 

Has anyone used the more expensive metal ones?  I have some plastic ones but they're kind of small, can't decide if I want to go metal.

I have these:   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002IBJOG/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_SL.7EbS7CPEFK

Are these worth the upgrade, or does the mold not matter, it's the recipe and timing to get them out cleanly?   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07228L72B/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_nN.7EbCG1FNXT

 

 

I have the same plastic molds that you do.  The Peoples Pops book says they used those for their business for 3 years before switching to specialized molds that sit in a super cold alcohol bath for quick chilling. I imagine the stainless steel molds would chill more quickly than plastic even in a regular freezer. 

What seems to help me get them out cleanly is to put the mold into a container of room temp or barely tepid water, not hot, so it's not melting too fast.  I use a shoebox-sized plastic tub so I don't need to fill up the whole sink.  

Secondly, make sure the water goes all the way up to the top of the mold.  Otherwise, by the time the top part loosens enough to pull them out, the bottom has gotten too melty. 

I keep checking them until I can pull one out, then remove the mold from the water, quickly pull out all the pops and place them on a parchment or waxed paper lined cookie sheet that I keep in the freezer.  I put that back in the freezer for a bit to firm up the surface again before I wrap or bag them up. 

Also, I don't use the lid that comes with that plastic mold. If even just 1 or 2 sticks get knocked askew and freeze like that then it's a pain to remove the lid.  I just set a timer for 30-45 min and put the sticks in at that point. 

 

The only pops that haven't released cleanly when I've done that are the fudgsicles from the recipe on Serious Eats and she says to grease the molds, a step I've skipped. They contain gelatin so they're almost more a frozen pudding than an ice pop.  I did get them out but they left stuff stuck to the mold, especially when I made some extra boozy variations with Chartreuse - they tasted great though!

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pastrygirl

pastrygirl

Posted
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3 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Also, I don't use the lid that comes with that plastic mold. If even just 1 or 2 sticks get knocked askew and freeze like that then it's a pain to remove the lid.

 

Thanks for your detailed response, your pops look great so I can't blame the molds and have to admit to user error.   I've already broken one of the lids and had that sticks askew problem yesterday, so good to know I can skip the lids.  Maybe I should spend $20 on a tried and true recipe book before I spend $200 on fancy molds 😆  I got the plastic ones for a special order last summer, delivered the order but didn't exactly dive deep into pop perfection.  Your pics have been inspiring!

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

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Thanks!  I recommend People's Pops if you're going to splash out on a book.  I wrote a little review* of it shortly after I purchased and still refer to it often. I think you could start a popsicle business with that book!

 

* Edited to add that if you go back to that old post, you can see an example of what happens if the molds are sitting in too warm water that doesn't go all the way up to the top of the molds.  By the time the top part softened up enough to release, the bottom parts were all melty!

Edited by blue_dolphin (log)
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pastrygirl

pastrygirl

Posted
Posted
28 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Thanks!  I recommend People's Pops if you're going to splash out on a book.  I wrote a little review* of it shortly after I purchased and still refer to it often. I think you could start a popsicle business with that book!

 

I just ordered used copies of that and the Fany Gerson Paletas book.  There's a local company who makes really good fruit pops and sells at all the farmers markets but due to Covid-19 they've decided to take a year off.  I was super close to buying 100 of their pops to re-sell out of my kitchen window before they shut down but came to my senses.  I have the technology (a freezer), just need to put in a little effort and be patient with un-molding ;)

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JeanneCake

JeanneCake

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You have both inspired me, as well.  I just bought both books and I don't even have molds!!  Yet.

 

And then I'm going to want that small, expensive blast freezer that Jo bought and lugged up the stairs to her apt.   🤦‍♀️  I have a freezer, I have a freezer, I have a freezer.  I have TWO of them in the shop, I do not need a blast freezer. 

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pastrygirl

pastrygirl

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I did receive the People’s Pops  book (Paletas was out of stock but thats ok).  Haven’t tried any recipes but did throw together a few flavors to explore the balance of sugar, solids, and fat and how they affect texture through trial and error. In my restaurant days I’d make most sorbets by taste but I’m out of practice. 
 

So far I’ve made cherry-raspberry, coconut, lemon-tangerine, rhubarb,  dark chocolate, and vanilla yogurt. Even sold a few yesterday! 
 

ABD12A0F-B2AE-448C-AD57-C38FE9D53EB2.thumb.jpeg.b38c10e6781ab15cc663de9d8d695e34.jpeg

 

 

 

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JeanneCake

JeanneCake

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Congrats on the sales!  I just got my books today (and I bought the Norpro mold 😊) and I am taking Saturday and Sunday  off so I can't wait to get started.  I bought some of the new puree flavors from AUI/Ponthier before the lockdown started (pineapple-yuzu-cardamom; rose lychee raspberry) and considering I'm not  likely to use them for work any time soon, I might try popsicles!  I'll start out slow with some less expensive flavors to master the process ;)


Can't wait!

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