It’s no secret that Atlanta and possibly the whole southeast has been experiencing what may be the HOTTEST summer ever. So it didn’t surprise me to hear about the not-so-knew trend of the adult twist on a classic childhood treat. Please don’t get hung up on the word adult- I don’t know what it is about adding the word ‘adult’ in a search engine that just brings up numerous perverse topics, yet I digress. Then the mind wonders about a grown-folk type of dessert which usually means you have to be 21 to consume due to the alcohol content. But as we ‘grown-folk’ know, alcohol doesn’t freeze- or does it? The popsicles I’m speaking of have grown, adult flavors for maturing palates. Flavors such as apricot-saffron-pistachio, grilled pineapple pink peppercorn, and Vietnamese coffee would probably place a frown upon a kids face (and some adults as well) but to the true ‘foodie’ this is a rare find of true cool, sweet culinary genius! These first two flavors can be found at the Dairy Godmother in Alexandria, Va. Other delightfully mature flavors such as peach-ginger, blackberry basil cream, and cucumber Chile can be found at Pleasant Pops at the Mount Pleasant (D.C.) Farmers Market.
Is anyone else noticing the disturbing denominator in this? There are none in Atlanta! Come on folx- Atlanta is the mecca of ingenuity. There must be at least one grown-folx popsicle maker in the metro area! Hmmm, did I just give someone an idea and possibly even a name for their new business venture here in the A? We’ll see, but in the meantime, check out some of these grown-folx popsicle recipes I’ve located for you to try your hand at.
Raspberry-Lime:
Combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil for 1 minute to form a syrup. Set aside to cool. Puree 10 ounces of raspberries in a food processor, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Combine the pureed raspberries and cooled syrup with 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice and pour into 1/2 -cup popsicle molds. Freeze until slightly set, then insert popsicle sticks and return to the freezer for about 4 hours.
Buttermilk-Blueberry:
Combine 2 1/2 cups buttermilk and 1/4 cup honey in a large measuring cup. Pour the mixture into 1/2 -cup popsicle molds and distribute 1 cup of blueberries among them. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze for about 4 hours, until set.
Alcohol versions
And here’s one for the Margarita lover’s in you (yes it includes tequila!! 🙂 )
Margarita Popsicles
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
kosher salt, for garnish
How to make it
Special Equipment: 4 small cups (recommended: Dixie), 4 popsicle sticks and foil.
Combine sugar, lime juice, water, lemon juice and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Once cool transfer to a blender with tequila, orange liqueur, and lime wedge and process until smooth.
Pour into the cups and cover the top of each cup with foil.
Place the popsicle stick in center of cup (down through foil, which will hold it in place).
Freeze until hard, preferably overnight.
Remove from freezer and run cup under warm water to loosen popsicle.
Garnish with kosher salt and serve.
* From dreamweaver
SANGRIA POPS
Makes six 3-ounce pops
Note: These pops are more fragile and do best in narrow, cylindrical molds
3/4 cup fruity red wine, such as malbec or merlot
1/2 cup apple, diced small
1/2 orange, peeled and diced small
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
Combine the red wine, apples and oranges in a small bowl and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
Combine the orange juice, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stirring occasionally, heat just enough to dissolve the sugar. (Alternatively, heat in the microwave in 30 second bursts on a high setting.) Allow to cool to room temperature.
Set a strainer over a 2-cup measuring cup or medium-sized bowl and strain the fruit from the wine. Divide the strained fruit evenly between all popsicle molds. Add the cooled orange juice mixture to the wine.
Pour the sangria mix over the fruit in each mold, leaving a quarter-inch of space at the top and using a chopstick to dislodge any air bubbles. Freeze for an hour, insert popsicle sticks, and then freeze until completely firm (at least 8 hours). Run popsicle molds under warm water to dislodge pops before serving.
BAILEY’S PUDDING POPS
Makes six 3-ounce pops
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur
Whisk together 1/4 cup of the whole milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the remaining milk, heavy cream and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stirring occasionally, heat the milk until the surface is steaming and the sugar is dissolved.
Off the heat, whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to heat and stir gently until the milk has slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in the salt, and cool to room temperature.
Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the Bailey’s. Fill all popsicle molds to a quarter-inch below the top. Freeze for an hour, insert popsicle sticks, and then freeze until completely firm (at least 8 hours). Run popsicle molds under warm water to dislodge pops before serving.
Resources:
-The AtlantaJournal-Constitution- Food (Thursday, August 26, 2010- Jane Black of the Washington Post)
-www.grouprecipes.com
-The Washington Post- Chat Plus: Popsicles (Wednesday, August 29, 2007 )
-www.ihavenet.com
Make it a Great Popsicle Tasting Day!
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