Top Pops
CREAMSICLES & PUDDING POPS
APRICOT HONEY YOGURT
BANANAS FOSTER
BANANA CHOCOLATE
MEXICAN FUDGESICLE
CHOCOLATE MALT
BROWN SUGAR STRAWBERRY KEFIR
BLACK CHERRY YOGURT
AVOCADO VANILLA
APRICOT HONEY YOGURT
One of my favorite farmers added a beehive to her citrus farm a couple of years ago and started producing the most delicious orange blossom honey. She taught me a lot about the plight of the bees, who've have had such a tough time in recent years. I think we should start using more honey, along with all the other environment-friendly essentials, to help increase bee populations across the country. Plus, honey has lots of vitamins and nutrients, especially when raw, so that's a great bonus.
Use high-quality, local honey from a respected beekeeper for the best results and the strongest flavor. The tang of the yogurt is the perfect contrast to the honey's sweetness.
PREPARATION
• In a blender, pour the yogurt, preserves, and honey. Blend on high for 30 seconds, or until ingredients are fully incorporated.
• Pour the mixture into molds, insert mold handles, and place in the freezer. If using sticks, insert them after 15 minutes or when the mixture is firm enough for them to stand upright. Freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours minimum.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 10-12 three-ounce pops)
3 cups low fat plain yogurt ¾ cup apricot preserves ¼ cup honey
TIP
To get the honey to blend well, you can thin it out a bit by stirring in one teaspoon of boiling water.
BANANAS FOSTER
This pop pays homage to the classic retro-Americana dessert, a favorite of my banana-loving brother-in-law. The mixture makes a delicious banana smoothie by itself. You can also use real rum instead of extract if authenticity is important, or if you're feeling feisty.
The added beauty of this pop is that if you want to be extra healthy, you can skip the sugar since the overripe bananas will be sweet enough on their own. The sprinkle of sea salt gives the pop a hint of caramel flavor.
PREPARATION
• In a blender, add the bananas, rice milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla extract, rum extract, sugar, and salt. Blend on high until the bananas are emulsified and the mixture is creamy and even.
• Pour the mixture into molds, insert mold handles, and place in the freezer. If using sticks, insert them after 15 minutes or when the mixture is firm enough for them to stand upright. Freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours minimum.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 10-12 three-ounce pops)
4 very ripe to overripe bananas, peeled and chopped 2 cups rice milk or low fat milk 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cloves 2 tablespoons vanilla extract 2 tablespoons rum extract 6 tablespoons sugar Dash of sea salt
BANANA CHOCOLATE
A perfect combination: this version starts with rich, dark cocoa that is bitter enough to balance the sweetness of the bananas. For a fun twist, do a two-tone version by adding a layer of Bananas Foster (see previous page).
PREPARATION
• In a medium saucepan on low heat, add milk and whisk in cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and sugar. Whisk vigorously as the milk simmers to eliminate any lumps. Make sure the sugar has completely dissolved and the liquid is well blended. Remove from heat and let cool before the mixture boils and begins to reduce.
• In a blender, add the bananas. Pour the lukewarm cocoa mixture over the bananas and blend for 30 seconds or until the bananas are smoothly blended and there are no longer any chunks. Let the mixture rest until any froth has dissipated, or remove the froth by spooning it off.
• Pour the mixture into molds, insert mold handles, and place in the freezer. If using sticks, insert them after 15 minutes or when the mixture is firm enough for them to stand upright. Freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours minimum.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 8-10 three-ounce pops)
2 cups milk ¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup sugar 4 very ripe bananas, peeled and chopped
MEXICAN FUDGESICLE
Chocolate was blended with spices and served as a drink in the ancient Mesoamerican cultures that first discovered the cacao tree. Mexican hot chocolate and other drinks such as champurrado are modern versions of that earlier tradition. When it comes to chocolate in any form, I prefer dark to milk, so I say the more cocoa, the merrier. This recipe keeps the pops sweet enough that milk chocolate lovers will love this one, too.
PREPARATION
• In a medium saucepan on low heat, pour the milk and whisk in the cocoa, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Whisk vigorously as the milk comes to a simmer to eliminate any lumps. Make sure the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is well blended. Remove from heat before the mixture boils and begins to reduce. Let cool for a few minutes, and then pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl to remove the spice grains.
• Let the mixture chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and pour into molds. Insert mold handles and place in the freezer. If using sticks, insert them after 15 minutes or when the mixture is firm enough for them to stand upright. Freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours minimum.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 10-12 three-ounce pops)
4 cups whole or soy milk ¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder ¾ cup sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon allspice
TIP
Add a dash of chili powder to this recipe to give it an extra kick. The cold but spicy sensation is fantastic. You can use cinnamon sticks instead of wooden sticks if you really want to wow your friends.
CHOCOLATE MALT
I inherited my mom's weakness for chocolate-covered malt balls. Believe it or not, malt powder, made of wheat and malted barley, dates to the 1880s, when it originated as a health food supplement for infants. Midwestern drugstores, such as Walgreens, popularized malted milkshakes in the 1920s and they took off. It's hard to find a quality malt powder in this day and age. Most of them are super sweet and not all that flavorful. Horlick's, which was the first brand in the United States, is still one of the best if you can find it.
PREPARATION
• In a medium saucepan on low heat, pour milk and whisk in cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and sugar. Whisk vigorously as the milk simmers to eliminate any lumps. Make sure the sugar has completely dissolved and the liquid is well blended. Remove from heat before the mixture boils and begins to reduce, and whisk in the malted milk powder until fully incorporated. Let mixture chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
• Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and stir in case any separation has occurred. Pour into molds, insert handles, and place in the freezer. If using sticks, insert them after 20 minutes or when the mixture is firm enough for them to stand upright. Freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours minimum.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 8 three-ounce pops)
3 cups whole milk 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup malted milk powder
BROWN SUGAR STRAWBERRY KEFIR
Kefir is an underappreciated wonder food. Now that probiotics, or beneficial microorganisms, are all the rage, kefir is beginning to take its place in the spotlight. Most supermarkets now carry it, not just the health food stores, and they even offer a few flavor and brand choices. The fruity versions are kind of like ready-made smoothies, and you can flavor plain kefir any way you want. This recipe is super easy, and super delish. You can definitely try this with the kids.
PREPARATION
• In a blender, add the kefir, preserves, and the strawberries. In a small bowl, combine the water and brown sugar and stir into a syrup or paste. Pour the sugar mixture into the blender and blend on high for 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth and even. The result should be thick but thinner than a milkshake.
• Pour the mixture into molds, insert handles, and place in the freezer. If using sticks, insert them after 15 minutes or when the mixture is firm enough for them to stand upright. Freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours minimum.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 8-10 three-ounce pops)
21/2 cups strawberry kefir 21/2 teaspoons strawberry preserves 1¼ cups halved strawberries 1 tablespoon boiling water 41/2 tablespoons brown sugar
TIP
The probiotics found in yogurt and kefir aid digestion by preventing the growth of harmful bacteria in the stomach. Kefir is also a great source of protein and calcium.
BLACK CHERRY YOGURT
This is my version of a Push-up, only better. Push-ups were one of the only desserts my mom would let me have when I was little because they were slightly healthier than the other options and resembled frozen yogurt. This is definitely an upgrade in terms of pure, real ingredients. Cherries have been shown to have great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. I hope my mom approves of this recipe. And it's so easy, you'll feel like you're cheating.
These have a sweet and sour tang, much like the tart frozen yogurt that has become popular at the frozen yogurt shops like Pinkberry and Yogurtland that have popped up all over Los Angeles in the past few years.
PREPARATION
• In a blender, pour all the ingredients and blend on high for 30 seconds. The mixture should be evenly but coarsely blended with some cherry bits swirled throughout. For a smoother texture, continue blending to your taste.
• Pour the mixture into molds, insert handles, and place in the freezer. If using sticks, insert them after 15 minutes or when the mixture is firm enough for them to stand upright. Freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours minimum.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 12-14 three-ounce pops)
1 cup pitted cherries ¾ cup cherry preserves 3 cups plain low fat yogurt
AVOCADO VANILLA
I really wasn't an avocado-holic until I came across my first avocado shake in a Filipino restaurant. Like most Americans, I never thought of avocado as a dessert, although much of the world begs to differ. Most countries in Southeast Asia, from Vietnam to Indonesia and Bali, as well as Brazil and other parts of the world, embrace the sweeter side of the avocado. I even managed to convert several avocado farmer friends from being strict savory purists to loving them as a dessert with this recipe.
Thanks to all those good fats, the richness of avocado can't be beat for creamy desserts. This is a perfect treat for sneaking in great vitamins and nutrients for kids. Call it "green vanilla" and you'll see.
PREPARATION
• Slice the avocados in half and remove the pits. With a large spoon, scoop out the flesh, scraping out as much of the bright green flesh near the skin as possible. This green will give the pop a creamy, earthy tone. In a blender, add the avocado, vanilla extract, milk, and sugar. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth and evenly mixed.
• Pour the mixture into molds, insert handles, and place in the freezer. If using sticks, insert them after 15 minutes or when the mixture is firm enough for them to stand upright. Freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours minimum.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 10-12 three-ounce pops)
2 ripe, unblemished Hass avocados 11/2 tablespoons vanilla extract 3 cups rice milk or nonfat milk ¾ cup sugar
TIP
These pops are great for vegans and others avoiding dairy, since the avocado provides all the creaminess that nondairy ice cream alternatives often don't have.
TOP POPS. Copyright © 2012 by becker&mayer! LLC. Text © 2012 by Emily Zaiden. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
