These popsicles must be tried to believe how good they are. The combination of fresh peaches, mint, and yogurt is nothing short of fabulous, while the blueberries and cream pops rock in taste and colour. Rose of Sharon petals add a sense of mystery to the cantaloupe pops.
Each recipe makes 8-12 pops depending on fruit and mould sizes.
Peachy Mint Kiwi Frozen Pops
5 peaches, fresh or frozen
10 ml (2 tsp) lemon juice
1-2 Kiwi fruit
Sugar mixture
50 ml (1/4 cup) mint-lemon infused granulated sugar, or granulated sugar
150 ml (2/3 cup) water
2-3 spearmint or mint sprigs
125 ml (1/2 cup) yogurt, plain with fat
20 blueberries, fresh or frozen
Wash and slice peaches, keeping the skin on. Place the peaches and lemon juice in a blender. Peel and chop the Kiwi, and divide the Kiwi and berries among the individual pop moulds. Follow sugar mixture instructions.
Sugar mixture: In a medium saucepan, bring water, sugar, and mint to a low simmer for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and cover to seal in moisture. The sugar mixture will lose some sweetnes as it cools, so adjust accordingly. If it needs more sugar, add 5 ml (1 tsp) at a time while adding the same amount of water. Let mixture cool a little before putting in the blender, especially if adding dairy as the last ingredient.
Add sugar mixture to blender and puree, leaving some small chunks of fruit. Gently stir the yogurt into the peach mixture. Pour into the moulds and add sticks.
Rose of Sharon Cantaloupe Frozen Pops
Cantaloupe, medium-large
4-6 Rose of Sharon flowers (about 125 ml (1/2 cup) flower petals)
Sugar mixture
125 ml (1/2 cup) water
125 ml (1/2 cup) lavender infused granulated sugar or granulated sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) lavender buds (fresh or dried)
Cut the melon in half and remove the seeds. Cut in quarters, remove the rind, and chop into large pieces. Place melon in blender. Collect flowers and remove stem, base, and white centre. Rinse flower petals in a strainer. Prepare sugar mixture as directed in peach recipe, eliminating the mint and adding the Rose of Sharon petals.
Strain sugar mixture through a fine-mesh metal strainer over the melons in blender. Press the sugar mixture several times against the strainer to get all the liquid out. Blend until smooth, leaving some small chunks. Pour into the moulds and add sticks.
Blueberry and Cream Frozen Pops
500 ml (2 cups) blueberries, fresh or frozen
Sugar mixture
125 ml (1/2 cup) infused lemon zest granulated sugar, or granulated sugar and 10 ml (2 tsp) fresh lemon juice
125 ml (1/2 cup) water
50 ml (1/4 cup) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
Rinse blueberries if fresh. Prepare sugar mixture as directed in peach recipe, eliminating the mint. Mash the majority of the blueberries.
Let sugar mixture cool some, pour into blender and puree. Gently stir in the cream, then pour into the moulds and add sticks.
Tips: Try adding tiny chunks of brownie pieces. To keep fruit from settling at the tip of the popsicles, freeze a layer for 10 minutes and then add the next layer. Pops are ready to eat after 6 hours of freezing. Dip the mould in hot tap water to remove pops; freeze the pops in freezer bags.
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