It is one of the warmest summers I remember in the North bay. We are spoiled by a moderate temperature that allows us to get by without air conditioning. There are only few days that require more than opening a window. This year we have exceeded our allotment of hot days. My appetite lags and I really don't want to spend time in the kitchen or hover over a hot barbecue. What's a guy do to stay cool? Inspired by articles in the New York Times by Mark Bittman and The L.A. Times Betty Hallock I decided to make paletas, a Mexican version of ice pops.
Recipes for paletas are hard to find so I just thought about what might taste good frozen. I started by freezing apple juice then chocolate milk. The results were pleasant but not extraordinary. I had some vanilla yogurt and blueberries on hand and they made a really tasty frozen combination. A trip to the farmer's market netted a half of flat of ripe strawberries. I pureed them and strained the seeds through a sieve. I added a little sugar and a squeeze of lemon. Wow, I bet a could sell a ton of these on a hot day! The most extreme flavor occurred when I added lightly sweetened home made organic whipped cream to the strawberry puree. These would require a sophisticated security system to keep from disappearing. Creamy,rich strawberry, now that's what I'm talking about!
My latest experiment was mixing vanilla yogurt with Trader Joe's Midnight Moo chocolate syrup. It turned out wonderful. It was chocolaty, sweet and tart. What else can I freeze?
5 comments:
What a great idea for staying cool! What did you use for sticks? My Mom used to freeze orange juice for us like this and we loved it. You might also try pineapple, lemonade, whatever - the possibilities are endless!
Can you make me a Creamsicle?
zoomie- I got the sticks at sur la table in corte madera and the mold from amazon.com
cookiecrumb- as soon as I figure out how to transport them you got it. Someone told me you could use dry ice.
yes, dry ice works great. (and you can get popsicle sticks at arts&crafts stores too)
my recommendation is lemonade (also good with lime, grapefruit, or honey tangerines in the winter). make the sugar syrup seperately so it dissolves, and add some fresh ZEST! so yummy!
it also looks pretty (and tastes awesome) if you add whole raspberries when the pops are partially frozen - that way the berries don't all fall to the bottom - and they come out suspended in the clear citrus color... wow!
I'm Haley, Key Ingredient's Chief Blogger. We would like to feature this recipe and photo on our blog. We realize it is taken from another source, but we'll be sure to note that...we just feel you've done a great job putting this meal together! Please email haleyglasco@gmail.com if interested. Thanks :)
Haley
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