Remember the ice pops we made with orange juice? The trays, the sticks, the unyielding, frilly-with-freezer-burn product, creating something that was heretofore only the provender of ice-cream trucks and carnival stands? How blissfully happy we were simply because it was summer and we had something cold to enjoy. Today we have kits that blast liquid to ice in 7 minutes. And a popsicle doesn’t have to be fruit at all. It can be vegetable. It can—perhaps best of all—be booze. Here are three we like.
Peach and Blueberry Popsicles
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2 cups peaches, peeled and cored
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon honey
1 pint blueberries
¼ teaspoon salt
Put peaches in a blender and add 1 tablespoon of water. Blend to a purée. Add honey, blueberries, and salt. Blend. Pour into molds and freeze for a minimum of 2 hours.
Watermelon-Lime-Mint Popsicles
3 cups watermelon, seeded
3 to 6 tablespoons sugar, to taste
1 tablespoon honey
fresh mint, chopped, to taste
Blend the first three ingredients together until smooth. Add mint. Pour into molds and freeze for at least 2 hours.
Avocado-Mango Popsicles
3 cups cubed mango
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
5 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Whiz the first four ingredients in a blender. Add orange zest. Pour into molds. Freeze until firm.
Frozen Tangerine Screwdriver Popsicles
Makes 6 servings
3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
2 ounces tangerine flavored vodka
1/4 orange, segmented and diced into small pieces
Combine orange juice and vodka in a bowl with a spout. Place one piece of orange chunk in the bottom of each popsicle mold.Pour juice mixture into molds, filling three-fourths of the way. Place lids on molds and freeze at least 3 hours or until frozen.
Frozen Lime Rickey Popsicles
Makes 6 servings
3 cups freshly squeezed lime juice
2 ounces bitters
2 ounces simple syrup
Combine lime juice, bitters and simple syrup in a bowl with a spout. Pour juice mixture into molds, filling three-fourths of the way. Place lids on molds and freeze at least 3 hours or until frozen.
Frozen Cosmopolitan Popsicles
Makes 6 servings
3 cups cranberry juice
1/2 ounce triple sec
1 ounce cranberry flavored vodka
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
6 fresh cranberries
Combine cranberry juice, triple sec, vodka and lime juice in a bowl with a spout. Place one cranberry in the bottom of each mold. Pour juice mixture into molds, filling three-fourths of the way. Place lids on molds and freeze at least 3 hours or until frozen.
Emeril’s 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 (recommended: Grand Marnier)
Kosher salt, for garnish
Special Equipment: 4 small cups (recommended: Dixie), 4 popsicle sticks
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.
