With the mercury and the humidity rising, the mere thought of baking can make one sweat. So what's a lover of sweet summer treats to do? The answer: break out your ice pop molds.
When it comes to summer snacks, popsicles are where it's at. These sweet treats on a stick have endless flavor potential and are the perfect way to indulge when temperatures rise.
It's why we're sharing two of our all-time favorite popsicle recipes, both from In a Nutshell: Cooking and Baking with Nuts and Seeds by former ICE Chef-Instructors Cara Tannenbaum and Andrea Tutunjian.
The first is a toasted-almond ice pop made with a combination of almond milk, whole milk, condensed milk and heavy cream and covered in buttery toasted almonds. If that doesn't sound heavenly, get your taste buds to the flavor doctor tout suite!
Next is a coconut ice pop, which is made from the same base ingredients but coated in toasted, shredded coconut flakes.
Both are so tasty you’ll gobble them up before they have the chance to melt.
Happy summer!
Toasted-Almond Ice Pops
Ingredients
For the ice pops:
- 1 3⁄4 cups (14 ounces) almond milk
- 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
- 1⁄4 cup whole milk
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
For finishing:
- Light corn syrup (optional)
- 1 cup (4 ounces) crushed toasted sliced almonds
Preparation:
- Place all ice pop ingredients in a blender and mix well, 30 to 45 seconds.
- Pour resulting liquid into ice pop molds and set in freezer to freeze overnight.
- Remove bars from freezer. Working with two bars at a time, remove bars from ice pop molds.
- Dip a bar in warm water to melt it slightly or brush it with light corn syrup. Press bar into crushed almonds, covering it on all sides. Place on a parchment-lined pan and return it to freezer until ready to serve. Repeat with remaining bars.
- Store finished bars, wrapped well in plastic wrap, for up to one week.
Coconut Ice Pops
Ingredients
For the ice pops:
- 1 3⁄4 cups (14 ounces) coconut milk
- 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
- 1⁄4 cup whole milk
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 cup (2 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut
For finishing:
- Light corn syrup (optional)
- 1 cup (4 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Preparation:
- Place all ice pop ingredients except the shredded coconut in a blender and mix well, 30 to 45 seconds.
- Transfer to a bowl and stir in the 1⁄2 cup shredded coconut.
- Pour resulting liquid into ice pop molds and set in freezer to freeze overnight.
- Remove bars from freezer. Working with two bars at a time, remove bars from ice pop molds.
- Dip a bar in warm water to melt it slightly or brush with light corn syrup. Press bar into toasted coconut, covering it on all sides. Place on a parchment-lined pan and return to freezer. Repeat with remaining bars.
- Serve immediately or store, wrapped well in plastic wrap, in freezer for up to one week.
Want to learn how to make tasty desserts with our ICE instructors? Get more information about ICE’s Pastry & Baking Arts program.
