Tag Archives: summer

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Honeydew Mint Ice Pops

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Guys! This weekend I’m heading to sunny Orlando for the Food Blog Forum conference with my good pal, Megan. As a girl that is usually awkward, at best, in social situations involving crowds and small talk, I’m a bit nervous…but! my horoscope for the weekend says that I’ll be inspired by people I admire and I’ll be a social butterfly of sorts, so I’m gonna take that and run with it. Who am I to argue with the cosmos?!

But, let’s get to the matter at hand…ice pops! Tis the season and I have plans to crank them out all spring and summer…maybe into the fall. Watch out!

When I was a kid I always thought cantaloupe was honeydew because it’s more the color of honey — kid brains are so interesting. My kid brain would have loved these pops because they’re a real treat and fruit was the main dessert around our house…as I’m pretty sure my mom is part fruit bat.

I’m a huge fan of mint, but as a child I don’t recall ever having it in any other form than mint-chip ice cream or gum. I’m an adult these days, or so they say, and I LOVE fresh mint — especially with fruit, it’s just such a winner! These ice pops really couldn’t be any easier or more refreshing. They’re cool from the mint (and the freezing, duh), sweet from the honeydew, yet bright from a squeeze of fresh lime. And because I can’t help myself, I know that these would be excellent with a little booze mixed in (I love the idea of herbal gin or straight-up vodka). With or without booze, these ice pops are super refreshing, dead-simple, and sure to impress.

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Honeydew Mint Ice Pops

Makes 10 ice pops. 

Instead of pulsing the sugar and mint in a processor, you can just chop the mint and rub it into the sugar until fragrant. I made a REALLY minty syrup ’cause I like that, you can use half the amount for a more subtle flavor. Depending on how sweet your melon is, you may not need to use all of the mint syrup — taste the melon and add whatever amount of syrup you prefer.  If you aren’t a fan of honeydew, use whatever melon you’d like, cantaloupe or watermelon would be excellent! 

1/2 cup sugar

1 loosely packed cup of mint leaves

1/2 cup water

4 cups diced honey dew

juice of 1 lime

In a mini food processor, pulse the sugar and the mint leaves until the mint is finely chopped and the sugar is fragrant. Place the mint sugar into a saucepan with the water and bring to a boil to dissolve. Boil the syrup for 60 seconds, remove from heat, and strain through a fine mesh sieve.

Place the honeydew in a large bowl (or a blender, you may want to do this in batches if using a blender), along with the lime juice and mint syrup. Pulse with an immersion blender until smooth and no chunks of honeydew remain. Divide the mixture between popsicle molds, freeze 30-60 minutes, insert sticks, and continue to freeze until solid (8 hours is best).

 

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Rhubarb Swirl Ice Pops

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Spring has finally sprung in Michigan and it means business! Since the days are warm and sunshine-y, it’s definitely time for all kinds of frozen goodness. In a few weeks, I’m sure  I’ll be avoiding the oven completely. Tis’ the season for sandals, porch cocktail-ing, and frozen delights!

These ice pops combine my perennial favorite, tart rhubarb, with creamy coconut milk and sweet vanilla. I love rhubarb because it’s so weird and so pink and so tart-fruity…there’s a lot to love. These pops are dairy-free by default, the coconut milk is such a wonderful creamy flavor and honestly sometimes I need a break from dairy-overload (I just love cheese and dairy-goods, mmmkay?). The creamy coconut milk juxtaposed with the tart rhubarb is a pretty amazing match–plus, those colors just get me! I can’t resist anything that’s both pretty and tasty — these pops are just that.

So, while the temperatures rise and rhubarb can still be found at the market, make these, eat, repeat, and dream of summer!

Rhubarb Swirl Ice Pops

Makes 10 ice pops.

For the hot-pinkiest of purees, try to buy rhubarb that is pink all the way through the stalk (look at the cut-end, cross-section, is it pink? is it green?). If it’s not super pink, that’s okay, it will be just as delish, just maybe not so vibrant. 

2 cups diced rhubarb

1/2 cup sugar

1, 14 ounce, can coconut milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the diced rhubarb with the 1/2 cup sugar until the rhubarb releases it’s juices and begins to break apart, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl rub the seeds from the vanilla bean with the sugar, if using. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and sugar to combine (add vanilla extract/paste at this step if using instead).

Layer spoonfuls of rhubarb into the popsicle molds, followed by the coconut milk mixture, repeat until all the molds are filled. Insert a skewer and swirl the mixture in each mold if needed. Cover and insert sticks (the rhubarb mixture is thick enough to hold the sticks and keep them from being too buoyant  and freeze for at least 4 hours. Un-mold frozen pops and serve immediately or store in a zip-top bag in the freezer.

 

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Little Peach Galettes

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Even though fall is creeping up quick, I am trying to soak in all the goodness of summer I can. Peaches are the epitome of all things summer, to me, and this weekend I am clinging on to every last bit of it.

I made these galettes last week before we left for our trip and they are a super simple pie-like treat. The recipe comes together with a classic, flaky, buttery crust that lets the fresh peaches do their thing.

Little Peach Galettes

Makes 6, if you economize the pastry surface area. 

Just a few basic baking staples and fresh fruit make up this easy, homemade dessert. I use this recipe for the pie dough, the recipe below is half the quantity. 

1 stick butter (4 ounces), cut into small cubes and chilled

1 1/4 cups all-purpose of soft wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2-6 Tablespoons ice cold water

Filling:

3 Peaches, cut into thin slices

1-2 Tablespoons sugar

tiny pinch of cinnamon

Using fingers, a pastry blender, or a food processor work the butter into the flour, salt, and sugar until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger (pea-sized) chunks of butter throughout. Add ice water a tablespoon or two at a time, mixing lightly or pulsing with a food processor just until the mixture comes together to form a dough when compressed. Gather the dough together, kneading once or twice just to combine. Divide the dough in half and press into two discs, wrap well with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour before rolling out.

Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out 6, 4-4 1/2 inch circles, gathering the scraps once, if necessary, and re-rolling. Chill rounds of dough on a baking sheet while you prepare the filling.

Preheat oven to 400*F and line a sheet pan with parchment of a silicone baking mat.

Cut the peaches into thin slices and toss gently with sugar and cinnamon. Arrange peach slices in the center of each rust, leaving a 1/4 inch of pastry around the perimeter. Fold and gather the edges of the dough around the peaches. Bake galettes in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden and the peaches are soft and some of the juices start to bubble.

 

 

 

Pate Brisee recipe here.

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Black Tea Plum Ice Pops

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It’s true, summer is fading. The smell of fresh school supplies is in the air and carefree weekends are dwindling swiftly.

This week I fly west with Sean for his first vacation in over a year. There are many plans for dining, some baseball, a new niece will hopefully arrive when we are there, and a much needed beach day at Lake Tahoe will be taken in.  I want to pack in as many summer activities for him as possible with a large side of relaxation.

I’ve also been trying to make as many frozen treats before the summer ends. This ice pop blends the summertime staple of sweet tea with tart-sweet roasted plums. You could skip roasting the plums to save yourself a step, but I really like the deep, concentrated plum flavor the roasting lends. These pops are less like the height of summer, they aren’t as tart and bright as some of my other popsicles have been, but have a richness and bittersweet edge that nods toward the inevitable end of the season.

Black Tea Plum Ice Pops

Makes about 10 ice pops. 

I used a purple/red fleshed plum here, an amber fleshed plum will work just as well but may alter the finished color. 

4 plums, quartered and pits discarded

2 cups brewed black tea

1/3 cup sugar plus 3 Tablespoons, divided

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Place plum quarters in a baking dish (a pie pan works nicely) and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of sugar. Roast in the hot oven for 30-40 minutes until fruit is slumped, tender, and juices have released. Remove from oven and cool completely. Once cooled, puree the roasted plums, with juices and remaining sugar, and press through a fine mesh sieve into a mixing bowl. Stir in the black tea until combined well and sugar is dissolved. Divide between ice pop molds and freeze 45 minute before inserting sticks and freezing solid.

 

 

 

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Lime-Basil-Gin Ice Pops

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The weather has been perfectly mild here–warm, sunny days and chilly mornings. As I type this, I’m drinking my first cup of hot tea in days…and it is wonderful.

BUT! Summer is not over, folks, and I have a few more ice pop recipes to share before it’s time to welcome autumn en force with all of it’s apple, pumpkin, and spiced bounty. These  pops are a far cry from the comforting warmth of fall–they are tart and herbal with a hint of booze. Icy and fresh, they are a grown-up version of lime-ade. You may have noticed, I’m a bit of a fan of herbal syrups, and this one is no exception. I love the way the basil plays with the juniper-woodsiness of the gin, while the lime brings some brightness to the party, and sweet sugar softens the edge of the other ingredients and makes these pops a real treat.

Lime-Basil-Gin Ice Pops

These pops are quite lime-y, if they are too tart and strong, reduce the lime juice or add more sugar/water to taste. Feel free to leave out to booze–or replace it with fruit juice–to make these pops friendly for everyone.

3 cups water, divided

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

tiny pinch of salt

1/3 cup gin

In a small saucepan heat 1/2 cup pf the water with the sugar–heat to dissolve sugar and bring to a boil, stir in torn basil leaves and remove from heat. Let steep 10-15 minutes, strain out basil leaves and set syrup aside to cool.

Stir together remaining water, syrup, lime juice, salt, and gin until well combined. Divide between ice pop molds, freeze for 45 minutes, insert sticks, continue to freeze until solid–at least 12 hours (due to the alcohol).

 

 

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Sour Cherry & Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Pops

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Oh, hey! It’s another ice pop! These pops are the creamy, frozen yogurt variety, blended with tart sour cherries and bit of vanilla. The cherry-vanilla situation reminds me of the cherry push-pops of my youth…but more tart, more vanilla-y, and more better.

Yeah, they’re totes more better.

Since moving to Michigan I have become obsessed with sour cherries. They are mouth-puckering on their own, but a little sugar makes them sweet-tart and I find that they have an almost cinnamon-spice background flavor that just makes me crazy for them–dried, frozen, or jarred. The thing with sour cherries is that they can be tough to find. They’re the red gems you find in a classic cherry pie–sans pie goop. Even here in Michigan–a major sour cherry producer–I have never seen a fresh one. I get by just fine with whole, frozen sour cherries. The complex flavor of the cherries is perfectly matched with smooth vanilla, making this frozen treat a sure winner.

Sour Cherry & Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Pops

Makes 10 ice pops

I used non-fat greek yogurt here because it’s basically the only yogurt I buy. I also used homemade vanilla sugar–I keep a jar around or simply rub the guts of a vanilla bean into the sugar–if you don’t have a vanilla bean, stir 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract into the yogurt mixture. If you can only find dark, sweet cherries feel free to use those and add a tablespoon or so of lemon juice to the puree to brighten the sweetness…though, I urge you to find the sour ones if you can. They really are something special. 

2 cups plain greek yogurt

3/4 cups vanilla sugar, divided

8 ounces frozen sour cherries, defrosted, plus more cherries (20-30) for garnish

In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt with 1/2 cup of the vanilla sugar, stir to dissolve the sugar. Divide the mixture in hal between two bowls, set aside.

Puree the cherries with 1/4 cup of the sugar and any collected juices from defrosting. Press the cherry puree through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to extract as much as possible, discard solids left behind. Stir the cherry puree into one of the bowl of yogurt–leaving the other plain.

Fill the pop molds 1/3 full with the cherry-yogurt mixture, freeze for 30-60 minutes until the layer begins to set before adding the vanilla layer. In the vanilla layer, drop in 2-3 whole cherries reserved for garnish. Freeze the vanilla layer 30 minutes (this layer is more stable since it doesn’t have any puree and won’t need to set up long). Fill the pop molds with the final cherry-yogurt layer, add sticks, and freeze until solid–8 or more hours.

 

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Raspberry Lemonade Ice Pops

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I spent much of last week and the weekend in Nevada with my girlfriends. One of my nearest and dearest was getting married and there was MUCH celebrating. Celebrating for us often means many, many toasts and drinks. With many drinks, comes a very tired body and mind in the days after. I spent much of Monday lounging on my brothers couch, playing make-up with my niece, and wishing I had these ice pops I concocted before I left Michigan.

Perfectly refreshing and not shy in flavor, Sean managed to devour most of them before I even came back home. Though that means there were less for me, it’s all good because that’s how I know they were a hit. Booze-free and bracingly tart, these ice pops are a frozen, lemon-berry treat on a stick.

Raspberry Lemonade Ice Pops

These pops are VERY lemony and tart. If you like a less tart lemonade add more sugar to taste or dilute with a bit more water to taste. 

1 pint raspberries

3/4 cup sugar plus 2 Tablespoons, divided

3 cups water

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

Puree the raspberries in a blender with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to extract as much puree as possible, discard seeds.

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup of the water with the remaining sugar (1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons) to dissolve, bring to a boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl combine raspberry puree, syrup, lemon juice, and remaining 2 cups water, stir well to combine. Divide the lemonade mixture between 12 ice pop molds (I use this one). Freeze for 30 minutes, insert sticks, continue to freeze another 6-8 hours until frozen solid.

 

 

 

 

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Creamy Coconut Ice Pops {Plus, Giveaway!}

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First thing, these pops. They are easy going, laid back, summertime dudes. They are dairy free, egg free, gluten free, and totes vegan. I almost never try to make my food vegan, but sometimes it happens and it’s a total bonus. Second bonus, you can make these with just THREE ingredients, plus a tiny pinch of salt and spice.

These pops happened that way, I wanted to make an easy, frozen treat and since coconut milk is such a creamy-dream and super easy to find, I decided to make it into an ice pop. For extra goodness, I added a liberal amount of toasted coconut flakes and a pinch of cinnamon, since I find it amazing with toasty coconut, as well as pure maple syrup to sweeten the deal. The pops are super coconut-y, decadently creamy and sweet, and just a hint spicy. They are cooling, yet feel so indulgent…and are perfect for sharing with your coconut loving comrades.

Second thing…GIVEAWAY! This giveaway is just a few favorites that I love to bake with or just have around to fancy up my life. I purchased all of the items below from Bake It Pretty. You can enter this giveaway THREE times.

1. Leave me a comment, tell me what you’re obsessed with lately (I’m obsessed with ice pops, Game of Thrones, and pink nail polish, fyi…).

2. Follow me on Twitter and share this post…come back here and leave a comment to let me know!

3. Follow Hungry Girl por Vida on Facebook and share this post…come back here and leave a comment to let me know!

Please be sure to leave your email or a link to your own blog (if you have one), so I can contact you if you win. Giveaway closes on Tuesday, July 31st at midnight. Any entries after midnight will not be counted. I will choose a winner at random (via random.org) and announce the winner on my blog on Wednesday, August 1st. Good Luck!

And, HERE is what you can win…finally, jeez.

{PS…I won’t be responding to comments as-usual for this post since it’s a giveaway. Please feel free to email, tweet, or leave me a message on facebook if you have any pressing questions or comments.}

Creamy Coconut Ice Pops

Originally, I had the idea to use honey for the sweetener, but to keep it on the vegan side I used maple syrup instead. If you want to ensure vegan satisfaction, use 100% pure maple syrup. 

1 can coconut milk, stirred well

1/3 cup maple syrup

heaping 1/2 cup toasted coconut flake, unsweetened variety

tiny pinch each cinnamon and salt

Stir together all ingredients to combine well. Divide mixture among 6-7 popsicle molds and freeze for 30 minutes. Insert sticks and continue to freeze for at least 6 additional hours.

 

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Coconut Crumble w/ Summer Fruit & Vanilla Ice Cream

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Even though I complain about the heat and humidity for the entire summer–I’m a fun housemate–there are still times that I HAVE TO turn on the oven. If I didn’t, there wouldn’t be pies and crumbles made with the bounty of summertime fruit that I just can’t resist buying.

While pies take a touch more time and care, and though they are always worth the effort, a crumble is an easy, laid back reminder that summer baking can be done without much fuss and with ingredients that are often already on hand. You can really use any fruit you like for the filling and the topping can take any number of mix-ins, or can be kept simple with just flour, sugar, salt, and butter. I love a crumble topping with lots of texture and this one delivers with chewy oats and toasty coconut. The warm richness of the topping pairs so nicely with the off-tart flavors of plum, raspberries, and blueberries.

Coconut Crumble w/ Summer Fruit

Feel free to use any mixture of fruit, I had about 4 1/2 cups and only sweetened it lightly, as the topping and ice cream are both a sweet compliment to the tartness of the fruit. 

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

6 Tablespoons butter, cubed

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and work butter into the mixture with fingertips until you have coarse crumbs–some sandy bits and some that stick together in chunks. Set in refrigerator while you assemble the filling.

2 plums, seeded and sliced

8 ounces raspberries, rinsed and dried

12 ounces blueberries, rinsed and dried

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 375*F.

Combine all ingredients for the filling in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine. Scrape the fruit mixture into a 8-inch pie dish and top with refrigerated crumble. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the top is golden and the juices are bubbling.

Vanilla Ice Cream

adapted from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home

If you don’t have a vanilla bean, use 2-3 teaspoons of extract. 

2 cups milk

1 vanilla bean, split and seeded

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 Tablespoons (1/5oz) cream cheese, soft

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of milk with the cornstarch, set slurry aside. Set the cream cheese in a large bowl with a mesh strainer over the top. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan heat remaining milk with the cream and vanilla beans + pod. Heat to a simmer, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 30 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk mixture and add sugar, corn syrup, and salt,  reheat to a low boil. Quickly whisk in the cornstarch slurry and continue to boil, whisking, until thickened. Whisk a ladleful of the hot mixture into the cream cheese, before straining the remaining hot mixture into the cream cheese mixture and whisk to combine. Prepare an ice bath and pour the hot ice cream base into a large plastic bag. Chill bag in ice bath until cooled and process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.

 

 

 

 

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Watermelon-Mint Tequila Popsicles

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Hey! It’s Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend. I did a bit of joint garage-sale-ing with the neighbors (I made a whopping $6!), afternoon napping, and popsicle eating.

I’ve been lusting after this popsicle mold for days now…it’s so classic and nostalgic, I love it and finally ordered it. Once it hit the doorstep on Friday morning, I whipped up this batch of popsicles. I don’t think I’ve ever had that kind of turnaround with a new kitchen product…I was just so excited! These pops blend fresh watermelon with a minty syrup, a bit of lime, and a tequila kick. They are a sweet, herbal, fruity, boozy, summertime wonder.

Watermelon-Mint Tequila Popsicles

To make these kiddo friendly, simply ditch the booze. If you don’t have or aren’t a fan of mint, I bet basil would bring a lovely herbal note to these as well. These pops have to freeze for quite a while (the alcohol takes its time), so I let these freeze for 18 hours. Make them one day ahead of when you’d like them to be ready, and they’ll be ready by cocktail hour!

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup fresh mint, torn coarsely

4 cups watermelon, cubed

juice of 2 limes

1/3 cup tequila

In a small saucepan combine water, sugar, and mint. Bring to a boil, to dissovle sugar, and boil 60 seconds. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and set syrup aside.

With a stick blender, regular blender, or food processor, puree the watermelon with the lime juice. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove any seeds and bits. Stir in tequila and mint syrup. Divide the mixture between popsicle molds, freeze for 30 minutes before adding sticks–contine to freeze until solid 12-24 hours.