Gourmet Popsicles

Lemonade Pops
with mint and apricot perserves

Spring is here…well technically Spring is here according to Day Light Savings. With the warm weather slowly approaching, why not chill out with some homemade popsicles! Popsicles seem to be that one dessert that never goes out of season. These juicy, frozen treats pretty much can be made out of any desired flavor and did I mention can be quite addictive as well? I can go through them like nobody’s business considering the prep is minimal and taste delicious.

I had a lot of fun with these recipes. As a kid I loved eating snow cones and flavored shaved ice so this was like a blast from the past. I spent my entire Friday night in my kitchen taste testing flavors upon flavors of popsicles. What I love the most about making homemade popsicles is that they can be made as healthy as you want. Sometimes when I buy store bought ones they are overly sugary and leave me with a stomach ache, but with these, since I used a lot a fresh fruit and low sugar ingredients, I was able to control the sugar amount. Nothing compares to fresh ingredients!   So the next time you are thinking of something for dessert, try these frozen treats and enjoy!

(A great cookbook for some fun and delicious ideas is Krystina Castella’s “POPS!” . I bought my popsicle molds off Amazon, which can be viewed here.)

Ingredients:
Yields 6 popsicles

• 1 Lemon flavored Vitamin Water
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• ¼ cup Apricot Jam
• A bunch of Fresh Mint, chopped
• Splash of water

Directions:

1. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the apricot jam with a splash of water. Once ready, set aside.
2. In a blender mix together the Vitamin Water, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest. Set aside
3. Chop the mint and set aside.
4. Pour a tablespoon of the apricot preserves into eat of the popsicle molds.
5. Pour the lemonade mixture into your popsicle molds and then add the mint leaves. Cover and freeze overnight. Let rest for 5 minutes before removing from mold or run under warm water for a couple of minutes to loosen from mold.

Grapefruit Pops
with mint and apricot perserves

Ingredients:
Yields 6 popsicles

• 12 oz. Grapefruit Juice (either bottled or fresh)
• Splash of Water (this is to dilute the tartness of the grapefruit juice)
• ¼ c. Apricot preserves or jam
• A bunch of fresh Mint, chopped

Directions:

1. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the apricot jam with a splash of water. Once ready, set aside.
2. In a pitcher mix together the grapefruit juice and water. Set aside
3. Chop the mint and set aside.
4. Pour a tablespoon of the apricot preserves into eat of the popsicle molds.
5. Pour the grapefruit juice into your popsicle molds and then add the mint leaves. Cover and freeze overnight. Let rest for 5 minutes before removing from mold or run under warm water for a couple of minutes to loosen from mold.

Strawberry Lemonade Pops

Ingredients:
Yields 6 popsicles

• 1 strawberry flavored yogurt cup
• 12 oz. Lemon flavored Vitamin Water
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup frozen berries (raspberries, blackberries strawberries and blueberries) – optional

Directions:

1. In a blender puree all the ingredients. If you want it a little chunkier then blend to the desired consistency and thickness.
2. Pour the mixture into your popsicle molds and freeze overnight.
3. Let rest for 5 minutes before removing from mold or run under warm water for a couple of minutes to loosen from mold.

Orange Mango Pops

Ingredients:
Yields 10 popsicles

• 16 oz. Orange Juice
• 1 Vanilla Yogurt
• 1 c. Frozen Mango
• 1 Banana

Directions:

1. In a blender puree all the ingredients until smooth.
2. Pour into your popsicle molds. Cover and freeze overnight. Let rest for 5 minutes before removing from mold or run under warm water for a couple of minutes to loosen from mold.