Summertime is hot... but summertime is also when I get to swim, lay on the beach, chill and get a popsicle to beat the heat. There’s something innately magical about a cool ice lolly when the mercury is beating down on your brow and the weatherman promises no respite!
A simple recipe for endless smiles and joy, the popsicle holds a dear place in my memories. Johnny was the ice cream man outside school, and never did a summer day pass when I didn’t get my favourite orange lolly from his cooler on wheels. He would deftly dip his hands into an endless cavern of cool treats to fish out the summer-scented heaven on a stick. The sugar rush itself was enough to send us into peals of laughter on the ride home.
Such happy memories! However, if my kid was to ask for that lolly today, I may just balk at the artificial food colour and the sugar content alone. Sigh! I know... parents always have a different approach to things, mostly because we want what’s best for our kids. But that shouldn’t take away from their childhood. So, here’s me meeting them midway with my DIY popsicle treats that are a sure-fire hit!
Pop Goes the Popsicle
Making popsicles at home is as easy as 1-2-3. But first, we need to talk about some basics that will hold you in good stead.
My number one rule for homemade popsicles is making it fresh. And rule number two is to make it healthy.
Store-bought popsicles tend to be overrun with sugars, emulsifiers, and even palm oil. Yuck!Granted these are all very important aspects of the shelf life of the product, but why should I concede when I can easily make it at home?!
Chill It!
Here are some easy ways to get you started on your popsicle journey.
First things first, you’ll need popsicle moulds! I recommend the BPA free silicone ones or the traditional metal ones. Cheap plastic moulds may carry a compound called BPA, which is damaging to the body, especially in children.
Next, you’ll want to define your flavour profile. Popsicles come in all varieties, and for good measure because everyone doesn’t like the same thing. For your convenience, I will segregate them into light, medium and supremely decadent versions.
Light:
My kids, on occasion, don’t want to eat healthy. This is when I pull out the big guns and make them a batch of uber nutritious popsicles. I’m talking spinach pureed with banana and a hint of vanilla. Spinach is notoriously good at taking on flavours, and the colour is hard to beat! Refreshing and good.
Other simple options that I make regularly are:
- Orange juice with cut up strawberries
- Pureed kiwi with kiwi slices
- Lemonade sweetened with gur , with pomegranate arils
- Blackberry-rose pops with pureed blackberries and rose water
- Honeydew-mint pops: Blended honeydew with mint leaves !
Medium:
There are days when an ice lolly just won’t cut it and the cravings veer towards ice creams. My medium range is tailor-made for those times. With ingredients like Greek yogurt, coconut milk and avocados, the creaminess of these popsicles will keep you coming back for more.
A side note about Greek yogurt: Unlike homemade yogurt, Greek yogurt has lower water and higher protein content. The reason for this is the whey is strained from it, resulting in a thicker, richer, creamier consistency. Having a lower water content also leads to a creamier lolly, since water creates ice crystals that ruin its texture.
You could try these options:
- Raspberry-yogurt ice pops: chopped raspberries in honeyed Greek yogurt
- Coconut lime lollies made of cream of coconut and lime juice and zest
- Avo lolly: Pureed avocados with a touch of honey and coconut milk
- Coconut coffee pops: Brewed coffee, coconut milk and chocolate shavings
- Rainbow Yogurt lollies: Greek yogurt with vanilla and a heap of sprinkles. Yum!
Decadent:
On some days, we wanna just sit back and dig into a bar of chocolate. Okay! Hold that thought. We can make it happen- in popsicle format too!
Decadent popsicles are desserts on a stick. This is perhaps the only time I deign to add sugar to my lollies, but it’s all okay as long as it’s in moderation.
My favourites are:
- Melted chocolate blended with coconut milk and brownie bits
- Banana creamsicle, which is literally the ingredients of a banana cream pie, frozen
- Chocolate, peanut butter and yogurt with crushed peanuts. Add a drizzle of melted chocolate after it’s out of the mould for an added layer of decadence
- Pineapple creamsicle: Crushed pineapple blended with fresh cream and lemon.
- Mango madness: Mangoes blended with cream and sugar. The ultimate sweet treat
- Proseccolollies: Edible flowers + frozen prosecco = heaven!
Pops for the Soul
As much as I love the fruity pops, sometimes, I want to change it up.
Introducing Glow Lollies! These promise you the dewy summer glow, thanks to the top-notch ingredients. No, it’s no magic. It’s just simple ingredients that go a long way in making you shine inside out.
Haldi doodh has long been an elixir that grandmothers swear by. Known for its healing and antiseptic properties, turmeric is an excellent addition to the diet. Turmeric is more bioavailable when consumed with black pepper and fat. Blend together ginger, black pepper, turmeric, honey and coconut milk. Freeze for glow on the go!
Another exceptional recipe to beat the summer heat is the sabja-coconut water pop. Just soak basil seeds in coconut water and freeze it. The doubly cooling effect of this lolly is sure to provide some much-deserved respite.
Bael lollies. Wood apple, commonly known as bael, is excellent for beating the heat. The fibres in the fruit help regulate bowel movement and cool down the stomach. Usually had as liquid, freezing bael sharbat is sure to be your next favourite thing this summer.
D-I-Y All the Way!
My food journey started with DIY! I am a foodie at heart and it reflects in our menu at Paprika. From constantly improvising and assimilating, we keep upping the food game by adding interesting twists to our offerings.
This bug bit me when I was on holiday and wanted to recreate the amazing dishes I had had on my travels. With unknown ingredients and no recipes, I often resorted to trusting my taste buds and the handful of things available locally. It was an outstanding time, one of experimentation, of trials and errors and a lot of learning.
I love DIY and I encourage you to do it too. Go ahead, make some mistakes, but trust me, if you stick to some basics, you’ll soon find your niche. It feels great to create something which is truly your own. So don’t be afraid, give it a go. It’s a good thing we have a long summer — get out there and make it a popsicle party!
Vidisha Bathwal is the founder of Paprika Gourmet, an exotic artisan catering service brand in Calcutta. She’s also a passionate foodie and a fitness enthusiast
Pictures: Paprika Gourmet
Sangria popsicles
Ingredients
- 3 medium oranges, cut into wedges, or 1 cup orange juice
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 750ml white wine chilled
- 2 ounces brandy, optional
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 2 cups club soda, or ginger ale
- Choice of berries
Method:
1. Squeeze the juice from the citrus wedges into the pitcher. Remove the seeds and toss in the wedges. If you’re using orange juice instead, add it to the pitcher.
2. Pour the white wine into the pitcher with the fruit.
3. If using, add the brandy and the sugar. Stir very well to ensure that all of the sugar is dissolved.
4. Add the ginger ale or club soda in the pitcher and give a good mix, pour in the popsicles mould and let it set 6 hours .
5. Serve straight out of the refrigerator and enjoy.
Fruity popsicles
Ingredients
- 1 cup sliced fruit (seasonal)
- 1 ½ cups coconut water
- 2 to 4tbsp honey or sugar
Method:
1. Distribute fruit into moulds. Combine coconut water and honey, then pour into moulds, tapping on the counter to remove air pockets.
2. Freeze: Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until hard, at least 4 hours.
3. Unmould: Run mould under warm water for a few seconds to loosen, then remove pops from the moulds.