Summer is still here folks..(said captain obvious, just in case the constant heat waves didn’t make it obvious to you)…which means indulging in ice lollies is a totally legit way to cool down without feeling guilty.
Now, whilst this popsicle is not my typical lolly that my kids are used to me making ( last year I whipped up lollies with a spinach and carrot twist, and still had my girls asking for more) it is still one we enjoy. In fact, it’s got enough sugar in there for me to not even try and pass this off as a pseudo healthy snack. BUT it’s flavourful, fun, tangy, and also had my girls’ drool factories going. (Can we have more please?)
Morgy was a bit of a sceptic in the beginning(it is a bit tangy), but as she watched Pax polish off her second one, she gave it another try and was pretty smitten with it from thereon in.
By the way, the tang is mostly because that’s raspberries natural vibe, and I added quite a bit of lemon juice too. So if tang is not your kool-aid, then perhaps lighten up on the lemon juice and add a mix of berries instead.
Now…why go through the trouble of roasting the berries you ask? Well, it kind of brings out their jamminess, makes it gooey and a little sweeter, and also removes most of its natural water content – thereby lowering the icicle formation in the popsicle.
Also, note, you don’t have to squish your berries like did. In fact, I think it would look way prettier if you didn’t. Ok, now with the superficials out of the way, lets get to it!
What you need:
-
-2 punnets raspberries (or berries of your choice – blackberries, blue berries, etc)
-3 teaspoons sugar (I used brown sugar)
-Salt (I used about 4 twists of the salt grinder)
-2 Tablespoons honey (for the berries)
-¼ Maple syrup (for the yogurt – you can use honey as well instead of maple syrup.)
-2 cups double cream yogurt ( I sourced from Woolworths)
-3 teaspoons of lemon juice ( you can use much less if you prefer less tang. In fact one teaspoon is enough too if that is your desire.)
-
-Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
-In a medium bowl, gently toss together the berries, honey and sugar.
-Line a rimmed baking tray with wax paper. (rimmed because the berries will have gooey jammy sauce running forth)
-Gently place the berries in a single layer on the baking tray wax paper.
-Roast for 30 minutes, and stirring it at the halfway mark, being sure to check that its not burning. The edges are especially at risk of burning, and will affect the overall taste of burnt. So watch carefully.
-While berries are roasting, mix together the yogurt, maple syrup and lemon juice. Add maple or honey bit by bit, being sure that its not too sweet for you. (keep in mind the berries will also add to the sweetness, so don’t make it too sweet.)
-Allow berries to cool for about five to 10 minutes then gently toss into yogurt mixture. If you like the marbled affect, only toss gently.
-Once at desired level of mixed state, spoon into popsicle moulds or into small upcycled empty yogurt cups with a stick in them.
-Freeze for at least 5 hours or best overnight.
-When ready to consume, remove from freezer and run moulds under water for about 10 seconds, remove and devour immediately.
Tips:
- -You’re welcome to use full fat or even low fat yogurt, however, note that the higher the fat content, the less icy it will come out. (which I personally think is better than having watery icy popsicles) Hence, with this double cream yogurt that I used, there was absolutely no ice – just creamy tangy raspberry flavours.
-Full fat coconut milk can also be used instead of yogurt for an awesome flavour twist.
-Eat quickly! In this heat they melt quick-stix!
On that note, if it’s for your kids, may I suggest, eating it outside? 🙂 I was just too lazy to clean up any lounge floors. And I think we all have better things to do than that!:)
And there you go…a summer essential in a snap! Hope you enjoy them as much we did!
Ps. If you’re looking for a sugar free alternative for your kids or yourself, then keep an eye out on my blog for the veggie popsicle recipes that had my kiddos coming back for more!