Hibiscus-Pomegranate, Creamy Coconut, Bourbon Peach, Pistachio-Saffron.
Who can resist one of these tempting icy frozen pops to take the sizzle out of a hot summer day?
These are just some of the frivolous, customized confections you can create in a rainbow of colors and flavors with help from Charity Ferreira, author of “Perfect Pops: The 50 Best Classic & Cool Treats,” (Chronicle Books) and Anni Daulter, author of “Ice Pop Joy” (Sellers Publishing).
“Pops are easy, fun, don’t require much equipment — and everybody likes something frozen and sweet on a stick,” says Ferreira, a San Francisco- based food writer.
“I’ve always been attracted by how whimsical pops are,” says Ferreira. “You can turn just about anything into a frozen pop — juices, pureed fruit, pudding, custard, ice cream and milkshakes. You can spike them with chile or other spices or liquor — and layer mixtures and make stripes and swirls in the molds.” She also uses yogurt along with sour cream, half- and-half, crème fraîche, buttermilk and cream in some.
Ferreira’s flavorful collection spans the globe in chapters devoted to fruity, creamy, fancy and grown-up pops.
Daulter says her “ice pops showcase great alternatives to refined sugar desserts and snacks lacking any nutritional value.” She sticks to what she refers to as the positive 4 rule — keeping treats organic, healthy, fresh and delicious.
While Daulter’s 50 recipes encompass pure fruit, yogurt, tofu, herbal tea, chocolate and specialty pops, she also encourages using vegetables such as yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, spinach, kale and carrots in pops.
The Green Machine is the most popular pop with Daulter’s four children at her home in Los Angeles’ North Hills. Made with raw spinach, bananas and pineapple, it’s a great way to get kids to eat more veggies.
Daulter uses agave nectar, honey, coconut sugar or no added sweetener in many recipes.
Most of Ferreira’s pops are based on seasonal fruits with not much sugar added.
“I like things pretty tart.” But she is quick to add, “the amount of sugar affects the texture, so most pops need a little bit.” As a rule, “the more sugar (she uses mostly granulated sugar) a mixture contains, the softer it will freeze.”
Mixtures that have a higher water content will have an icier texture.
“Really watery mixtures — like tea — don’t work that well, so for an ice tea pop I added blackberry puree to give it a little body.”
To increase the health benefits of many of the pops, Daulter gives them nutritional boosts with items like wheat germ, nuts, flaxseeds, tofu or acai powder.
A blender is a necessity in making smooth pop mixtures while a food processor is best used when you looking for a textured blend, Daulter says.
There are many plastic pop molds available, ranging from basic bar to rocket, star and other shapes that come with plastic sticks.
Daulter opts for BPA-free plastic molds and also likes Onyx brand eco-friendly stainless-steel pop molds.
Paper cups (such as 3- or 5-ounce Dixie cups, etc.) can also be used with wooden sticks (or even heavy-duty plastic spoons).
Look for a variety of molds in kitchenware shops or online at (the best source, notes Ferreira) or . “You can buy sticks at local art or craft stores,” Daulter says.
You should figure that a “bar shape holds about 1/3 cup pop mixture,” Ferreira says. “If using pop molds with sticks and lids, you can insert the stick immediately since the lid holds the stick in place,” Daulter says. To hold wooden pop sticks straight in paper cups while freezing, cover the filled cups with a piece of foil, make a small slit in the center with a sharp knife tip and add the stick through the hole, suggests Ferreira.
Place cups in freezer (be sure they’re level) and freeze until firm, about six hours or overnight, depending on the mixture and the temperature of your freezer.
If making layered pops, plan on freezing each layer for half an hour (or until just set, not solid, so it will hold up the next layer).
“If the first layer is too soft, your ice pop won’t have distinctive layers,” Daulter says.
If not consuming pops immediately, store in the freezer (in the mold) and eat within a week to avoid deterioration of quality, texture and flavor, Ferreira says. “You don’t want them to get freezer burn and pick up off flavors.”
If you plan to use alcohol in pops, avoid adding too much (only enough for flavor) or the pop won’t freeze, Ferreira says. Most pops made with alcohol have a softer texture, so plan to unmold them immediately before serving.
Frozen pop recipes
Blackberry Swirl
To create a surprise flavor burst when eaten, add a couple of whole blackberries to each ice pop mold. From “Ice Pop Joy,” by Anni Daulter. Makes 6 pops.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups blackberries
Juice of 1/2lemon (1 1/2to 2 tablespoons juice)
1 banana
4 tablespoons raw agave nectar
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
Directions
Combine blackberries and lemon juice in a blender. Add banana, agave nectar and yogurt and puree until smooth.
Pour mixture into pop molds and put sticks in place. Freeze pops until solid.
Peach Party Pops
From “Ice Pop Joy,” by Anni Daulter. Makes 8 pops.
Ingredients
2 cups chopped peaches (4 medium peaches)
1 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 cup chopped mango
Juice of 1/2lemon (1 1/2to 2 tablespoons juice)
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
1 cup Greek yogurt
Directions
Combine peaches, pineapple and mango in blender, and blend. Add lemon juice, agave nectar and yogurt, and puree until smooth.
Pour mixture into pop molds and put sticks in place. Freeze pops until solid.
Green Machine
From “Ice Pop Joy,” by Anni Daulter. Makes 8 pops.
Ingredients
1 cup chopped raw spinach
2 bananas
1 whole pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped
2 teaspoons flax seeds
2 cups purified water
Directions
Combine spinach, bananas and pineapple in blender and puree. Add flax seeds and water and puree again.
Pour mixture into pop molds and put sticks in place. Freeze pops until solid.
Pineapple Pops with Chile and Lime
From “Perfect Pops: The 50 Best Classic & Cool Treats,” by Charity Ferreira. Makes 6 to 8 pops.
Ingredients
1 pineapple (about 3 1/2pounds)
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch salt
Directions
With a large, sharp knife, cut top and bottom from pineapple. Stand the pineapple on a work surface, and trim away the rind in strips.
Cut pineapple lengthwise into quarters and trim away core. Cut flesh into chunks.
Place chunks in a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in 3 tablespoons sugar and lime juice, cayenne and salt. Taste the mixture and add more sugar if necessary.
Pour mixture into ice pop molds and insert sticks. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 1 week.
To unmold the pops, run hot water over the outsides of the molds for a few seconds, then gently pull the sticks.
Sweet 100 Gazpacho Pops
Feel free to add a few tablespoons of vodka to the mixture. From “Perfect Pops: The 50 Best Classic & Cool Treats,” by Charity Ferreira. Makes 6-8 pops.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups chopped, seeded heirloom tomatoes (from about 8 ounces tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup seasoned tomato juice such as V8
1/3 cup finely chopped, seeded English cucumber
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons finely minced, seeded jalapeño
Sea salt to taste
Directions
Place chopped tomatoes in a food processor and pulse a few times, just until they’re a very coarse, chunky puree. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with cherry tomatoes and add to bowl. Stir in tomato juice, cucumber, lime juice and jalapeño. Taste mixture and add up to 1/2 teaspoon salt. The saltiness of tomato juices varies, so start sparingly, but you’ll definitely want the pop to have a bit of a salty flavor.
Spoon mixture into ice pop molds and insert sticks. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 1 week. To unmold the pops, run hot water over outsides of the molds for a few seconds, then gently pull the sticks.
