For christmas I received Nik Sharma's first cookboook, Season. I spend a lot of time following bay area food news, and this cookbook was my most desired item of 2018. The book, as expected, is phenomenal. After flipping through, I was drawn to the upside-down orange and fennel cornmeal cake. I had initially intended to make this cake for the holidays, but stopped. The flavors that seemed so alluring in a cake would certainly be delightful in a popsicle. Not quite. This popsicle is beyond bitter and intensely fennel-ey. Without the sweet fullness of cornmeal that (I imagine) rounds these flavors out, this popsicle attacks the mouth with no pause. If you love blood orange or fennel, you will love this. If you dislike either, this is not for you. The popsicle allows no space for passivity of the flavors. Blood Orange Fennel Popsicles
Yield: 6 popsicles | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 6 hours Ingredients 4 blood oranges 1/2 cup brown sugar Teaspoon of whole fennel seeds Directions Bring the flesh of the blood oranges and a 1/2 cup of water to a boil. Add brown sugar and reduce to a simmer, until the flesh has broken down and the mixture has reduced. Once you have the consistency you desire, stir in a few fennel seeds. Pour mixture into molds and freeze until solid. To serve, dip in honey or agave and roll in fennel seeds.
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Egg nog is, of course, one of the most controversial holiday treats. Thus, it is my favorite. Creamy and indulgent to the point of having no explanation, egg nog takes you to a place that no other beverage takes you. It was a clear choice for one of the project's holiday popsicles. No recipe! Just pour your favorite egg nog into your mold and freeze until solid. If you do not yet have a favorite egg nog, it is time to have an egg nog taste test!
This week's popsicle accompanied the hot chocolate at our house's secret snowman/cookie decorating soiree. Hot Cocoa-->Marshmallow Popsicles
Yield: Many marshmallow popsicles | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 4 hours Ingredients 1/2 cup powdered sugar for coating dish/marshmallows 1 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Directions Rub your dish (where you will let the marshmallows set) with a neutral oil and dust with powdered sugar. Put 1/4 cup water in a stand mixer and sprinkle gelatin over the top. Bring 1/4 cup water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a boil. Take the mixture off of the heat when it reaches 240°. Give the gelatin mixture a stir to make sure it is soft, then start slowly drizzling in the sugar mixture, whisking faster and faster. When the mixture starts to become solid, beat in vanilla. Pour into mold and let harden. Grate chocolate over the nearly hardened mixture. Once solid, cut into popsicle shape, insert sticks into the center of the marshmallow, and roll sticky, exposed sides in more powdered sugar. As a three year old, my only christmas wish was for a pink candy cane. I was young, my desires were humble, and my tongue motor skills were not complex enough to generate anything more than the words "pink tandy tane" when asked what I was hoping for on Christmas day. My parents, owning a car and having the current day equivalent of two US dollars, were able to make my wish come true. Now I ask for things like motor boats and race horses, but I like to think that the young girl who only wanted a pink candy cane is still inside of me. This week's popsicle is an homage to that. Candy Cane Popsicles
Yield: 4 small popsicles | Prep Time: 6.5 hours | Total Time: 6 hours Ingredients 4 cups milk (I used almond milk) 2 tbsp chopped peppermint leaves or 2 peppermint tea bags 2 tbsp white sugar Red food coloring Directions Steep your milk with chopped peppermint leaves or tea bags, making sure that the mint flavor is fully present, but without coloring the milk. For the leaves, this should take about thirty minutes on medium low heat. Mix in sugar to desired sweetness. Split mixture into two jars. Add a few drops of red food coloring to one jar and mix. Add thin layers of each mixture every thirty minutes (depending on how cold your freezer is) to your molds. Don't forget to add in your popsicle stick after a few stripes. The marketing team at Whole Foods had to do very little to convince me to purchase their newest 365 sparkling water flavor, ginger. I politely begged my family to dust off their sparkling water ranking skills and just like that, we had a 12 rack in the garage. I used the sparkling water in the popsicle, and the outcome was a little fizzy, a little gingery, and a lot festive. Popsicles break! Just one of the many powerful and life-applicable lessons I have learned from my year of making popsicles. Ginger Cranberry Popsicles
Yield: 6 popsicles | Prep Time: 3 hours | Total Time: 4 hours Ingredients Seeds from one pomegranate Ginger flavored sparkling water Directions If you don't have access to store-bought ginger flavored sparkling water, grate some ginger into a pot with a cup of water, add a little sugar, and let it reduce. Mix the ginger syrup in to regular sparkling water. Once your sparkling water has been acquired, fill your molds 1/3 of the way full and sprinkle in 1/3 of your pomegranate seeds. Wait an hour, and repeat two more times (remember to insert the popsicle stick before it is too late!) until your popsicle mold is full. Freeze until solid. |