Ice Pops Go Gourmet!
Image from Gourmet | July 2009 Issue : by Kay Chun
Recently, we’ve seen the foods we’ve loved since childhood grow up and go gourmet. Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and even one of my favorite comfort foods, Mac and Cheese, have all gone glam! I still love the old versions best, but it’s really nice to dress them up a bit when I am hosting a special occasion. This weekend on the beach, I was introduced to another childhood favorite gone gourmet, the Cocktail Ice Pop. My girlfriend Kristine, who is very glam herself, mixed up and made Bloody Mary Ice Pops for her friends to enjoy on the beach. I have to say they looked great and created quite the stir!
Kristine made her ice pops in the traditional mold, her version made by Gourmet. The handle included a small spout for catching the melted liquid that usually runs down your hand – another very grow-up feature!
Whether you make cocktail or mocktail style ice pops, these are really cool summer treats. Imagine how surprised your guests will be if you offer them a Watermelon Margarita Ice Pop at your summer BBQ or pool party, instead of a cold beer! They are refreshing on a hot day and it’s so much fun to feel like a kid again without having to slurp on one of their sugary kid pop versions!
Check out these other ice pop recipes in the July issue of Gourmet: Bloody Mary Ice Pops, Mint Caipirinha Ice Pops, Piña Colada Ice Pop.
Watermelon Margarita Ice Pop Recipe Makes 8 Ice Pops
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped seedless watermelon (1 1/4 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup silver tequila
Equipment: 8 (1/3-cup) ice pop molds and 8 wooden sticks
Preparation
Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup, pressing on and then discarding solids. Skim off any foam, then pour into molds. Freeze 30 minutes. Insert sticks, then freeze until firm, about 24 hours.
These look pretty cool (literally)! They look like a fun option for somewhere warm and sunny: poolside, etc.
Cheers!
Today’s high? 104.
’nuff said.
I adore the idea…
What a fantabulous idea…I need a mango daquari one right now! I wonder if you could package them like the kis versions in the supermarkets, only problem is I might be tempted to give an adult pole to my 5 year to dull down her tantrums! mmmmm….LOL.
What a great way to savor a really good cocktail. If you think about it, you’ll end up drinking less bc it’ll take longer to consume it and you’ll save on the calories! Great idea!
Love these for summer adult parties make you feel like a kid again.
The fruit pops sound awesome. Jury is out on frozen tomato juice though. How do you make sure that the liquor freezes and you get a solid pop rather than a slushy one?
Steve –
To make sure that your cocktail pop freezes and is not slushy make sure to freeze for 24 hours and keep to the recipe. The amount of alcohol in comparison to the water and other ingredients is small enough to allow the pop to become solid. I did however think that it melted faster than a regular ice pop, just my observation.
FYI: From http://cocktails.about.com/
It is one of the most common questions and debates about alcoholic beverages… Does liquor freeze? Yes it does, but the freezing point is far below that of water. Exactly what that freezing point is depends on the proof of the liquor.
Water freezes at 0°C (32°F) and the freezing point of ethanol alcohol is -114°C (-173.2°F). Alcoholic beverages are a mixture of both alcohol and water (with sugars and other additives in some distilled spirits) so the freezing point of all of you alcoholic beverages is somewhere in between. The exact freezing point of vodka, gin, tequila, rum, whiskey and the myriad of liqueurs is dependent on its proof, or alcohol per volume. The lower the proof, the warmer the freezing point: the higher the proof, the colder the freezing point.
For example:
24 proof liquor freezes at -6.7°C (20°F)
64 proof liquor freezes at -23.33°C (-10°F)
84 proof liquor freezes at -34.44°C (-30°F)
These freezing points are much colder than the average home freezer will reach, so chilling a bottle in the freezer should not freeze the liquor inside. However, your freezer could get cold enough to freeze low proof liqueurs, beer and malt beverages. These low proof beverages will get slushy, and eventually freeze, if left in the freezer for too long and can explode leaving a big, frozen mess if it gets too cold.
Great headline. If your cookie has a bite-sized action and your reader completes the action, I think two things happen. Their self-confidence goes up (which feels good) and their trust in you increases.
Great post, Thank You
Does anyone have a recipe for Vodka and Tang ice pops