Tag Archives: Summer treats

Mango Coconut Lime Ice Pops

It is undoubtedly the summer of ice pops. This week we’re going tropical with mango and coconut, with some lime thrown in, because we’re fancy like that.

The first time I made them, I layered the coconut and mango to make them striped. While they made for a gorgeous picture, I found that the mango-lime layer was too tart and the coconut layer was too sweet. So, I am recommending that you throw aesthetics aside (not something I am prone to doing lightly), for the greater good of taste, and forgo the lovely layers. When you blend everything together the harmony of flavours is exceptional.

You could of course buy fresh mangoes, sit them on your countertop and wait several days for them to ripen. But it’s bloody hot and we want our ice pops NOW, so buy a bag of frozen chopped mango.

Chances are, If you have any millennials in the house, there’s already a bag of frozen mango in your freezer along with the ubiquitous container of protein powder in the cupboard, and kale and spinach in the fridge. My daughter is visiting for the summer , so we are well stocked on all the smoothie ingredients.

Into the blender go frozen mangoes, lime zest and juice, coconut milk, a bit of sweetened condensed milk and a touch of heavy cream.
You could leave them unadorned or accessorize them with a quick dip in melted white chocolate and toasted coconut. Your choice. No judgement here.

Click here to print recipe for Mango Coconut Lime Ice Pops.

Malted Chocolate Drumsticks

holding cone 625 sqready to eat 2 625 sqWhen I came across a recipe for Malted Chocolate Ice Cream in Bon Appetit Magazine, I instantly knew that I must create it for my charming friend Marla. Her guilty secret is a wild passion for Malteasers (chocolate covered malt balls). While her husband Ed and I prefer to poison ourselves with Twizzlers, Marla has always preferred Malteasers.

I made the ice cream and transferred it to the freezer. While cleaning up I licked the bowl to taste. I was instantly transported back to my childhood. Totally reminiscent of the chocolate Drumsticks of my youth. Usually the corner store only stocked Vanilla Drumsticks, but once in a while they carried the cones filled with a light chocolate ice cream. This malted milk ice cream reminded me exactly of those. I knew I had to recreate them!

The base for this ice cream requires a dozen egg yolks! Luckily, Marla made us an incredible Lady Baltimore cake that used a ton of egg whites, so the yolks were just sitting in the fridge the next day. It was meant to be!tempering yolksjpgThe hot custard melts the chocolate. melting chocolateBefore the liquid can go into the ice cream machine it needs to chill for a while in an ice water bath. chilling ice cream base in ice bathice cream for freezerWhile the ice cream was freezing, I tackled the cocoa-coffee crumbs. Bon Appetit magazine calls them “delirium inducing” and I have to concur!crumble ingredientsCocoa powder, ground coffee, flour, melted butter, sugar and ground almonds are combined and then spread out on a cookie sheet and baked in the oven until dry and crispy.

A dip in melted chocolate and then a roll in salted roasted almonds, because that’s how we roll around here. Extra deliciousness. Sweet and salty is just an awesome combo.dipping cones 1jpgdipping cones 2dipped cones 3Malted Chocolate Ice cream is scooped and cones are filled. scoopingA final dip in more melted chocolate and a finishing touch of cocoa- coffee crumbs!!dipping top in chocolate

Click here to print recipe for Malted Chocolate Drumsticks.holding cone 1ready to eat 1

Lime Coconut Squares

with milkA really good lime square should have more than a whisper of citrus flavour. It needs a big shout-out of lip puckering sourness. The base is usually quite sweet, so the topping needs to be really tart. The key to achieving this balance is not as simple as adding more lime juice.  When baking, the juice and zest of citrus fruits react differently. The flavour compounds in the juice are suspended in water, so they evaporate during baking and you are left with only a mild citrus flavour.  Zest, on the other hand, contains essential oils that do not dissipate with the heat of the oven, so the pucker power remains strong.

Lime and coconut is a perfect pairing for summer, and these bars pack a serious pop of lime flavour. mise en placeCitrus squares typically have a shortbread-like base. I decided to mix things up a bit and added some oats to my base. The dough comes together quickly and can be patted into the pan with your hands, no rolling necessary.mixing basepressing base into panThe filling is mixed in one bowl. Fast and easy.pouring filling on crustspreading filling evenlyLet it snow!let it snowcut into perfect squaresWhile small in stature, these squares are mighty in flavour. The edges of the crust are crunchy but the center remains slightly chewy. The filling is loaded with tart lime and tropical coconut flavours. A dusting of icing sugar provides just the right sweet counterpart to all that pucker.

Click here to print recipe for Lime Coconut Squares.on green plate