The unofficial beginning of summer is upon us and it's time to think about frozen treats to help us keep our cool. Of course, ice cream will always have a special place in my heart, but there's also something to be said for healthier alternatives that will have the kids happy without pumping them full of sugar and fat. So why not freeze the rainbow and enjoy it in the sunshine?
I recently put together these pretty pops. There were six of them (plus an extra frozen inside a sterilized bone for our puppy) in the freezer and they made a great treat for us after an afternoon of gardening and yard work. They are also great treats for the holiday weekend and a neat way to work in a serving or two of fruit on a weekend when hot dogs and burgers on the grill might be getting a bit more attention than normal. Everyone will love them — even the dog!
While I don't know that I would spend the time and energy to make a layered popsicle regularly, I highly recommend giving them a try for special occasions like Memorial Day or Fourth of July cookouts. If you get a bit of help, they go together quickly too! Happy Summer — almost.
Rainbow Fruit Popsicles
You can make these popsicles with as little as three kinds of fruit. I used five, but if you are using larger molds, you may wish to use even more variety. Begin with very chilled or, better yet, frozen fruit to help keep the colors from bleeding into one another too much (although a little of that looks pretty, I think). I used:
- Red: Frozen strawberries blended with cranberry juice
- Orange: Frozen peaches blended with orange juice
- Yellow: Frozen pineapple blended with lemonade
- Green: Frozen kiwi blended with limeade
- Blue-Violet: Frozen blueberries blended with cranberry juice
I made six popsicles and therefore made about 1/3-1/2 cup of each color slush. Play it by ear. If you end up with too much, make more popsicles or toss the extra slush in a container and freeze for later. Starting at one end of the rainbow spectrum, layer the slush in order by carefully spooning 1-2 tablespoons of slush into a popsicle mold at a time. When the layers are in place, carefully set the popsicle sticks and freeze them for about 2 hours before unmolding and enjoying.