As temperatures soar, there's nothing quite like indulging in a refreshing icy treat to beat the heat. (See what I did there with treat, beat, and heat: it's so hot I've devolved into speaking in rhyme! 🙄)
Icy confections come in many forms, each offering its own unique texture, ingredients, and cultural history. Sorbet and sherbet, for instance, are often mistaken for one another, but they differ mainly in their dairy content: sorbet is completely dairy-free, while sherbet has a small amount of milk or cream.
Shave ice, a favorite when we visit Hawai'i, consists of finely shaved ice drenched in flavorful syrups; it's a treat that originated in 10th century Japan, where it is known as "kakigori." Italian granitas provide a coarser alternative with their crystalline texture, created by repeated freezing and scraping.
Popsicles and paletas, both frozen on a stick, also offer a cooling respite. Popsicles are usually made from sweetened, flavored water or juice, whereas paletas from Michoacán often feature chunks of fruit or a creamy base.
Other frozen delights include gelato, the dense and smooth Italian ice cream; kulfi, a rich and creamy dessert from India; and frosé, a trendy concoction made from frozen rosé wine. Each of these treats provides a refreshing escape, showcasing the diverse creativity found in frozen desserts around the world.
I love all of these sorts of ices--The Mister, not so much. He'd rather tuck into a "black and tan" sundae, so it took some negotiating for me to convince Donald to work with me to develop a few recipes.
The list of possible combinations is considerable, only limited by what was in season or available at our local markets. Suffice to say I had more ideas than were practical to make, and was thwarted repeatedly by lack of options here in the boonies so I've decided to keep my list as an ongoing background project and publish a new trio of recipes each summer.
Paletas vs Popsicles
When it comes to homemade icy confection on a stick, I'm more of a "paletas" person than popsicle person. I love chunky fruit and some bit of cream, whether heavy cream, Greek yogurt, or coconut milk, and we've come a long way from the days of freezing reconstituted Hawaiian Punch in aluminum ice cube trays. Teenage experiments with Hawaiian Punch yielded varying results, and now I know why--these desserts require a certain level of sugar or alcohol to achieve the right texture. If the juice is too watery your confection will be a disappointing chunk of colorful ice. Using a bit of cornstarch to inhibit ice crystals is another insight, which we've done in our recipes.
Add Olive Oil to your Recipe!
Why add olive oil to your icy confection?
Reason #1: Add olive oil to your recipe for flavor! As you've read in my other posts, blending EVOO into milky liquids really let's the fruity nature of olive oil shine, and this is abundantly clear when using the distinctively fruity Ascolano. I tried these recipes both with and without olive oil and the the fruitiness was indeed amplified by the addition of Ascolano.
Reason #2: Add olive oil to your recipe for health! Whenever you have the chance to add a healthy fat, take it! Both fat and fiber reduce the glycemic index of foods, so chunky fruit suspended in some sort of fat, whether milk fat, coconut fat, or olive oil, will contribute to regulating blood sugar.
The Ascolano suggested here is used in conservative amounts. I'll be doing more trials for flavor and texture in the future, and am eager to test the resultant paletas when reducing dairy or coconut milk and increasing Ascolano. [Note to self, both lemon and basil olive oils should be added to the trials.]
Test recipes shown left to right: Ascolano Strawberry Daiquiri, Ascolano Cherry Melon, and Ascolano Cucumber Mint Paletas
Another key technique in satisfying popsicles / paletas is the inclusion of cornstarch to increases the sensation of creaminess as it inhibits the formation of ice crystals. I've read that this is what makes Sicilian gelato distinctive in texture, and can attest that trials with and without cornstarch bear this out. Add the cornstarch!
Ingredients
Simple Syrup
1 cup white granulated sugar
cup water
Ascolano Strawberry Daiquiri Paleta
16 oz fresh strawberries plus one strawberry for each mold
Add the sugar and water in a sauce pan and mix to combine.
Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.
Cool and store in jar. Yield 1 ⅓ cups, enough for these three recipes, plus more if additional sweetness is desired.
Ascolano Strawberry Daiquiri Paleta
Wash, core, and quarter all of the strawberries except the best looking ones. Set aside one perfect strawberry kept whole (for now) for each individual paleta.
Core and halve those saved perfect strawberries, then add them to a small bowl along with the white rum. Let this macerate for about 20 minutes.
Add the quartered strawberries, coconut milk, simple syrup, lime juice, corn starch, and Ascolano EVOO to a processor or blender. Drain the rum from the saved strawberries and add that to the mixture. [Don’t add the macerated strawberries!] Blend until smooth with just a little chunky texture left.
Adjust the sweetness, alcohol, and/or acidity by adding more simple syrup, rum, or lime juice as desired. Keep in mind that sweetness is diminished when tasted in a frozen state so make it just a little sweeter that what you’d like at refrigerator temperature.
Place each halved strawberry in the mold and pour the blended mixture to fill the mold. Only fill 75% full to account for expansion during the freezing process. Place the popsicle sticks into the filled mold.
Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight. Yield: Six 3 oz paletas
Ascolano Cherry Melon Paleta
Seed and peel the melon. Cut into small cubes.
Add the melon and simple syrup to a processor or blender and blend until smooth.
Whip the heavy cream, cornstarch, and Ascolano EVOO together to form soft peaks.
In a large bowl add the whipped cream mixture and a small amount of the melon puree, stir, then fold in the rest of the melon puree. Taste for sweetness, adding more simple syrup if needed. Keep in mind that sweetness is diminished when tasted in a frozen state so make it just a little sweeter that what you’d like at refrigerator temperature.
If the mixture needs some acidity add fresh lemon juice a tablespoon at a time.
Add the pitted and cut cherries to the popsicle mold and fill with the melon mixture. Only fill 75% full to account for expansion during the freezing process. Place the popsicle sticks into the filled mold.
Freeze for at least 6 hours or over night before removing the paletas. Yield: Ten 3 oz paletas
Ascolano Cucumber Mint Paleta
Peel, seed, and cut the cucumber into small cubes.
Combine all the ingredients into a processor or blender. Blend, but leave some texture for interest
Salt to taste and adjust sweetness if needed. Keep in mind that sweetness is diminished when tasted in a frozen state so make it just a little sweeter that what you’d like at refrigerator temperature.
Fill the popsicle molds with the mixture. Only fill 75% full to account for expansion during the freezing process. Place the popsicle sticks into the filled mold.
Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight. Yield: Six 3 oz paletas
Recipe Note
Your yields will vary depending on how smooth or chunky your mix, and how many large fruit inclusions you choose to add. Whether smooth or chunky, we hope these recipes inspire new ways to cool off. Liz & Donald
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