Summer Fruity Icy Pops

Repost from a recipe I created back in Jan, 2014 whilst heavily pregnant.
I’m currently doing my best to survive a 43 degree day in Melbourne at 37 weeks pregnant, after a few cold showers and plenty of water I have been happy to spoil myself throughout the day with some fruity icy pops to keep me entertained. If you’re in search of a healthy snack on a sweltering summer’s day then be sure to try this easy and fun icy pole recipe. 

When making these treats I’d encourage you to stock up on a few batches in the freezer you’ll find they’re perfect for hot days, kids parties and a quick and easy dessert when friends drop by.
Watermelon and Coconut Cream Icy Pops
1/4 watermelon
1 handful of fresh mint
1 lemon or lime juiced
1 tin of coconut milk
Instruments
1 Icy Pop mold
1 bag of wooden pop sticks
Blender
3 snap lock sandwich bags

Sweetener optionional
Adding sweeteners is best done to your desired taste, depending on the sweetness of the fruit I would suggest adding a tablespoon of rice malt syrup if required. Another option for those that enjoy a sweeter pop would be to add some Bickfords bitter lemon cordial to taste.

Method
Cut the watermelon into bite sized pieces then add to your blender, blend until it becomes liquid then add lemon juice. Once combined use your hands to tear the mint leaves and blend again. At this point it’s worth taste testing and then considering your sweetener options. Using an icy pop mold, I found this one at a home wares store.

Fill the mold halfway with the watermelon mixture and place upright in the freezer. Most pop molds have a stand so as long as you make room in your freezer, fitting the pops upright should be easy.Place the remaining mixture in the fridge, be sure to cover it either with glad wrap or a lid. After an hour, check on the pops and by this stage the mixture should be firming up. Add a wooden stick to the centre of each of your pops and then pour a base of about 2cms of coconut cream to the mold. I then allow another 1.5hrs of freezer time before removing the pops (keep in mind your freezer may be set to a different temperature so be sure to test each time before removing the pops, you can do this by trying to wriggle the stick around, if there is no movement your pop is set), run some warm water over the mold and you’ll find the pop’s come away quit easily. For storage simply wrap the pop in some baking paper and place in a sandwich bag. Your average sandwich bag can hold 6 pops comfortably. Once your first set is done, repeat the steps to make another 6 pops and so on until your mixture is finished. I found using 1/4 watermelon made about 18 pops.

Apple, Kiwi and Grape Coconut Cream Icy Pops (tasty but not as pretty)
Juice of 2 green apples (I used my Oscar Neo cold press juicer to get the most nutrients out of the fruit).
1 Kiwi Fruit
1 handful of grapes
1 tin of coconut milk
Instruments
1 Icy Pop mold
1 bag of wooden pop sticks
Blender
2 snap lock sandwich bags

Sweetener optionnal
Adding sweeteners is best done to your desired taste, depending on the sweetness of the fruit I would suggest adding a tablespoon of rice malt syrup if required. I found some lovely sweet grapes and didn’t require any sweeteners for this recipe.

Method
Once you have juiced the apple, add it to your blender and combine the sliced kiwi fruit and grapes, blend until combined. Your decision to sweeten your mixture will be based on personal preference. Using an icy pop mold, I found mine at a homewares store. Fill the mold halfway with the watermelon mixture and place upright in the freezer. Most pop molds have a stand so as long as you make room in your freezer, fitting the pops upright should be easy. Place the remaining mixture in the fridge, be sure to cover it either with glad wrap or a lid. After an hour, check on the pops and by this stage the mixture should be firming up. Add the wooden stick to the centre of your pop and then pour a base of about 2cms of coconut cream to the mold. I then allow another 1.5hrs of freezer time before removing the pops (keep in mind your freezer may be set to a different temperature so be sure to test each time before removing the pops), run some water over the mold and you’ll find the pop’s come away quit easily. For storage simply wrap the pop in some baking paper and place in a sandwich bag. Your average sandwich bag can hold 6 pops comfortably. Once your first set is done, repeat the steps to make another 6 pops and so on until your mixture is finished. I found this mixture made about 8 pops. Enjoy!