Down the road from my college in Nashville, TN, there was a little shop that opened called Las Paletas Gourmet Popsicles. This "mom & pop" joint made their popsicles from fresh ingredients and natural fruit flavors. Among the semi-normal popsicles such as a strawberry and blackberry mix, you could also find wacky combinations like watermelon and chili lime salt. The regular customers knew they could also ask for additional flavors in the back. They had no sign out front, so it was solely dependent on word of mouth. Well, the word quickly grew and now they have even been featured on the Food Network.
It's been seven years (wow, time flies) since I moved from Nashville and although I have been in town numerous times since then, it's also been seven years since I've been to Las Paletas. I know they are still around, but I think they moved their location to just down the street. Either way, the next time I visit Tennessee, Las Paletas is one of my priorities as popsicles have recently been on my mind 24-7.
During the past few months, I often thought about making popsicles but never got around to it. At first, I was holding out because I didn't have any molds. Fortunately, I found these popsicle molds (pictured above) at the Target Dollar Spot the other day. But, don't let me fool you. You do not need specific molds in order to make popsicles. All you need is any container (plastic cup, shot glass, etc.) that will freeze well and some craft sticks, then you're good to go. To release the pops, run the mold under luke-warm water until the popsicle releases.
When I brought home the molds from Target, I couldn't wait to try them out. I used what I had on hand at that moment and came up with this blueberry and pineapple combo. And although the blueberry tended to stain my tongue, I found it to be worth it as they are a flavorful and healthy snack, even for your kids.
You will find that popsicles are one of the easiest things to make, but it may be hard to wait for them to freeze! It's basically like blending a smoothie, where I never really use actual measurements, and then freeze it. You can do that, right?
Blueberry and Pineapple Yogurt Pops
Yield: Depends on your molds
A handful of fresh or frozen blueberries
A handful of fresh or frozen pineapple chunks
A big scoop of whole-fat plain or vanilla yogurt
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until completely incorporated. Add more yogurt as needed and more fruit, to taste. Pour or scoop into popsicles molds and freeze at least 4 hours or overnight. To release, run the popsicles in their molds under luke-warm water for a few seconds.
Source: Pennies original
