For my son Braden who can never get enough fruit.
Ok…so I know it’s a little late in the summer to be posting popsicles, but I’ve just been enjoying these last few relaxing weeks too much to post. siiiike! These last three weeks have been crazy busy! After a vacay in August for my cousin’s wedding, we came right back home to my son beginning kindergarten and my daughter turning one. Then my husband went out of town for work, it was back-to-school night, and just last week was our tenth wedding anniversary. Seriously, how many events can you fit into three weeks?? There were so many forever memories and milestones that I’ll cherish. But friends, I am EX-HAUSTED for real. And my hubby is out of town again. Lol.
I figure you’ll forgive me, especially because we’re still seeing some hot late afternoons in these parts. I’m taking that as a sign to hold on tight to these last two official weeks of summer. Don’t worry. Soon enough it will be all root vegetable soups and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. But for now, popsicles.
CHILDHOOD FAVORITES??
Do you have those dishes you remember being fed as a child that you loved, but just couldn’t bring yourself to make for your child (or yourself) now. Maybe a bologna sandwich, maybe canned ravioli, maybe tuna casserole, maybe a jello mold with the diced canned peaches inside???
So these pops are inspired by a dish like that. The traditional filipino ‘fruit salad’ dessert mixes fruit cocktail with table cream and condensed milk. It’s a very refreshing cold dessert that is perfect for the summertime, but I didn’t learn until I grew up that every component comes from a can. Have you ever heard of table cream in a can?? I hadn’t either until I asked my mom how to make the ‘fruit salad’. Of course, I eat plenty of things from cans, but the thought of table cream just kind of grosses me out. And I know, it’s not that different from getting coconut milk, or condensed milk in cans. But something about the table cream…nope just can’t do it. I mean, if my mom made it for me, I would still eat it. The dish is very nostalgic for me. But I don’t think I’ll ever be able to make it that way. So these pops are my healthier ‘fruit salad’ twist that I can feel good about eating.
THE POPS
Initially I tried to make a version of the ‘filipino salad’ with fresh fruit and a whipped coconut cream. It was good, but I just wasn’t that excited about it. And then one morning, I was painfully looking through all my baking stuff (it’s just an absolute mess in that cabinet) and found my popsicle mold. I hadn’t used it all summer and seeing it reminded me how much fun I had making Strawberry & Yogurt pops with Braden last year. Braden absolutely loves fruit and would eat it all day if we let him. We do love how much of it he eats, but 4 peaches in one setting is a bit much. Haha.
I thought it would be fun to create a pop using some of the similar components of the ‘fruit salad’, but using healthier ingredients. In the fruit cocktail can, there’s pineapple, cherries, grapes, peaches, and pears. But all are mixed in with a very sugary syrup. For my pops, I decided to made three fresh fruit purees: cherry, pineapple, and peach. I skipped out on the grapes and pears since their color would have been so light.
To the pineapple and peach purees, I added a little bit of pineapple juice. But the cherries were so sweet and juicy, just at the perfect peak season so I didn’t need to add anything. How pretty are these?! Just the stunning natural colors of summer!
To incorporate the cream component of the filipino ‘fruit salad’, I combined heavy whipping cream and coconut cream. I sweetened with a little date syrup and then whipped in a heavy mixer until it was light and airy.
Once I had my purees and whipped coconut cream ready, I carefully layered them in the popsicle mold. I’m not gonna lie, layering the whipped cream was a little taxing. But I was so happy with how these turned out. They definitely gave me some of those same ‘mmmm hmmm’ vibes I get when I eat the traditional filipino ‘fruit salad’. But I can feel so much better about eating these and serving them to my kiddos.
Hope you enjoy these and the last couple weeks of summer friends! And thank you as always for reading!
Valerie
- Cherry layer: 2 cups of pitted cherries
- Pineapple layer: 2 cups of fresh pineapple chunks, ⅓ cup of pineapple juice
- Peach layer: 2 cups of chopped peaches (skin removed), ¼ cup of pineapple juice if peaches aren't super juicy
- ¼ cup of coconut cream
- ½ cup of heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon of date syrup (I prefer Just Date Syrup)
- In a standing mixer, combine the coconut cream, heavy whipping cream, and date syrup. Whip on high for two minutes. When finished should be light and airy. Place in the refrigerator while making the purees.
- Puree the cherries in a blender; set aside. Clean blender. Puree the pineapple and pineapple juice; set aside. Clean blender. Puree the peaches.
- In a popsicle mold, add the cherry puree first. It helps to add the darkest color first so it doesn't drip into the other colors. Then add in some of the cream mixture. Add the peach puree. Then add more of the cream mixture. Finally add the pineapple puree.
- Once you've completed, place in the freezer for a half hour. Remove from the freezer and add the popsicles sticks. Then freeze at least another 4 hours.
Leave a Reply