Summer holidays popsicles and creamsicles (recipes)

 Summer holiday fruit popsicles

The weather is horribly muggy – particularly if, like me, you live in a city. I feel very sorry for anybody who has to take the tube home from work. Perhaps London will one day resemble European cities such as Paris and Barcelona, which are empty in August. It’s simply too hot to function.
I am thus keen not to cook. All I want during weeks like this is ice cream and cool drinks.

For these recipes, you’ll need an ice lolly kit or, failing that, a muffin tin and lolly sticks. To loosen the frozen popsicles, briefly dip the mould in warm water. Any combination of fruit works – here are a few ideas…

Watermelon and chocolate popsicle

Makes 4-6 popsicles

1/2 small seedless watermelon, skinned and crushed in a blender
50g dark chocolate
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tbsp sprinkles (optional)

Pineapple and coconut popsicle (with rum for adults)

Makes 4-6

100ml coconut yoghurt (CoYo is very good)
1 small pineapple, skinned, cored and crushed in a blender
100ml spiced rum (optional)

Fill the popsicles halfway with the coconut yoghurt. Leave to freeze with a lolly stick in place. Mix the pineapple and rum together and, when the yoghurt is sufficiently frozen, add to the popsicle. Leave out the alcohol when making these for children.

Strawberry and pistachio creamsicles 

Makes 4 to 6

For the pistachio flavour
50g green nibbed pistachios
100ml double cream or Greek yoghurt or coconut yoghurt
1 tbsp caster sugar

For the strawberry flavour
200g strawberries, de-stemmed, hulled
75ml double cream or Greek yoghurt or coconut yoghurt
3 tbsp caster sugar

For white chocolate dipped 
50g white chocolate
1 tsp coconut oil
Sprinkles of your choice

Blend the pistachios with the cream or yoghurt and the sugar.

Blend the strawberries with the cream/yoghurt, adding the sugar as the berries are not very sweet.

Fill the moulds with the pistachio flavour and leave to freeze with a lolly stick in place. Pour the strawberry flavour in.
If you want to dip them in white chocolate, briefly melt the chocolate (30 seconds in the microwave) and mix with the coconut oil. Dip again into a bowl of sprinkles.