First things first, can I get a collective HOORAY for summer’s arrival?! It’s officially here, and the longer days and warmer weather have put me in an unusually peppy mood, even for a gal who spends most of her time hopped up on sugar.
And since I no longer have the luxury of spending two long months of summer vacation lounging by the pool without a care in the world (the good old days, right?) I spend more time than I’d like to admit looking forward to my weekends, spent bronzing in the sun, and preferably holding a tropical beverage in one hand and some sort of frozen treat in the other. All of this daydreaming has resulted in a fairly extensive list of hot weather “must-makes”, and these layered popsicles found a place right at the top. They’re one of the first frozen desserts I’ve made to celebrate summer, and let me tell you, they’re going to be pretty hard to beat.
As you can see, these popsicles are comprised of three layers, each equally as unique in flavor as it is complimentary to its neighbor. The top, pretty-in-pink layer is a refreshing mix of watermelon and lime juices, sweetened with just a touch of sugar, though you could eliminate it all together should you find yourself lucky enough to have a super-ripe, ruby red watermelon on your hands.
The next, middle layer combines sweet, fragrant cantaloupe (again, make sure you choose a ripe one) with tart grapefruit juice. The bitterness from the grapefruit adds a subtle peppery bite that balances out the sunny sweetness of the cantaloupe and makes this layer surprisingly irresistible, not to mention my favorite of the three.
The final, bottom layer rounds everything out with a creamy, boozy contrast to the bright, fruity layers that precede it. Here, deliciously decadent crème fraiche is spiked with elderflower liquer and a hint of lime zest resulting in a rich yet tart and floral layer that adds a touch of ice cream-like indulgence to this otherwise light dessert.
So just to sum things up we’ve got bright, tart, fruity, sweet, refreshing, indulgent, and of course, frozen – sounds like a pretty perfect summer dessert if you ask me! Enjoy! XO, Katie
Melon and Citrus Popsicles
Serves 10 popsicles, made in 3 oz. popsicle molds
Melon & Citrus Popsicles
Categories
Ingredients
For the watermelon & lime layer:
- 1 1/5 cups cubed watermelon
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 - 1 tablespoon sugar (to taste)
For the cantaloupe & grapefruit layer:
- 1 cup cantaloupe, cubed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons grapefruit juice
- 1/2 - 1 tablespoon sugar (to taste)
For the crème fraîche & elderflower layer:
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 1/2 teaspoons elderflower liquer
Special Equipment:
- Popsicle mold with approximately 10, 3 oz. molds
- Popsicle sticks
Instructions
- To make the watermelon & lime layer, combine the watermelon cubes and lime juice in a blender or food processor and blend until liquefied. Strain mixture into a medium saucepan to remove most of the pulp. Add the sugar and heat over medium-low heat just until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into a heat-safe bowl and place in the refrigerator until chilled.
- To make the cantaloupe & grapefruit layer, combine the cantaloupe cubes and grapefruit juice in a blender or food processor and blend until liquefied. Strain mixture into a medium saucepan to remove most of the pulp. Add the sugar and heat over medium-low heat just until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into a heat-safe bowl and place in the refrigerator until chilled.
- To make the crème fraîche & elderflower layer, in a small bowl, combine the crème fraîche, milk, lime zest and elderflower liquer and mix until well combined. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
- To assemble the popsicles, divide 1 cup of the watermelon & lime mixture evenly between your popsicle molds. Place in the freezer for 2 hours, until slightly firm. At this point, the watermelon mixture should be frozen enough for you to push in the popsicle sticks without them falling over. Do so, and then divide 1 cup of the cantaloupe & grapefruit mixture between the molds. Place back in the freezer for another 2 hours or until the cantaloupe layer is firm. Lastly, divide the crème fraîche mixture between the molds and freeze until firm.
- To serve, dip the popsicle mold into warm water to help release the popsicles and eat immediately.
Hooray for summer! Not only do these flavors look delicious together, they sound like the perfect summer concoction to enjoy on a hot day!
http://www.livinginsteil.com
Yummy! Saving this for later!
LOVE RECIPE!
I think I may have died and gone to summertime heaven! These look DIVINE, Katie! The colors are so brilliant, and that addition of creme fraiche on the bottom layer was sheer genius. Can’t wait to make!
How beautiful! I can’t get over how pretty they are. I’m sure they’re delicious too!